Reinventing the past with The Reflex

Revisionism in dance music is a murky world. Much like every form of music there's very few truly original sparks - even the mutant electronic wilding out of acid house had very clear roots in electro and disco - but as a genre it's even more prone to the cyclical nature of whims and trends.

One area where this has had wildly oscillating results is the edit scene. There's been an explosion in the Twenty First century of DJs and producers revisiting not only the disco records of the past, but also the techniques which revamped them.

The re-editing and remixing work of past masters like Francois Kervorkian, Tom Moulton and Walter Gibbons would go on to influence a new generation, as new blood like Todd Terje and The Revenge would combine with revitalised old hands such as Greg Wilson and Dimitri from Paris in bringing the sounds and styles of seventies club culture to the forefront once more.

That heritage and modern day relevance combines together on Sunday 30th November for A Night in Paradise, a clubnight dedicated to the influence of master remixer and DJ Larry Levan and the club he held court at so infamously, New York's Paradise Garage, all raising funds for combating HIV amongst New York's gay community on World Aids Day.

Held at Ministry of Sound, opened over twenty years ago in reverence to said institution, the night brings together the sounds of the Garage between 1977 and 1987 in The Box with Danny Krivit among the selectors and Jocelyn Brown doing a live PA, whilst the first decade at MOS is showcased via the likes of Kenny Carpenter and Justin Berkmann in 103.

Skiddle Mix 043 - The Reflex (2020 Vision) by Skiddle on Mixcloud

The Baby Box focuses on some of the generation that followed both these eras, with lovable rogues Horse Meat Disco and French auteur par excellence The Reflex the two headliners, the latter delivering a rather brilliant mix for us earlier in the year (above).

The year as a whole has been great for the French producer, real name Nicolas Laugier, with gigs across the globe alongside a burgeoning reputation for delivering remixes and re-edits the right way, managing to add a modern legacy to those pantheon of disco greats. 

Ahead of him joining a special bill for a special event, we spoke with him to delve further into his ideas on the link between the present and Levan, going from cleaning toilets to getting high praise from Nile Rodgers and assembling his dream studio line up for the ultimate LP.

Hi Nicolas, thanks for speaking to us. How has 2014 been as a whole for you so far, your best year yet musically?

It's been an amazing year! Best year of my life I'd say.

You're playing the​ Paradise charity event at MOS at the end of the month, which is a tribute to Larry Levan. We know he's been eulogised enough times in the past, but how much do you identify with what he stood for as a DJ, and is it enriching to not only be part of the bill but to also go some way to raising money and awareness for combating HIV​ in the New York gay community?

I identify with him a great deal, not just as a DJ but as a remixer too. He was a pioneer in that field and the work he has done alongside Francois K sounds as fresh today as it did then.

In the same ways that the Paradise Garage is the blueprint of club culture as we know it today, so is his remix work. Obviously I'm thrilled to be part of the event as well as contributing to a good cause.

On the topic of Disco legends, you've worked with Nile Rodgers this year, who has been a supporter of what you do. Is there any higher praise?!

Well, let's put it this way, four years ago, as part of my job as a caretaker in a public building, I often had to unblock the toilets. So touring the world and getting praised by a music legend like Nile - the ultimate musician / producer to me - makes me feel like all those years of struggle and hard work weren't in vain.

There's also been praise by lots of people including Kid Creole and Cerrone, but the best compliment I got this year came from Sean O'Hagan of the High Llamas and ex Stereolab, who is a string arranger for Paul Weller and many others.

He simply said that I have "a compositional approach to remixing, which is rare and is a gift". It also describes quite well what I do, I think.

Edits wise we've spoken to Late Nite Tuff Guy this year who held you up as one of the best in the business, whilst Greg Wilson, Gilles Peterson, Craig Charles and others have consistently given you so much praise. Who do you look up to personally within the edit community?

To me editing and/or reworking a song and remixing from multitracks are two very different things. Anybody can edit a song; remixing and editing from multitracks is another ball game and I wish that people were more aware of the difference. In that field I look up at people like Joey Negro, John Morales, Dimitri From Paris, Kon and Al Kent.

We're really into your latest edit of Cerrone's 'Hooked on You' (above), which was famously edited by Kon as Sir Own (check our interview with him here) who you mentioned then.

It's good to hear you take the track in a different direction, something we've noticed in your other edits of more famous material from the likes of MJ which have also had other reworks. When you're following such a well received edit how does the process vary, and is that a more daunting task than when you're approaching something untouched?

I find it very creative to remix a track that has been done before, it pushes me to come up with something fresh, but I always do it for my own enjoyment first. In the case of 'Hooked On You' it was just for my private use but somehow Cerrone heard it and now it's coming out officially.

Kon is a good friend and with respect to his version that was a big tune for him, but what I did is completely different but at same time showcases what can be done using a different approach.

It's a lot easier to remix something that never been touched obviously, but these days it's hard to be the first one to get hold of stems and the multitracks so you gotta be very creative, otherwise you'll just end up copying what has been done before. So it's not always about what you got, it's what you do with it. 

What other remix and studio projects have you got cooking at the minute? 

I've done lots of official work lately including forthcoming remixes for Nina Simone, Rae & Christian, Shuya Okino, Joey Negro & the Sunburst Band, Tahiti 80, and the Rhythm Makers, plus I'm working on a compilation of disco remixes for Joey's label Z Records as well as the follow up to last year 'Million Sellers' - Volume 2 will be available early December.

We're coming to the end of 2014. What music has excited you this year?

Well I listen to all sorts of stuff, this year I've really enjoyed Downliners Sekt, Art Of Tones, HNNY, Kaytranada + DJ's like Guido Minisky, Vidal Benjamin and Tom Caulker.

Finally you've been given two things to help you record your first ever album, an unlimited budget and a Delorean enabling you to go back in time and work with anyone from any period of music. They've capped it to five guests though, who do you pick?

God... too many to choose from! Off the top of my head I'll say Charles Stepney on arrangements, the rhythm section from Serge Gainsbourg's Melody Nelson, Herbie Hancock on keys, Steve Marriott on vocals / guitar and Carole King on songwriting duties. 

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