French producer and DJ, Pablo Valentino grew up in Strasbourg in Eastern France and was very influenced by the local independent radio stations there. “I used to record the mixes on a cassette tape,” he reminisces. Now, the Lyon-based DJ heads for a debut India tour and we catch up with him before he hits up Bengaluru.
Pablo’s music blends many genres. “I always try to be as eclectic as possible. Music wise I would usually say it varies between Brazilian grooves, house, disco, acid, techno and modern soul,” he says. He takes inspiration from John Coltrane, Chet Baker, Moodymann, Theo Parrish and the early ’90s French artistes like DJ Deep, Mozesli and DJ Cam.
The DJ is also a huge lover of vinyl. “My dad had a few records, a small collection of mostly boogie and disco ’70s and ’80s stuff like Shalamar, Kool and The Gang and Sugar Hill Gang,” he adds. By the time he turned 16, Pablo was hooked on as well and says he discovered many artistes through these records. Today he has over 8,000 records, of mostly jazz and Brazilian music.
Talking about the scene in France, Pablo says that it is not necessarily Paris where things are happening anymore. He says Lyon-based artistes like Kaffe Creme, Patchworks, LB aka LABAT and Waxist are to watch out for. The DJ is excited about meeting new people in India. “As a foodie, I want to try as many new dishes as I can. I am looking forward to spending some time in the record stores and in general having
a proper cultural shock!” he signs off with enthusiasm.
Rs. 300. September 22, 9 pm. At Fandom, Koramangala
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