Joachim Garraud
Joachim Garraud is one of the most respected faces on the DJ scene at the moment, and having just compiled a Toolroom Knights album and becoming celeb best mates with David Guetta, I caught up with him for a little chat.
You are a bit of a superstar in your native France, for those who aren’t so familiar with your work in the rest of the world, describe your sound?
My sound comes from the future!! Seriously, my sound is 100% dance floor friendly! I'm trying to produce and play tracks that make people dance, this is my first priority! If at the same time I can add a positive vibe to make people happy this is a good thing. So let's say a positive Electro Techno sound.
You have just compiled a Toolroom Knights album how did that come about?
I'm so happy and so proud to be the first French producer DJ to have this kind of opportunity. Toolroom is the best label in the UK and may be the best in the world at the moment! Mark Knight and George who look after the albums are so professional regarding every release. That was one of my dreams to collaborate with Toolroom Records, so choosing the tracks, producing exclusive tracks and mixing the main compilation for them was an amazing experience. I'm so proud to present a DJ mix that considers tunes, harmonies, keys and BPM at the same time. I'm so excited and can't wait till its out.
You have written 2 original tracks for the compilation and one remix tell us more!
The idea was to produce some exclusive content for this project; I had some ideas and some tracks in my "work in progress area". I'm lucky to play as a DJ almost every night at a different territory, so I've chosen my best new productions, with the best dancefloor reactions to include in the Toolroom Knights album. So, 2 new tracks are 100% exclusive: OENo Techno In This Room Please¹ and OEMiami is BS¹. To add to the exclusive content, I've added 3 new remixes: "BBE OESeven Days and One Week¹ (one of my favourite remix ever), Steve Aoki OEDeadmeat¹ and Paganini Traxx OEZoe¹, released here for the first time.
You¹ve reworked 2 legendary tracks OE BBE¹s Seven Days And 1 week¹ and Paganini Trax OEZoe¹ were you nervous about people¹s reactions to these reworks?
For sure, as a remixer I¹m sometimes not comfortable with the idea of remixing legends tracks like BBE or Paganini! Theses original tracks are so big, it¹s not so easy to do a better remix than the original. I think my remixes are so different from the originals, but keep the main feeling without loosing the spirit of the track.
What are your fave tracks on there?
It¹s like asking a mother who are her favourite kids! It¹s hard. I love all the tracks; I've chosen each track one by one and love all of them.
You have a very impressive history in electronic music what have been your highlights?
I hope my highlight will be with the release of the compilation! Working with David Guetta and co-writing and co producing tracks is very cool. Doing a remix for David Bowie or Deep Dish was really exciting. Playing in front of 1.5 million clubbers in the street of Berlin for the Love Parade was also amazing. My life has been a big highlight, I'm very lucky.
And your lowlights?
Playing at the wrong party in Russia! I followed the wrong guy at the airport, and I had a lot of fun in the club until I had a phone call from the promoter who was looking for me! I'd been kidnapped by another promoter and had played the wrong party!
What¹s the best club you have played in?
This is not a club, but an open air dome in the middle of the desert in Nevada USA. I'm going to the Burning Man Festival every year now; this is my favourite gig ever. 57,000 people are mad for 7 nights and 7 days non stop! Everybody is dressed like hell, nobody wears regular clothes! The audience is wicked, people are completely nuts ... I love this place.
Who would you like to remix your work?
Prodigy, Underworld, or the Chemical Brothers
As an artist you are extremely diverse, do you think that hinders you as a DJ or enhances it?
I think this is a huge opportunity if as a DJ you look to make people dance; I can play more Techno, more Electro or taking my Keytar to do more of a show to keep the audience on the dancefloor!
Have you ever had to take a massive risk musically?
During the Love Parade in Berlin, I started my gig by playing the theme "Meet Her At Love Parade" by using my Keytar live! The bad thing was, I didn't have time to repeat and learn the notes! So 2 minutes before starting the show, I had to learn the theme, note by note. But luckily I did it, but trying something new in front of 1,5 million people without any rehearsal is something pretty stupid I suppose!
Who has been the best person you have worked with?
I can¹t drop names, so many are so cool and for different reasons! From Basement Jaxx to Mister Loiseau, from Kylie Minogue to David GuettaS( I¹ve had so much pleasure collaborating with these artists.
And the most difficult?
Again, I can¹t drop names, so many are so hard and for different reasons! From Basement Jaxx to Mister Loiseau, from Kylie Minogue to David GuettaS( I¹ve had so much difficulty collaborating! Lol!
What track do you wish you had written?
Blue Monday from New Order. I love this track, I love the production, and I love the sound! Or in another style OESong for a Guy¹ - Elton John.
What¹s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you at a gig?
Maybe when some people started making love on stage! Seriously, you have to come to Burning Man to see this kind of things!
What¹s your all top 5?
Daft Punk - Rolling and Scratching
Kraftwerk - Radioactivity
Underworld - Rez
Craig Armstrong - Weather Storm
Cliff Martinez - Is That What Everybody Wants
Prodigy - Smack my Bitch up
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Oh wait, that¹s 7!
Joachim Garraud is one of the most respected faces on the DJ scene at the moment, and having just compiled a Toolroom Knights album and becoming celeb best mates with David Guetta, I caught up with him for a little chat.
You are a bit of a superstar in your native France, for those who aren’t so familiar with your work in the rest of the world, describe your sound?
My sound comes from the future!! Seriously, my sound is 100% dance floor friendly! I'm trying to produce and play tracks that make people dance, this is my first priority! If at the same time I can add a positive vibe to make people happy this is a good thing. So let's say a positive Electro Techno sound.
You have just compiled a Toolroom Knights album how did that come about?
I'm so happy and so proud to be the first French producer DJ to have this kind of opportunity. Toolroom is the best label in the UK and may be the best in the world at the moment! Mark Knight and George who look after the albums are so professional regarding every release. That was one of my dreams to collaborate with Toolroom Records, so choosing the tracks, producing exclusive tracks and mixing the main compilation for them was an amazing experience. I'm so proud to present a DJ mix that considers tunes, harmonies, keys and BPM at the same time. I'm so excited and can't wait till its out.
You have written 2 original tracks for the compilation and one remix tell us more!
The idea was to produce some exclusive content for this project; I had some ideas and some tracks in my "work in progress area". I'm lucky to play as a DJ almost every night at a different territory, so I've chosen my best new productions, with the best dancefloor reactions to include in the Toolroom Knights album. So, 2 new tracks are 100% exclusive: OENo Techno In This Room Please¹ and OEMiami is BS¹. To add to the exclusive content, I've added 3 new remixes: "BBE OESeven Days and One Week¹ (one of my favourite remix ever), Steve Aoki OEDeadmeat¹ and Paganini Traxx OEZoe¹, released here for the first time.
You¹ve reworked 2 legendary tracks OE BBE¹s Seven Days And 1 week¹ and Paganini Trax OEZoe¹ were you nervous about people¹s reactions to these reworks?
For sure, as a remixer I¹m sometimes not comfortable with the idea of remixing legends tracks like BBE or Paganini! Theses original tracks are so big, it¹s not so easy to do a better remix than the original. I think my remixes are so different from the originals, but keep the main feeling without loosing the spirit of the track.
What are your fave tracks on there?
It¹s like asking a mother who are her favourite kids! It¹s hard. I love all the tracks; I've chosen each track one by one and love all of them.
You have a very impressive history in electronic music what have been your highlights?
I hope my highlight will be with the release of the compilation! Working with David Guetta and co-writing and co producing tracks is very cool. Doing a remix for David Bowie or Deep Dish was really exciting. Playing in front of 1.5 million clubbers in the street of Berlin for the Love Parade was also amazing. My life has been a big highlight, I'm very lucky.
And your lowlights?
Playing at the wrong party in Russia! I followed the wrong guy at the airport, and I had a lot of fun in the club until I had a phone call from the promoter who was looking for me! I'd been kidnapped by another promoter and had played the wrong party!
What¹s the best club you have played in?
This is not a club, but an open air dome in the middle of the desert in Nevada USA. I'm going to the Burning Man Festival every year now; this is my favourite gig ever. 57,000 people are mad for 7 nights and 7 days non stop! Everybody is dressed like hell, nobody wears regular clothes! The audience is wicked, people are completely nuts ... I love this place.
Who would you like to remix your work?
Prodigy, Underworld, or the Chemical Brothers
As an artist you are extremely diverse, do you think that hinders you as a DJ or enhances it?
I think this is a huge opportunity if as a DJ you look to make people dance; I can play more Techno, more Electro or taking my Keytar to do more of a show to keep the audience on the dancefloor!
Have you ever had to take a massive risk musically?
During the Love Parade in Berlin, I started my gig by playing the theme "Meet Her At Love Parade" by using my Keytar live! The bad thing was, I didn't have time to repeat and learn the notes! So 2 minutes before starting the show, I had to learn the theme, note by note. But luckily I did it, but trying something new in front of 1,5 million people without any rehearsal is something pretty stupid I suppose!
Who has been the best person you have worked with?
I can¹t drop names, so many are so cool and for different reasons! From Basement Jaxx to Mister Loiseau, from Kylie Minogue to David GuettaS( I¹ve had so much pleasure collaborating with these artists.
And the most difficult?
Again, I can¹t drop names, so many are so hard and for different reasons! From Basement Jaxx to Mister Loiseau, from Kylie Minogue to David GuettaS( I¹ve had so much difficulty collaborating! Lol!
What track do you wish you had written?
Blue Monday from New Order. I love this track, I love the production, and I love the sound! Or in another style OESong for a Guy¹ - Elton John.
What¹s the craziest thing that has ever happened to you at a gig?
Maybe when some people started making love on stage! Seriously, you have to come to Burning Man to see this kind of things!
What¹s your all top 5?
Daft Punk - Rolling and Scratching
Kraftwerk - Radioactivity
Underworld - Rez
Craig Armstrong - Weather Storm
Cliff Martinez - Is That What Everybody Wants
Prodigy - Smack my Bitch up
Michael Jackson - Billie Jean
Oh wait, that¹s 7!