Dimitri from Paris - XOYO
Seeing Dimitri from Paris live has been a highly anticipated occasion for us for nearly five years, as we have not had the chance to see him previously. For those that don’t know the disco aficionado’s work, Dimitri is a long-running DJ under the Defected label who has successfully honed his skills to become a highly renowned producer and remixer. As a modern disco DJ, Dimitri has produced new tracks with that wonderful old school sound such as ‘Love is the Answer’ with Bob Sinclair, but he has also remixed original classics like Sister Sledge’s ‘Lost in Music’ into his own signature masterpieces. As lovers of all things disco, we were eagerly awaiting this night with a true maestro behind the decks.
On arrival we were greeted with an unreasonably cold reception from some of the club’s security, some of the bouncers were really friendly and had a great sense of humour, but a few power-tripping individuals massively let their team down. This set a slightly tense and uncomfortable atmosphere before we had even entered the venue; as well-behaved paying customers we don’t like being treated like pigs in a pen, even if we look like them. However, once inside we explored the venue’s two rooms, both of which had jazzy décor and high-tech lights. The layout is great if you want to either a sit down or tear up the dancefloor and the bar service was fairly efficient for such a large crowd, although this may be down to the steep pricing of the drinks. Sadly we missed Throwing Shade’s set but Intergalactic Gary was a great prelude for a disco night, blending it with house to ease everyone in.
After limbering up to Gaz, a few bevs and smoking area visits, it was time for the man we had been waiting to see, Dimitri from Paris. With some gorgeous mirror balls at the ready, the venue was primed for the suave French producer’s arrival, safe to say he did not disappoint. Dimitri’s set at XOYO was a wonderful showcase of his talents as a DJ and every single track felt familiar but unique whether you had heard of it or not. The music Dimitri from Paris utilises ranges from his own edits of classic disco tracks to reinventions of rarer dance records, such as his excellent version of Street Player by Chicago. The atmosphere of the crowd was electric, everyone there was clearly loving it, from our fellow fans to the students on their weekly night out.
Dimitri has the ability to get people moving to whatever he is playing, with groovers risking injury from all the dangerous shapes being thrown. What really made this night special was the genius combination of a blindingly good light show and a perfectly orchestrated DJ set by a man who knows the genre better than most. The music enthusiast seemingly finished on Michael Jackson and CHIC remixes but received at least three well-deserved encores, playing an extended edition of Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes’ ‘Don’t Leave Me This Way’ and a delightfully surprising jam version of Marvin Gaye’s ‘I Want You’, for what used to be known as an evening’s ‘erection section’. This is the closest we have ever got to experiencing a night in the golden age of Studio 54 and we already cannot wait to see him again.