Part of the Exil Paris collective, Félicie is one of the most promising DJs and producers in the continuously burgeoning Parisian rave scene. 

From high tempo grooves to fast paced sounds, Félicie developed her own style always focusing on giving the crowd an uncompromising and energetic set, expanding her high-intensity signature sound and mantra as “Fastgroove Klub”

She is now touring on a worldwide level in places such as as Colombia, India, Canada or Indonesia, and has played for renowned clubs and collectives, as Griessmuehle, Fold, Tresor, Grelle Forelle or La Machine du Moulin Rouge. She also recently performed her first Boiler Room at Le Bikini in France.

We caught up with the French producer to discuss her first solo vinyl release on Manchester’s Clergy imprint, the shaping factors behind her unique sound and her journey thus far…

—

Welcome to BUNKER! We’ve managed to get our hands and ears on your new release ‘Art of Detachment’ out in June on Clergy. Huge release.

For readers that may not be familiar, can you describe your sound and the way you like to play in your sets?

Hey guys, thanks for having me 🙂 Also really happy you like the release! If I had to describe my sound in a few words, that would be high-energy, groovy, and fast. I like to mix in different types of styles altogether, from 90’s oldschool techno to a more current harder sound, while always keeping an intense line of groove that makes people dance.

Whilst you are based in Berlin now, you are from Paris, a place which has become a hotbed for talent and events.

Do you think either have particularly shaped your career and sound in a way? If so, how?

I was based in Berlin for a bit of time but I am now back in Paris where I think the vibes and the surroundings fit more with my personality and energy. I got a lot of inspiration for my productions and way of mixing from Berlin, the music is genuinely the centre of attention and there is no time for other artefacts, but my heart belongs to Paris where my family and friends are.

Paris’s sound is always renewing itself, and promoters are always trying to improve themselves and to curate original line-ups. As a producer it also pushes you to discover and explore new sorts of sounds and skills and to get out of your comfort zone. This city has for me one of the best techno scenes at the moment, there are parties for every type of taste and you can’t get bored of it !

Can you tell us some of the highlights in Paris when it comes to events and clubs right now? Do you play often in your hometown?

I play at least once a month in Paris, and I always have a great time there. The clubs Nexus and Kilometre 25 are my favourites here. Nexus has this hybrid atmosphere between club and warehouse, and KM25 is great for outdoor events during summer. There was a time in Paris where the parties in warehouses got bigger and bigger every weekend, and people started to focus on those as they were new and exciting, and stopped attending clubs as much. However now I feel like the club experience is taking over again.

How did you start your journey in music? Did you find the path particularly hard?

I’ve been wanting to dive in and learn more about this industry and the djing world after listening to techno for a few years. I got my first decks, watched some tutorials, and started posting my first mixes on Soundcloud (I was happy if it had more than 5 plays – family clicks not counting haha!) Then while going out, I met the founders of the Exil collective in Paris, which I am today a resident of, and they were some of the first people to believe in me and put me on line ups. Playing in front of a real crowd and not my bedroom wall anymore was for me a dream come true. It’s been quite difficult at the start to get listened to and respected, because people had their prejudgements about girls starting techno from scratch and would think I wasn’t legit and doing it for the right reasons.

Although females are finally, and rightly so, getting the support they deserve within music, was it hard for you with a partner who was a very established producer? If so, why?

I’ve been very lucky to receive the best advices and guidance from him that made me the artist that I am today, and he helped me on so many different levels of my path. At the beginning, people would only associate my name to his profile, so I feel like it’s been a bit harder to prove myself as an artist and my own individual. I would get introduced to promoters or artists, and people would only see me as “the girlfriend of”, and not for my sound identity; their focus was on a different level. Some people would criticise me for “copying” him or asking me after a set if he was doing my tracklists, it was sometimes complicated to overcome knowing how hard I was working behind the scenes.

Do you think that other females have had the same kind of problems? What did you do to overcome this?

I think a lot of women in the scene got judged for not fitting the underground techno dj’s image that some people had in their mind, because they did stuff differently and brought a renewal of fresh air in the scene. Through social media or their music, they proposed something different, and some people didn’t like things being shaken up. Nowadays I feel like there is more of a mind-opening acceptance about couples of djs working together (through b2bs or releases), there is even maybe a little bit of hype about it. Personally, it pushed me to work twice even harder to prove everyone wrong, and that I deserved to be there and known for my own persona. Through the years, I developed and released music with my own sound signature, which I think helped a lot into getting more recognition.

Can you please give us some shows you have booked in that you can’t wait for this summer? When do we get to see you in Australia?

I’m going back to play in Colombia this month which I can’t wait for because the crowd and atmosphere in South America is surreal, they are true passionates! I am also super excited to play in some renowned clubs such as E1 in London, playing festivals, and doing my first all night long! This summer I will also be for a few weeks in Bali so not really far from Australia, hopefully I‘ll be able to also play there if an opportunity presents itself 🙂

—

Interview by Emma Chambers