Parisian house DJ/producer Mehdi Djebali began producing music eight years ago. Since then he’s been developing his own deep style. As a DJ he’s cultivated his reputation in the booth, holding down a residency at Freak n’Chic’s Batofar parties between 2008 and 2010 and, more recently, helming his Ideal Juice parties at Rex Club.
In January the one-named phenom took his profile to the next level by releasing his full-length debut, 5, on his ( djebali ) label. It’s a special collection of music where Djebali has the space to stretch out and present his deep, lush and effortless sound.
Currently on a nonstop global tour supporting 5, earlier this month he touched down in America to play DJ gigs at Flash in Washington, D.C. and Schimanski in Brooklyn. In between flights back to Europe, we managed to catch up with Djebali and got him to share five club tracks he’s currently unleashing on dance floors.
Baaz – “The Reason” (Slices of Life)
I’ve always been a fan of Baaz’s deepness. His style is classy and groovy. The drums are tight; the warm pads are beautiful and vocal effects are tip-top … everything’s perfect poised for a nice journey. Just close your eyes on this one and relax.
Dan Ghenacia & Chris Carrier – “Kind of Blue” (Apollonia)
I used to play this one at the beginning of my sets. It instills a great deep vibe on the dance floor but the rhythm is just energetic enough to keep everyone grooving and dancing. But now I realized I can play it anytime, it took me a while but I realized it always works [laughs]. And the whole EP is a bomb, so you can’t go wrong on this release.
Kerri Chandler – “Something Wrong” (Madhouse)
This track was originally released on Madhouse in 1992 but was brought back by Kerri Chandler himself and repressed this month. I don’t need to say much about the man — he’s a major influence on my work. This track has a classic vocal, a fat simple rhythm and an old-school bassline. Add some synth lines on it and you got a dance floor killer! This is what we call timeless quality house music.
Satoshi Tomiie – “Nature Abstraite” (Epiphenomena Remix) (Abstract Architecture)
This one is a remix by himself, on his Album Sampler #5! This remix is much more clubbier than the original, with less synths that are gonna make your dance floor groove. On top of that, on the flip, there’s a superb remix by Brawther.
Lee Burton – “15.30 (The Jam)” (Elephant Moon)
This guy has got a massive groove! Released on John Dimas’ label, all the tracks are gonna make you move. It’s pure groove topped by elegant synths. Anywhere, anytime!