Jacques Renault

Jacques, you have a classical background right?
I started playing the violin when I was really young. When I was a teenager I started exploring other things like punk, rock and jazz and I ended up picking up more and more instruments. I discovered DJing as something that I could do on my own. I was at this party in 1997 and that's where I got acquainted with drum'n'bass, northern soul and dance hall. I thought, "wow, I could totally do this," and got really excited about that.   

What sounds are you working with at the moment?
The music I'm producing now is a lot more developed than what I was doing in the beginning. For the past ten years, ever since I've lived in New York, I've always just loved disco and finding those classic records. When you start sampling disco you are almost intoxicated by it, but at the same time you want to do something new with it. You love the songs, but you want to offer a fresh spin on them – music is recycled everywhere.  

Tell us about your residencies at New York's famed Happy Endings and Tribeca Grand.
Moving to New York and not knowing anyone was really hard. I had no base network. Things started happening when I went to a record store literally every day and I started to meet people. I was good friends with the guys in the Rapture and I started playing at a small dance party. The owner of Happy Endings came up to me and offered me a resident night. It was pretty much the same thing with Tribeca Grand and that's when I began to network with talent from all over the world and share music, ideas and dance culture.  

What's the most exciting thing about the current dance scene?
I try to listen to other artists as much as possible. I'm impressed by production these days; some of the young emerging artists have amazing abilities. I like how there is a constant reinvention on the scene.      

Jacques Renault plays Vivid Future Classic Studio Party on Fri Jun 1