THE FREAK BEAT

The  FREAKBEAT – INTERNATIONAL DJ INTERVIEW SERIES

Episode one KAPTAIN CADILLAC (France)

I am proud to present the first in a series of interviews with some of my favorite international dj’s (and I am open to submissions or suggestions as long as the dj is progressive and fresh).  I met Kaptain Cadillac over the internet and he is a beast of a dj.  Check his myspace below for many free mixes and check the Freaky Mix below he made  especially for this interview.  (the following interview was translated from French)

Z3: Please introduce yourself and tell us where you’re from and what you represent?

KC: Yo ! I’m Kaptain Cadillac, I’m a 23 years old Parisian,   DJ/Producer/graphic designer,   and member of the Booty Call Crew.  Big defender of ghetto music’s, especially booty-bass, NOLA bounce and juke which I play under the name of Leatherface with the collective Nightmare Juke Squad.  Regarding my aka “KC”, I wanted one which sticks to the kind of music I play and let’s be honest, Kaptain Cadillac or Kap Cap sounds wicked cool ha ha !

Z3: Growing up in France what were your early musical influences?

KC: I started playing as a dj in a local band when I was in high school, and then, step by step, I’ve moved to funk music, house and electro, and finally discovered ghetto-tech which was my first contact with the actual version of bass music.
That was a revelation! The power that electronic music can have on the dance floor mixed with the energy of the Hip-Hop immediately attracted me.

Z3: When did you first start production/making tracks or remix’s? What was the first track you made? What did you use to make it?

KC: I started in about 2001 by doing some additional work on FL for the HH band I used to play with.  The way I used to play has changed since the time I started, the way I used the computer is changing too.  Since 2 years things really start moving thanks to Myspace which is how I first met people who share my passion, like Marvy Da Pimp, Freeze DBH and DJ Kesmo which are the actual members of the Booty Call Crew.

Z3: Describe your equipment setup for your live shows and in the studio?

KC: I first started to play vinyl so what I thought would be the closest way to reproduce the technique is Serato Scratch Live. It offers you so many choices and possibilities (including stopping breaking you shoulder by carrying your flight case all around!) In studios I’m using FL Studio and Ableton Live with many plugins

Z3: How were you introduced to Juke ,Bmore,&Ghettotech? Please tell about influential classic records for you in the genre’s.

KC: I discovered ghetto tech with releases on vinyl, so I started to get into it a bit closer.
What had the effect of a punch was listening to Godfather Chronicles very first time ! It became for me like a Bible of ghetto tech. I then discovered juke from Chicago, bmore club and Nola bounce.  Internet is so fascinating for all the music it allows you to discover and also artists that are not signed on any majors. That was still impossible 10 years ago !

Z3: What does booty shake mean to you?

KC: A magic dance … hypnotical !

FB: What is so unique about French dance music? Please describe the club scene as you see it in France.

KC:The power of French producers is to manage to bring fresh air in old kinds of music we all know.  Clubbing artists and producers represent a pretty big movement here in France, especially in Paris where you find all the styles like techno fidget house, electro, dubstep, hiphop etc …  At the moment the buzz is around mixing different styles, with a big effervescence particularly for the crossover HipHop & electronic dance music.

Z3: What is your favorite club/venue in France?

KC: Social Club and that, for several reasons.  First because this is where we are dj residents with the BC party every month (by the past we have booked Diplo, DJ Funk, DJ Godfather, Sinden and Gantman for the next BC the june 26th). The second reason is the line up of the club. I reckon the program are always interesting and innovative, with quality and not necessarily facility. Now there is a lot of clubs in Paris, it s only up to you to pick up the right party to go to !

Z3: Who do you want to work with who you have not yet?

KC: Well actually I’d love to work with Mc’s from New Orleans or any MC who can rock ghetto beats. The NO MC’s have such a huge energy, it s impressive.

Z3: What releases can we look forward to? And where can we buy them?

KC: We have the booty call ep vol 1, 2, 3 on Databass, with tracks of each member of the booty call crew (Marvy Da Pimp, Freeze DBH, DJ Kesmo & me), with ghetto tech tracks. I also have 3 EP under my darkside aka, Leatherface, available on Juke Trax records.  A track of Marvy & me is on the Top Billin’s Sexy Time 12’.
at the moment we are working our own label, booty call records, designed for bass music, with a first EP 100% booty house. stay tuned !

Z3: Where in France are the most beautiful women located?

KC: Well, actually they are everywhere, you just need to look closer cause they are discreet. France is full of pretty girls !

FB: For an American in France what are some of the best places to pick-up French women?

KC: Definitely in Night clubs, where music drives them out of control & wild !

Z3: How are the strip-club’s in France?

KC:Damn ! But I’ve never been in a strip club ! Strip clubs here are not like your guys, where it can be entertaining with good music … In fact it s pretty bogus here. It’s the kind of place you go with your mates before getting married, or very expensive and luxurious clubs not that funny …

Z3: Do you think the American-France beef will ever end?

KC: Clever people don’t have any interest in this stupid feud.

Z3: Where do you see yourself in the pantheon of the history of dance music?

KC: Well, attending the number of good artists Pantheon will probably be totally packed any time soon, and anyway I would prefer to be a butler or a jetter in a club !

Z3: Do you have any shout-out’s? Please list all your links you want people to see.

KC: Shout out to all the booty call family, be trash fam’, drugstore, clone x, la MJC, and thanks to Gaëlle and all my supporters.

Kevin Evanno - Kaptain Cadillac
http://myspace.com/kaptaincadillac