Monokreck describes his style as "open minded house, from glitchy microhouse to deep techno, and all in between". Melting many styles of electronic music together to create a warm atmosphere on the dancefloor.
Op vrijdag 26 december zal VOLTT dit jaar nog eenmaal goed uitpakken voor een knallende afsluiting van 2008. Op 2e kerstdag zal de Paradiso namelijk in het teken staan van VOLTT met een hoop vooruitstrevend talent en gerenommeerde artiesten.
In navolging van het overdonderende geweld op het tot nok toe gevulde CLiCK feest tijdens het Amsterdam Dance Event krap twee maanden geleden, maakt de organisatie zich op voor een nog meeslepender en vooral intiemer spektakel.
De jaarwisseling neemt altijd een beetje spanning met zich mee, meestal met de grote groep dierbaren die je hebt is het altijd een beetje onderling onderhandelen. Wel uit, niet uit, wel thuis, niet thuis, wel afteren, niet afteren, wel werken, niet werken...
CHILDHOOD
Born in 1973 in Grenoble, a medium town in the Alps, south east of France. Due to my young parents, music was everywhere at home, from Genesis, Supertramp, Miles Davis, Philadelphia Sound, Maria Callas, Pink Floyd and of course, The Beatles. I remember my Mum doing the housekeeping on Vivaldi's 4 seasons... Around 6, I was often playing piano for fun at my grand-parents', reproducing melodies from the radio. They decided to pay me lessons but I gave up after 2 years. I also practiced ballet from 5 years old to 22.
STUDIES
After a high school degree in economy in 90, I studied art, first in Marseille in 91, then in the Beaux-Arts of Grenoble specialized in contemporary art in 93-94. I finished my cycle in graphic design in Amiens in 95, north of France before starting my full time DJ job.
RAVE REVELATION
I first got in touch with electronic music in a new-wave club in Grenoble, where I met The Hacker. For New Years Eve 90, came a DJ team from Valencia, playing *Bacalao*, this Spanish commercial techno-dance. The club became quickly a dance club, where the DJ played U96, 2 Unlimited, Usura or Transformer 2. I needed money and offered a go-go dancer attraction to the boss, never topless, just entertainers like in Ibiza. The 1st guest-DJs I've seen were Jack De Marseille, Anthony and Jeff Valle. One week later, my friends and I went to our 1st rave party: a revelation. KLF, LFO, Aphex Twin, Autechre and the 1st Warp big releases became our home soundtracks. The French Alps became one of the most exciting party scene in the country.
1993 was the rave madness, driving around the country with Belgian club tapes and DJ sets loud, living for weekends, searching for outstanding DJs to dance on. We had our best party memories like Borealis #1 in Montpellier and the Spiral Tribe wild night near Orly airport in Paris, freshly escaped from the Criminal Justice Bill in UK. Shortly after, the tribe stayed in our hometown, setting up memorable illegal parties in the woods. Liza N´Eliaz or Electric Indigo became local heroes. Nostalgia, craziness and freedom describe perfectly this happy wild time we all miss.
1ST STEPS
In 94, I did my 1st mix at my boyfriend's, actually due to a funny arguement about his technique. He missed a mix, I explained my point of view, he took it bad and told me to do it myself. I succeeded in my 1st try. Thinking it was easy, so naive I was, I bought my 1st records: Richie Hawtin's Fuse, Robert Hood *Protein Valve* on M plant, Pizzaman...
Still at school, we founded with a bunch of students "Swift Tuttle", a collective offering rave decorations, so we could party for free and earn pocket money. We organized our 1st illegal party in an old military fort in the mountains. I played records for the 1st time in the chill out room on the unique no-pitch turntable. It´s also the 1st time the name "Miss Kittin" appeared on a flyer.
3 months later, I officially played in my 1st party with Eric Rug, Bertrand and Miloch, I had no turntables at home but a plastic box with 20 records. I was missing school to train at a friend's before a gig. After a 3 months job as a cashier in a big supermarket, I bought my 2nd hand pair of Technics from a radio station. I still use them today. I entered Tekmics booking agency created by my friend Miloch.
In 95 and 96, I started to play a lot in the country, 1st in the famous Dragon Bal illegal raves of south of France, but also in Chicago for Mike Dearborn and in Moscow. After conflicts at school, I decided to stop my studies, as DJing was already my half-time job. During summertime I met DJ Hell in Marseille, he just started his label "International Dj Gigolo", I played him a tape with 808 loops I did for fun at some friends´in Geneva, he asked for more.
Back to Grenoble, I called the Hacker, we recorded Frank Sinatra at Kiko´s studio above his record store. We sent it out to DJ Hell, without any other track on a tape. Few weeks later, he was already playing a dub plate of it. He invited me in Munich to play at the legendary Ultraschall club. It was my very 1st visit to Germany.
THE RISING YEARS
End of 96 I moved to Paris, sharing a very special house with Sex Toy, Rachid Taha, and owners of the now famous gay club Le Pulp. The Hacker and me recorded "Frank Sinatra" for DJ Hell's label. I started to hang around half of the time in Geneva with my friends from Mental Groove records/shop.
Summer 97, I left Paris for Geneva. I worked for a few months at the Mental Groove record shop.
The Hacker and me finally released our 1st EP "Champagne!" on Gigolo, with a total of 8 tracks composed while I passed by Grenoble. I immediately started to play more in Germany, as a new member of Gigolo-Disko B booking agency.
In 98, the track "1982" from "Champagne! EP" had an unexpected success, 1st because of promo copies spread over Berlin to underground DJs. That´s where we performed our 2nd live ever, at Suicide club. Few months later, Westbam closed the Love Parade with this track in front of 1 million people. And we began to tour non-stop all around Europe.
In 99, we performed live at the famous mega rave Mayday in Dortmund, Germany: 30,000 people. We released our 2nd EP "Intimités" on Gigolo. I had propositions to collaborate with several musicians for my lyrics.
In 2000, we had our most important gig in Barcelona for Sonar, the advanced music festival. It changed my way of performing, creating an interraction between the audience and us. I had my 2nd visit at Mayday as a DJ. I met Felix Da Housecat in a Swiss festival, next day we were composing "Silver Screen Shower Scene" and "Madame Hollywood" in a small friend´s studio in Geneva.
2001: THE CELEBRATION
Miss Kittin and The Hacker finally release their 1st album on Gigolo. My voice appears on a song with Steve Bug, an album with Felix Da Housecat, an album with my Zurich friend Goldenboy. I am suddenly welcome in France after 5 years of abscence. I took my 1st holidays in 3 years. After shooting the video of "Je t´aime moi non plus" Serge Gainsbourg cover with Sven Vath, I decided to move to Berlin.
2002: BUSINESS IS RUNNING
I started an A&R consultant job at Mute Records Germany since September 2002, and a non-regular show for Laurent Garnier's web radio PBB on www.laurentgarnier.com also since Sept.2002
I recorded a song with Tricky in L.A, and got back to rock'n'roll.
I experienced lives and DJ sets on festival's big stages, mainly with The Hacker, before we decided to do a break after the feeling being on tour since the last 5 years! Benicassim festival in Spain was definately the absolute pick time of the year.
It was time to focus on my solo project, stop any kind of live performances, big interview features, DJing only once a week mostly in my 3 residencies in Geneva, Zurich, and Barcelona.
For Christmas, I got a nice present: www.misskittin.com was born!
2003: BERLIN
I found my home, got closer to the scene and supporting it.
I started to work on my album, helped by two sound engineers: Tobi Neumann and Thies Mynther aka "Glove", who previously worked with the Chicks On Speed. That´s actually how I met them, after composing the "Cheek shaving" song for the girls, and recording lyrics for Steve Bug. I also collaborated on "The game is not over" for Berlin´s Shitkatapult label boss T.Raumschmiere.
I discovered two amazing countries, 1st Brasil, then Australia for a very special live tour with The Hacker as we´ve never played there before.
I created my own label "Nobody´s bizzness" to release my finished album and keep the maximum freedom with my music. I started to make music on my own, mostly on the road on my computer. Ellen Allien´s "Alles Sehen" remix was my 1st track totally done by myself ever released.
As a DJ, I achieved anything I could dream of, playing among my heroes in the best parties and places ever.
I accepted a new residency in Sven Vath´s Cocoon club in Frankfurt opening in spring 2004!
ABOUT MY STYLE
DJ is my main activity, working every weekend in clubs or festivals since 1994. I started with hard techno-acid sounds: Drop Bass Network, Analog, Interr-Ferrence, Force Inc, SP23, to Detroit and experimental techno. I figured out it expressed my late teenage aggressivity. With experience, I got musically softer and more open-minded.
Actually I play everything that entertains me: minimal, deep, to kicking techno, mixed with funny our leftfield tunes, classics, electro, no matter what it is. That's why I hardly can describe my style. A 2h monotone set really bores me. If I don't have fun myself, I'm not able to please people.
DJing must be, in a way, something selfish. I shout it loud: I don't do it for the people. I never pretended to educate the audience, I just share a big part of me, taking it as serious as I love it. Michael Mayer (Kompakt records, Cologne) said: "Taking it serious about having fun." Because 1st it's a job, and we should never forget being paid to give pleasure to people is a great privilege. If the risks I take in my sets are my trademark, my priority is still to make dance the ones who make my living. Question of respect.
I think I have a sharp technique, pitch-control born in my acid times, I consider my best weapon to focus on musical choices.
I love playing records, it's probably the best thing I know to do in life. I do it because it's big fun and it makes me free, it even turns into a meditation kind of thing. With records, nothing is planned, every record is important. I often compares a DJ set to a tennis game where each ball counts. But people know me more for my voice even if I never took singing lessons.
AS A WOMAN
We can't help the DJ starification. If I'm against it, because we are basically "record pushers", people always needed icons. As a woman, I'm proud to be in the minority. I can't say I was a direct macho-victim but it's true, we mostly earn less than men, and I saddly think you rarely succeed if you are fat and uggly. It's a common fact. When we DJ, 1st people will pay attention to our appearance, figure, clothes, make up. If "male DJs" are sexually more successfull when famous, it's undirectly not the case for us. As we can consider the "groupie effect" as a girl thing, men may fantasm on us, they mostly are too scared to approach us, and it's really fine for me!!!
one of the best female dj's I know, but her productions.. I don't know. Not my cup of tea I guess.
By the way.. She also a great designer. Realy like her style. She did the design for the Berghain flyer for this month. Also on the website from the Berghain club there you can see some of her artwork. check: www.berghain.de
Ooooh, she completely rocked the place 2 years ago in the Loft in Barcelona on my birthday. The spanish crowd went completely mental, screaming and dancing like little kids(like only the spanish can)!!! and Miss Kittin was clearly enjoying it.
And her birthday-party on the first night of 10days Off in Gent..
the room filled with people who were waiting for this party since the summer before..
The crowd explode when she got her birthday-cake with candles.. so did she.. damn what a set she played.. (again with the Hacker)
hands in the air, dancing as hell(heaven), sweat all over the place ;)
I think she did one of her best sets @t doornroosje last may. She played for three hours, doing lots of styles, going totally nuts on stage together with her manager...
I had a rough weekend, went to two festivals, and on sunday, arriving at 02.00 in nijmegen from pinkpop, straight to roosje...very tired, but she kept me dancing!!
miss kittin, are you guys creazy. That chick is so worse. I heard a piece of her DJ set on Lowlands(I'm glad I did not had to pay), damn so bad.
And then that music, first of all she don't make the music herself and second, she can't sing. She should shut up. She's only irritating and thinks she is a star.
miss kittin, are you guys creazy. That chick is so worse. I heard a piece of her DJ set on Lowlands(I'm glad I did not had to pay), damn so bad.
And then that music, first of all she don't make the music herself and second, she can't sing. She should shut up. She's only irritating and thinks she is a star.
First learn proper english, before you reply.. this pityful excuse for english is irritating, not miss kittin...
*creazy = crazy
*That chick's so bad
*I heard a bit of her dj-set
*I did not have to pay
*she doesn't
Maybe these pointers will help you to write a message in the future...
hmm... you r glad you did not have to pay for miss kittin on Lowlands..? (i mean 'a part of her set) she was the only one playing there?
you don't like her personelly? or just her music..?
you don't HAVE to listen to her..i guess.. if you don't like her style...
have to say i don't like her sets always, but i like she does her own thing i a very characteristic way..
she doesn't seem 'arrogant' to me or something like that..
she means a lot for the scene.. i think it's a bit simple to say..shut up,you are irritating me..
First learn proper english, before you reply.. this pityful excuse for english is irritating, not miss kittin...
*creazy = crazy
*That chick's so bad
*I heard a bit of her dj-set
*I did not have to pay
*she doesn't
Maybe these pointers will help you to write a message in the future...
hehehe, tell him!!
but i disagree with sm123 too.. think miss kittin is pretty cool! i really like her dj-sets, especially the different types of records she plays. for a dj her singing isn't that bad either, in my opinion
i agree with sm123 on most levels. her way of mixing and the records she spins aren't that special, most of the time i find it that she chooses the most easy and simple way to please a crowd. and that singing....ohh man please let her stop, she sounds as bad as the clock radio that wakes me up every morning.
must admit that she does spin nice records here and there, but thats it.
and the producing ? some good records, and i mean just SOME, and thats it.
Maybe Miss Kitten hasn't got the skills like for example a Jeff Mills or Dave Clarke, but I don't dance on technique, I dance on music! And that's exactly why I love her dj sets that much. She doesn't play save and plays the right records, developed her own style and is just a piece of art on her own.
even if you put out the technique part, i still find what she does very cheap....like i said before, she plays some nice good surprising records here and there in her set. but most of the time it's the same cheesy cheap stuff.
perhaps it are those good records that she plays that make people forget the rest of the set, i really don't know....just not my thing, to cheap.
even if you put out the technique part, i still find what she does very cheap....like i said before, she plays some nice good surprising records here and there in her set. but most of the time it's the same cheesy cheap stuff.
perhaps it are those good records that she plays that make people forget the rest of the set, i really don't know....just not my thing, to cheap.
and you are going to a party with: Herr Arter, Terry Toner, David Carretta, I-F, Alden Tyrell, DMX Krew, Kiko en Steffi?!?!
Don't think Miss Kitten is any cheaper as one of these dj's..
i am going mostly for alden tyrell and dmx krew....which are both live-acts. and i-f might be nice, when he plays chicago stuff. and trust me no miss kittin can ever beat the record choice that i-f has, never ever!!!
funny that you mention herr arter, terry toner, david carretta, kiko and steffi....because i really dont care about those names.
and trust me no miss kittin can ever beat the record choice that i-f has, never ever!!!
...only trust my own ears dude.
Heard IF in Panoramabar the first of January. The first hours were cool but the rest was way too cheesy! The last hours were Italo-cheese with too much vocals I could't stand at all.
But we're discussing the Den Haque dude in the woring topic.
CHILDHOOD
