In 1993
Born and raised in south of France There was a small club near my home, le Rive Droite, one of the best in France, 400 people, no more. Luke SkyWalker was the DJ and he played stuff from MAW to Frankie Knuckles, Tengalia, Murk, Strictly, Nervous, and even Basil Hardhouse/NuGroove, etc. The energy was amazing, this movement was brand new!
The lighting system was magic and the dance floor a real taming machine with its cage of GoGo dancers and podiums for the best dancers. I was 15 years and this was my first taste of house music in a club and on a Sunday would dance from midnight until 5 a.m. before going to school Monday morning.
1994
In High School with Christian, who is incidentally a theater teacher and with whom I played the part of a DJ in a short school film (strange premonition). We’d hang around the flea market on a Sunday morning, he bought a portable NTSC American format for 150 €. Being so tightfisted, he thinks he has achieved the deal of the century in expecting to sell it on for 2,300 € to the NYC BNH Jews specialized in broadcasting on 34th.
Based on this second-hand purchase from the market, we thought of traveling to the US hoping to make some money from our short stay. Christian, fed up with being a school supervisor and tired of not making much money in the process, and myself, hungry for clubbing and DJs. He knows nothing about this culture. The reason behind this trip to NY is therefore improbable.
He’s good with a camera, having made films in high school and I suggest taking the camera to make a small holiday film and why not try to make a mini-documentary, mainly in the clubs. I know to what extent this phenomenon is still underground and unknown.
At the time, I still do not know who is black or white, friendly or unfriendly. A few days before leaving I prepare a rough synopsis and script, I send faxes to prepare for interviews, nobody replies, I take a guidebook with me, the House Nation Book. I leave with 150€ for a week. And finaly….