The influence of Dan Ghenacia—a kingpin of the Paris underground music community—on global electronic music can hardly be overstated. He fell in love with music whilst spending a year in California in his early 20s and upon his return to Paris he opened up his own record store and started a series of afterparties, where he honed his distinctive techno-meets-deep-house sound as a DJ. It was at these parties that he met Dyed Soundorom and Shonky, both of whom he released on his own Freak N’Chic label, and with whom he would go on to form Apollonia, a DJ trio that delivers a mix of disco, house, and minimal that transcends time, inviting listeners to forget reality. With Soundorom and Shonky, Ghenacia became a resident at DC10 in Ibiza, rocking a prime-time Terrace slot almost every other week, but if he’s not there he can often be found at a villa after-hours or daytime beach party, getting deep into everything warm and groovy. Next week, Ghenacia will release an EP called Rouge Ou Noir—a collection of house and disco fusions—via Stratasonic and to mark the occasion he’s delivered a much-anticipated XLR8R podcast. Tune in for one hour of irresistible groove.

01. What have you been up to recently?
It’s been a busy summer season for me. I’ve been performing at gigs all over Europe, with many dates in Ibiza, where I was based. I’ve also been working on a side project called “Have a Good Trip: Ibiza,” an exhibition which involves aerial photography and videography captured from planes.

02. What have you been listening to?
Lately, I’ve been preparing playlists for my son Isaac on Spotify—he’s six years old. The playlists feature classic music from the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s, as I’m trying to bring quality music into our home. We’ve been enjoying a lot of funk, soul, and some classic French pop songs. Of course, I’m also constantly digging into my own music collection and exploring new tracks on the internet and in record shops to feed my DJ sets.

03. Can you tell me some more about your recent EP?
The EP is titled Rouge et Noir. I recorded it at Martin Buttrich’s studio in LA. I went in with a lot of samples and a clear vision of what I wanted to create. We used vintage gear, and the whole process was spontaneous and fun. Martin invited me to work in his studio between two of my gigs, and we managed to complete everything in just five intense days. I’m really pleased with the outcome.

04. Where and when did you record this mix?
I recorded this mix at my place in Ibiza just a week ago, so it’s very fresh.

05. What setup did you use?
I used two Technics SL-1200 MK2 turntables, two CDJ-3000s, and an Allen & Heath XONE:96 mixer.

06. How did you go about choosing the tracks that you’ve included?
I wanted to include tracks from my EP Rouge et Noir, as well as another track called “Chili.” I built the mix around these tracks, focusing on creating a cohesive one-hour set.

07. How does it compare to what we might hear you play out live?
The mix reflects what I typically do in a club, but with special attention to how it will be heard in a home environment.

08. What’s next on your horizon?
My schedule is looking good for the rest of the year. I’m focused on the upcoming gigs, in solo and alongside Apollonia. Now that summer is over, I’m looking forward to spending more time in my studio and making new music. I can’t wait to dive back into creating and experimenting.

XLR8R Subscribers can download the podcast below. If you’re not an XLR8R subscriber, you can read more about it and subscribe here.

Tracklisting

01. Paolo Driver / In_To_The_Funk” (Unreleased)
02. He did “Proveedor” (Franco Cinelli Remix) “Spas Records”
03. Dan Ghenacia “Chilly” (Stratasonic)
04. Newington Heights “Smoke” (Instrumental) (Truelove electronic Communications)
05. Nonna Fab “Rough culture” (Feelings Worldwide)
06. Dan Ghenacia “Rouge ou Noir” (Stratasonic)
07. Sound Set “So in Love With You (Redub) (Oversky Records)
08. Dexter “Lazey Bones” (Sushitech)
09. DC (Rabbit in the Moon ) “Hazed Disconnected” (Hallucination)
10. Ricky Montanari & Davide Ruberto “Let You Heart Beat” (Time less)
11. Infra-Red “Metamorphosis” (R2R Mix( Strobe Records)
12. Unknown “Unknown” (Unreleased)