Its electronic music history, from early F Comm artists to Daft Punk’s Montmartre beginnings and global takeover, through to more recent Ed Banger outgoings, means we always feel at home in Paris. Today though - late January and well below freezing - there’s a frosty silence in the air as we make our way across town to the home studio of Laurent Ash, aka Lifelike.
Despite the quantity of acclaimed artists living on the banks of the Seine the scene is still relatively close-knit. Lifelike benefited from this camaraderie when he first moved to the city in the late ’90s, originally releasing his early tracks on Jérémie Mondon’s 20000st.
But it was his introduction to and collaboration with Kris Menace on the modern club classic Discopolis that made him a household name. First released on Alan Braxe’s acclaimed Vulture label, the track was later licensed to Defected, hammered by Pete Tong and became the 2005 Ibiza anthem, selling 20,000 vinyl copies in the first three months alone.
Amidst a tsunami of remixes for the likes of Chromeo, La Roux, Sia, Groove Armada, Moby and A-Trak, Lifelike has developed into a consistent and dependable dancefloor deacon, producing retro-tinged bassline-driven tracks from his hardware-led studio in the shadows of the Eiffel Tower.