INTERVIEW: David Guetta
- Posted on July 19, 2007 11:07 AM
- 0 comments
A brush with David Guetta
Interview by Katie Spain
Read David Guetta’s bio and you’ll probably end up feeling a little bit star-struck. Delve further and look at his accompanying press pictures and you’ll probably fall head over heels (yes, boys included). Stop a moment and take a long hard look beyond the Parisian brawn and beats and you’ll find a world renowned DJ with a family, an industry and a seemingly endless career at his feet. As the UK release of his new album ‘Pop Life’ draws near, we grab a moment in time with a man who, up until a few years ago, was Paris’ best kept secret. Surely it’s a Pop life… but what is it really like to be David Guetta? We endeavour to find out.
You’re one busy man! You’re promoting your latest album ‘Pop Life’ – how’s it going? You must be flat out.
It’s going really well… it’s going to be released at the end of August in the UK. It has already been released in France and we got top two in the album charts so that’s really good- I’m very happy. The single is doing very well all over the world so yes I’m a little bit tired but I’m very happy!
Tell me about the album…
This album is my third – the name is Pop Life and it’s a balance, like always with me between dark electronic instrumentals and a little bit of hope and happiness. There’s definitely a Gospel background in some songs and also some really big Pop songs.
You’ve got Chris Willis on vocals – tell me about him… we’ve got someone in the office with the same name - unfortunately our Chris doesn’t have quite the same vocal range.
(laughs) - I met Chris by chance in a restaurant. He was having a drink with some friends of mine. That was in 2001 and I was just out from the studio… we had a friendly chat – the “What are you doing in life” kind of thing and he said “Well I’m a Gospel singer in Nashville”. I said “Oh, you love music... do you want to come and hang out in the studio?”
After half an hour we never stopped working together. That’s the story but yeah, it was totally by accident. Actually, a lot of what I do is like that you know. I always have friends coming into the studio. I’m not a big professional, I like having fun and inviting friends to jam with me to make music. Sometimes it works… and because of that it’s really genuine and about love. You can feel that.
Do you live the Pop Life? You certainly live the busy life – I heard you don’t get jet lagged because of lack of sleep – might try that next time I fly home!
This is also why the album is called ‘Pop Life’ – because it’s very funny to see how my job is different now to when I started it. Yes we’re living a pop life at times – I take a plane sometimes and I took the subway a lot before. It’s just funny for me because when I started as a DJ because it wasn’t a very well respected job and now, we’re filling stadiums so it’s just crazy. I’m like, I’m gonna wake up and this is all a big joke… it’s just not happening. It’s just really funny – the evolution of the DJ.
You work with your wife – is it hard mixing work and home life?
No… when I started as a DJ the only way I could really play my music was to promote my own night because otherwise I always had a boss saying “Don’t play house music” or something like that. Then I became a promoter and now I work with my wife – she’s a great PR. We promoted clubs and finally owned clubs. At the end, as successful as we were, I was not so happy because I didn’t have any time to make music and DJ anymore. So I changed my life – we sold everything and now it’s all about music and I’m really happy about this.
You have a little mini Guetta right?
Yes, I have a three year old called ‘Elvis’.
Did you play music to your wife’s belly when she was pregnant? Is Elvis showing signs of a love for beats?
Actually no, every night before going to bed he plays the drums and I play the maracas and Cathy plays the tambourine. We do this before going to sleep every day.
You’ve played some huge festivals and events… in 2005, you played at the Spanish Creamfields and you’ve played alongside huge names like Carl Cox and The Chemical Brothers. I’ve read you’re mates with Jean Paul Gaultier and Pete Tong - even though you’ve worked and played with the big guns, do you ever get star struck?
Well to be honest with you I’m not very impressed by famous people but I can be very, very shy and impressed when people are talented. No matter if they’re famous or not. If I meet a musician and I’m totally impressed by him I’m really like a little boy… but they don’t necessarily have to be famous. Because I make music, if I’m really impressed by somebody I feel like I’m twelve years old.
You DJ all over the world, from Japan to Israel- but where are the best crowds based?
I love the Latin people… South America is unbelievable. Spain is really good too. I have to say that the UK is also great – it’s a very musically cultured country and I love to play here.
On New Year's Day 2007 you appeared at Big Beach Boutique 3, a concert held on the beach of Brighton. (Put together by and headlined by Fatboy Slim) What did you think of the little beachside town?
Listen, that was one of the craziest parties of my life. Having twenty thousand people waving their hands in the air, under the rain when it was two or three degrees… I’ve never witnessed that before. I was also playing under the rain and started with three CD players, then two, then one and then none. (Laughs) It was just the craziest party because I stayed two days in bed sick afterwards! You know, staying there and saying “We don’t give a fuck, we’re going to party anyway – it doesn’t matter about the rain or the cold”. I admire that.
Are you a Formula 1 fan?
Totally not! People would kill to be on the balcony to see witness the race and I was so tired. You have no idea about how loud the sound is but I just fell asleep. All my friends were so shocked – they were like “How can you do that?”
I love sport but more for myself – not watching it.
What’s the best thing about being David Guetta?
The highlight is me being able to live out of my passion. I constantly work but my work is what I love the most. I’m just having non stop fun and that is extraordinary. I wish that my son, whatever he does, music or banking it doesn’t matter, will be able to do it with that kind of passion. To be free to do what you want to do, that’s a blessing.
On August 13th David Guetta releases his new single ‘ Love Is Gone’ featuring the vocals of Chris Willis. David Guetta’s third album ‘Pop Life’ is released on Aug 20th. Both are released on Charisma records.
http://www.davidguetta.com
www.myspace.com/davidguetta
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