Music is not a matter of life and death, it is much more important than that, this little saying rearranged by me could have been said by the tutor of the electro of all flows and DJ, Laurent Garnier, respect for music – all music – is a paramount rule. The famous French DJ performed at the Electron Festival, in a packed Palladium in Geneva, and I was there. During the three hours of his set, his approach remained true to himself: feeling the energy of the audience, “listening to the dance floor” and composing a real sound journey. A journey made up of surprising shortcuts, long detours and a constant desire to push musical boundaries.
Formerly known by the pseudonym DJ Pedro, Laurent Garnier is a world legend, from Tokyo to Buenos Aires, via Detroit – the cradle of techno – and Paris, where he made history at the Rex Club with memorable sets. With a record collection that is impressive both for its eclecticism and its comprehensiveness, Garnier listens to between 300 and 500 new releases every day. During this Geneva evening, he offered the audience a magical moment at the end of the night, from four to seven in the morning, playing one track after another with incredible mastery, adjusting each frequency with an expert finger on the knobs.
Laurent Garnier is a smuggler. He has left a lasting mark on the radio, first on Couleur 3 with It Is What It Is, then on FIP, where he continues to broaden the horizons of his listeners. Like John Peel, he embodies a culture of relentless “digging”, an insatiable quest for musical gems that he shares in legendary clubs: Le Sucre or Grelle Forelle, the Palladium, which is not a club but which looked like one with its huge space. Garnier is an ecumenical DJ in the British sense of the word. He also has his own show and his attributes as a music journalist. He has also left his mark on French radio, from Maxximum to Nova, building bridges between different music scenes through his radio broadcasts, which are memorable for me. Radio France had understood the extent of the man’s talent, France Info had devoted a series to him, Le Mouv’ had opened up a niche for him.
As co-founder of the label F Communications, he revealed emblematic or just relevant artists, such as DJ Cam, Avril or Les Clones, whom he notably promoted in Berlin during a memorable evening at the Francophonic Festival. That was twenty years ago, but it was yesterday for me. Garnier embodies a vision: for him, music is a designation of origin, an art to be protected and sublimated. From his time at Label Suisse in 2008, which I think the walls of the D! still remember, to Polaris this Saturday, he remains a man we follow with our eyes closed, faithful to his eclectic, distinctive and universal approach, seducing dancers with references to his own legendary productions, such as Crispy Bacon or The Man With The Red Face, open to the creativity of others. Without discrimination. From the moment he has a crush.
Today in Geneva, tomorrow in Verbier, Garnier reaffirms his status as a timeless icon. Always ready to light up the stage, he has left his mark on people’s minds and continues to do so by combining jazz and rock with a variety of electronic music. During this evening in Geneva, he merged with his audience, adapting his mix at every moment. With light introductory techno elements followed by heavier, haunting, disconcerting sounds very quickly. He gradually raised the temperature of the Palladium to a boil, linking beats, kicks and tricks in a vibrant crowd, like a pot at the Escalade, ready to explode.
An unforgettable sound journey. Laurent Garnier’s set is a sensory experience: from sound waves to power surges, from falls to moments of grace, he takes the audience into a trance. The transitions are masterful, the songs carefully chosen, and the energy palpable. His influences, ranging from jazz to punk to futuristic techno, can be felt in every note. When he played The Man With The Red Face, the delirious saxophone transcended the audience, testimony to his desire to push the boundaries of the musical experience. Even Athletissima uses his music to accompany some of the track (dance?) events, the 400 meters. Garnier is everywhere.
Beyond the music, Garnier is a perfectionist. Even before starting his set, he exchanges with the sound engineer, adjusting every detail. During his set, he works on the connection with the audience by casting discreet glances; there is also modesty in him. Seeking to capture their energy through their gaze and movements, the dancers feel respected. Who else does this so clearly? He is not just a DJ: he is a guide, a sound architect who builds a universe in which each dancer finds his or her place.
A masterful ending. After three hours of an intense journey, Garnier concludes with a few deep notes and a cinematic touch, recalling his influence and mastery. The audience, in a trance, follows him until the last note, galvanized by this unique blend of passion, sound discoveries, wrist-sculpted touch and technique. Laurent Garnier, like an electronic Saint Nicholas, generously distributes his sound gifts, making the Palladium vibrate like rarely before. On Saturday, November 30, it will be Polaris’ turn.
A timeless icon. Laurent Garnier proves once again that he is much more than a DJ. He is a purveyor of culture, a sound explorer like the explorers of the North Pole, and above all, an artist deeply devoted to his art. Whether he is in Geneva, Lausanne, Verbier, or anywhere else in the world, he continues to make his mark. I remember hearing him play a Mike Skinner track and his project The Streets at one point in the evening, remixed and adapted to a high point in the evening. I love The Streets, that raw and pop, grime and punk, realistic and ladish sound at the same time, it’s the England of Fish and Ships and Tottenham Hotspur matches on a rainy night at White Hart Lane. Thank you, Laurent. I love that England, not too rich but very festive, the England of the Haçienda or the Rivermead Center on a Reading Festival night. See you Saturday with Carl Craig and Mirko Loko.
Photo and text by David Glaser
Thanks to the whole Electron team for their magnificent organization, especially Danièle McClellan. And thanks to Claudio Walzer for his incredible passion.
