Interview with Jeremie Khlat, DJ. Hotel Americano, NYC, New York.

JEREMIE KHLAT

DJ & SOUND DESIGNER

PARIS, NYC.

How do you remember your childhood?

I do remember my childhood well. In the South of France. I was pretty happy. I was a bad kid ;)! very fun! It was good!.

When your passion for music started?

Long time ago!, my whole family are musicians. I grew up in a jazz club with my father. I play violin, my sister is a dancer and my uncle and cousin are drummers… I have always been into music. It has changed my life. The DJ thing came later, but I guess makes a big sense now.

Now you are a big DJ playing in Paris and New York clubs, you also play on private parties like Dior, Fashion Week … Which one do you prefer, clubbing or private parties?

I love fashion but you need to find a good club. Without the good clubs, nightlife becomes boring. I like to do events. Actually, I pretty much love getting out in public. It is pretty exciting; you meet new people all the time.

I would rather do clubs but now I am having a transition over getting away from nightlife because I am focusing more on my music career. Means, music over DJ-ing, not DJ-ing to the music, which is the next step I guess! We are in a creative time right now, which is pretty exciting for me. There is a lot of change!.

Nightlife, music, the scene, all the mods. You need to stay aware of the change, the exciting thing of it is the movement. Change up the music, the mix up, the zone, the people, the young generation, you need to adapt yourself and I like it.

What means fashion to you?

Actually that is the thing; I am really classical, great suits and ties. I like beautiful things like I like beautiful women, just the same.

Fashion is close to music as cinema is close to fashion, or art is close to fashion. I like fashion my way, but I like more fashion over DJ-ing for them, for this crowd, because they are very receptive.

If I ask you which one is your favorite crowd, would your answer be Fashion people?

It is not my favorite, I just like them. The music is different at different clubs and different people have all sorts of different tastes. You can like rock and hip hop, like I do love rock and I do love hip hop and also house music.

Normally people think we would not be able to sit together, which is a lie, it can be!

Any favorite club?

My favorite club is La Montana in Paris. That is my home. It goes like far because this is not over taking pleasure DJ, which is the case, but that is because that is my family, it is my nightlife family, friends. I spent almost three years over there of my life building the club and the vibe. I also like different places, I had a lot of fun DJ in Baby Grand in New York, Electric Room!

Have you ever play in Barcelona?

No, I never did.

Would you like to?

Yeah, I would like to!. I would also like to go to Asia soon, plan a tour soon over months maybe. Step by step, maybe next year!

Any favorite DJ?

No really! actually! I like going to a new city, new people, new vibe, and that brings out from my music. I do not care about playing with the bands DJ-ing the world. It is cool and I respect a lot of Dj’s but it is more personal, it is more selfish actually. I love to create music.

Your music in one word, how do you define your music?

It does not matter if it is your music, but putting the exacts, the exact touch, the exact moment for the exact people you want to touch. This is perfectly a constant search of new things to create the good hour, the good two hours, when it matters.

When I became a DJ I was like, “I am not doing nothing for the world, I am not a doctor, I am not doing politics, helping people, whatever …” Then I get to where I understand I bring joy to people, the need to go out, the need to have sex, to get drunk, to relax from the whole work thing. These two hours are very important in their life.

Even if it is not a big deal, it is still important to me to do the job very well. If you put a lot into it, it will change everything. It is an amazing experience. If you do not work on it, it is just like a DJ playing music in clubs and is like, “Eh, whatever.” I am trying to think that it is more important than just playing stuff and making dance people, sometimes people realize when they are very happy and they are listening, they remember it, Wow, yes! and that song stays.

Where does your inspiration come from?

Love, obviously, who I meet, friendship, cities like New York or Paris, artists, voices of singers, a good crowd dancing, looks, people, how they move … It can be everything. I am receptive.

What about people asking you for songs? Are they bothering you?

There is no fun… for the DJ there is always annoying people that just think you are a jukebox and you are there to play the song they want to hear and that is all.

No, I don´t use to. But if I like it, if it fits, it is cool, why not, but I do not have to do it. I am here to satisfy the crowd, but I am also here to do my thing, that is why I am hired for.

Tarantino!

Yeah, Tarantino is fun! I love him!.

You were working for magazines, you are a producer, an artist, a DJ, you have done a lot of things…

Everyone do different things in life. I am a writer, I was working for magazines, I took another direction running a club, which has been a good experience also, this actually lead me to being a DJ. What is the next thing? I do not know. Now I moved to New York and I am getting started. Nightlife goes with DJ, goes with Fashion magazines, and also I met great friends.

What about the relationship between drugs and night?

Drugs go with nightlife; nightlife goes with drugs as the same as alcohol, as sex… It is a different world!

What do you need to be a good DJ?

There is no rules … we are all different and we are doing it for different reasons.

I do not know what makes someone being a good DJ, I am trying my best to search music all the time to not stay on the same thing, create, and innovate.

Look at the mirror, what do you see?

That is a good question!. I am going to imagine waking up tomorrow and I go to the mirror and I look at myself and if there is one thing coming maybe it might be like – You did nothing, you did not enough, there is everything to do. It is beginning, I am very confident but I also know that I have a lot of things to do and that is what is exciting.

I am never going to be a satisfied person, which makes me happier because I will always have something to fix.

I just want to go on the road which means there is always more and thank God I feel this never ending story.