Chicago DJ/producer Lil’ Louis isn’t one to do many interviews. However, in 1995 I was granted an audience with the trailblazing house music pioneer. At the time, Louis was living in Manhattan, and I spent a few hours with him at his studio on West 52nd Street. During our conversation, he recalled how he got into DJing, used his musical abilities to become a producer and how he came up with his classic 1989 track, “French Kiss.” The interview was published in issue 47 of Generator, a long-defunct British dance music magazine.
Images by Kevin Knight
“They used to laugh at me, but I saw the future…” – Lil’ Louis, ”New Dance Beat”
Mark Twain once said that a classic book is one which we’ve heard about, but never actually read. While that theory might be true in the world of literature, it doesn’t hold a drop of water in clubland. We all know that a classic track has the power to fire our imaginations, time and time again.
Lil’ Louis (real name: Marvin Burns) knows a thing or two about crafting effortless, left-of-center house music which has withstood the rigors of time. Where many producers regularly pay lip service to the ideals of avoiding formula and pushing the self-inflicted boundaries of popular music, Lil’ Louis has quietly let his work do the talking. Continue Reading