Nightlife: French kicks
Even if you don't know David Guetta's name, you've heard his sound.
The French house producer crafted the music behind one of the year's biggest pop hits, the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling." The feel-good, relentlessly catchy song ruled the summer, reigning as Billboard's No. 1 single for 14 weeks -- further proof that electronic dance music is permeating mainstream pop like never before.
In August, the 42-year-old DJ released "One Love," his fourth album of high-energy house music that features vocals by a who's who of American hip-hop and R&B stars, including Akon, Ne-Yo, Kelly Rowland and Black Eyed Peas frontman will.i.am. Guetta calls the album's mixture of house beats and urban soul "electro-hop."
Guetta's U.S. tour comes to Spin Tuesday night. But tracking down the world's most sought-after house producer for an interview was no easy task. The jet-setter emailed his answers while flying into the country from Brazil.
Q: What were you doing in Brazil today?
A: Hobbling! I sprained my ankle on stage and have been in agony since. I was carried through the airport in a wheelchair, which was a bit embarrassing, but I managed to find my feet to play. The crowds got me up on them! The tour was amazing -- Brasilia was incredible. I played two shows in one day. That 10,000 people turned out for both on a Sunday was magical.
Q: "I Gotta Feeling" has been a mega success -- but I gotta ask, are you sick of hearing that song?
A: No! The opposite. That song makes me want to dance whenever I hear it. It has such an uplifting feeling and rousing message. I drop it every set and it raises the roof. Producing it is one of the milestones in my career and I only have to hear the first riff to remember that night in the studio. We knew we had created something special. Will.i.am is a visionary and a genius music maker. What he has done to bring electronic music to the ears of every man, especially in America, will be looked back on, and I'm honored he chose to take the journey with me.
Q: Why has the mainstream audience in this country been slow to embrace electronic dance music?
A: The mainstream media have ignored dance music. But while that held it back, a massive underground culture has grown, allowing it time to grow. It's the biggest movement since hip-hop, and worldwide. I played a festival in L.A. where 110,000 people came to dance to a DJ (Electric Daisy Carnival). That's more than main stage at Coachella. What's happening now is a collective consciousness connecting.
Q: What gives you more pleasure: Creating hit songs, or playing them for a club crowd?
A: My greatest buzz is spinning a song I made and having a dance floor rock it back to me.
