by Cyclone Wehner

So far the French house revolution has brought us artists as diverse as DJ Cam, Daft Punk, Stardust, Dimitri From Paris, Air and Cassius. The dance media's current fixation with Gaellic club culture has meant that yet other individuals are finally getting the attention due to them. The Parisian Ivan Smagghe started DJing in 1992. Around the same time he took up a day job at Rough Trade Records. Ivan was promoted to the position of house and techno music buyer -- hence his otherwise rather curious monicker. He has used his love of club DJing as a springboard for various other endeavours. Ivan hosts his own long-running music show, "Bad Karma", on Radio Nova and contributes to a number of French publications. Then he holds down residencies at two legendary venues in Paris: The Rex Club and Respect. Ivan also DJs all over Europe. Ivan's name can be found on the first two volumes of the "French Fried Funk" compilation series, as well as records released under the names Blackstrobe and Floyd.

CW: How would you sum up your style as both a DJ and producer?

IVAN: Plinky plonky, deep not dull, dubby but funky, downlifting (as opposed to uplifting), cheese-free, grooves to get locked into, electronic funk, after-hours house for peaktime moments ... I don't really know -- it depends on my mood.

CW: Which five records changed your life?

IVAN: New Order's "Blue Monday", anything by The Undisputed Truth, T-Coy's "Carino", Underground Resistance's "Hitech Jazz" and Led Zeppelin's "Kashmir".

CW: Which DJs and producers have inspired your career?

IVAN: Too many producers to mention really: Levan, Gibbons and Arthur Russell, the true originators; Underground Resistance for resisting; Norman Whitfield for producing the best records ever; Mike Pickering and the early British acid house ... And DJs: Derrick Carter, Andy Weatherall and Harvey are my faves (I think), Iz and Diz from Chicago, the DIY crew, Ralph Lawson, Geoffrey from Brussels, Jeff K from Paris, Dimitri from Holland (not from Paris) and loads more.

CW: You seem to have any number of different roles: Rough Trade buyer, radio DJ, music journalist, club DJ and producer. How do you manage your time?

IVAN: I can't (ask my girlfriend).

CW: What can we expect of the new label you are setting up? What will it be called?

IVAN: There are two kinds of music: good and bad so ... Expect stupid music for clever people and clever music for stupid people. The label will be called Sly (which suits my style).

CW: Do you have any new studio projects, mix-CDs or compilation projects in the pipeline?

IVAN: I have some new stuff out in September: an electro and breakbeat compilation for Universal, a twelve (artist name: See) on 20:20 Vision, a 12" by Blackstrobe for the new born Back In Black label, stuff for the Pacific label ...

CW: At the moment French house is very popular in Australia -- as it is elsewhere. Do you envisage a backlash to the French house scene? And is that something that worries you?

IVAN: I'm not worried, really. Good French music is above all good music. Call me naive, but I thought years ago that this whole thing was without frontiers. I think we're just catching up, getting to a normal scene: good artists, average artists, bad artists. A backlash is healthy anyway -- it means that you exist.

CW: Do you think that the "filtered house" fashion is becoming a cliche?

IVAN: Some good filtered records exist -- I've got one or two. This whole thing sucks hard really. It's just going the easy way for DJs and producers. I go along with the three Fs rule: French but filter-free.

CW: Do you feel that old skool figures such as yourself, Laurent Garnier and Erik Rug get full recognition for your contribution to today's French house movement?

IVAN: I'm not as old school as Laurent or Erik (they're first wave, I'm, let's say, third). I pay my respects to them. Getting recognition is a good thing, but only if you've followed your way. That is the main thing. But it is true that young kids (clubbers, producers and DJs) don't always know about how different it was a few years back, but that's being young, isn't it?

CW: Do you believe that young people in France are aware of how French house is being welcomed abroad?

IVAN: It is changing very slowly. It's still the trendies who know. House is not a mass market like in England. It is not 'proper music with proper instruments,' you know?

CW: What is the best advice you have ever been given?

IVAN: 'Keep your eyes, your ears and your mind open' -- or something quite corny like that. 'Don't follow advice,' maybe. 'Use and don't abuse' for other reasons ...

CW: Have you got a favourite country to play as a DJ?

IVAN: Belgium and Portugal are current faves.

CW: What makes a club night special for you as the DJ?

IVAN: Where and when people let loose -- that is so nice. I don't know, this is quite a complex one ...

CW: There are many stereotypes about the French. How would you sum up the spirit of the French people?

IVAN: I think maybe we can seem a bit cold, but we are quite nice when you get to know us (well, I am). We're not very extroverted.