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MASTERPIECE - FRANCOIS K
Label – Ministry
The Legendary François K submits the first in a new series
Over the years Ministry of Sound have initiated and produced some of the finest ever DJ mixes/compilations and this new ‘Masterpiece’ series acts as a celebration of the true masters of the trade. Who better to do the first one, than living legend François Kevorkian? Born and raised in France, Kevorkian’s passion for music was already there as a child, fascinated by ‘the beat’ he naturally learned to play the drums in his early teens. Frustrated by his surroundings, he moved to New York in 1975, where he hoped to find more challenging situations and carve a career as a drummer. Not long after his U.S arrival Kevorkian realized that due to the heavy competition for any gig as a drummer, he had to try something else and playing records was his choice. As a DJ his career skyrocketed and it was quickly his full-time profession, initially playing at underground parties and bars, he was then privileged enough to be asked to play as a guest DJ at the Paradise Garage, The Loft, Better Days, Studio 54, Les Mouches, Buttermilk Bottom and AM-PM as well as holding his own residency at New Jersey’s Club Zanzibar for over a year around 1976/77. Alongside his DJ career, François also took up the position of A&R for a nascent dance indie record label, Prelude Records, which allowed him to go into the studio and do remixes. His efforts as a remixer where quite outstanding and he played a large part in Prelude defining the sound of New York dance music in the late 70’s. Leaving the label in ’82 he had an enviable portfolio of work and his great success as a remixer led him to record producing, with his first work being the legendary Snake Charmer EP for Island Records. His career as a remixer and producer led him to work or collaborate with artists such as Eurythmics, Diana Ross, U2, Mick Jagger, The Cure, Jimmy Cliff, The Smiths, Pet Shop Boys and Kraftwerk, whom he missed all of their 1986 studio album ‘Electric Café’. He also mixed Depeche Mode’s biggest-selling album, ‘Violator’ as well as many of their 12” club remixes. Due to his studio commitments François had stopped DJing in clubs in 1983, but after 7 years out of the game, he yearned to get back behind the turntables and he started spinning again around 1990. The scene had become much more international by that point and he was soon traveling and gaining much more exposure around the world, including Japan where he DJ’ed alongside the late Larry Levan on the ‘Harmony Tour’ in the summer of 1992. After that François was being invited to play the finest club venues and large-scale festivals around the world. In 1995, he decided to start an eclectic independent record label, Wave Music which allowed him to find an outlet for his own creative endeavors, including the FK-EP. Then in 1996, he (alongside partner John Davis) became involved in starting what arguably became one of New York’s most revered weekly parties ever, Body&SOUL. Taking place every Sunday afternoon at Club Vinyl and playing alongside residents Joe Claussell and Danny Krivit, Kevorkian created a party with a unique soulful mix of very organic and spiritual dance music grooves, which also led to the release of the successful compilation series of the same name. Never one to stop evolving, François rekindled his love for the more electronic sound around the start of the millennium and his set at Sonar in Barcelona in 2002 was a defining moment, where he played much edgier and futuristic sounds, with more to do with Techno and Dub than the House sound he was most identified with as a DJ until that time. Around that time he also started touring with Detroit-Techno originator Derrick May, playing sets around the world together as the ‘Cosmic Twins’. In April 2003, he started a new residency in New York at a new weekly Monday night event called Deep Space NYC, which still runs today and focuses on Dub in all its forms, ranging from spaced-out Techno to the deepest Reggae, Dubstep, Hip-Hop as well as Drum & Bass, House and Disco. In 2005, François Kevorkian was inducted into the Dance Music Hall Of Fame as both a remixer and DJ. To say Ministry of Sound proudly present ‘Masterpiece’ is somewhat of an understatement, they are privileged and honoured to have 3-discs created by a man who remains to this day, as important and cutting edge to the electronic scene as ever. François K, a true pioneer, a true visionary.
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