Miss Kittin

Born in 1973 in Grenoble, a medium town in the Alps, south east of France. Due to my young parents, music was everywhere at home, from Genesis, Supertramp, Miles Davis, Philadelphia Sound, Maria Callas, Pink Floyd and of course, The Beatles. I remember my Mum doing the housekeeping on Vivaldi's 4 seasons... Around 6, I was often playing piano for fun at my grand-parents', reproducing melodies from the radio. They decided to pay me lessons but I gave up after 2 years. I also practiced ballet from 5 years old to 22.

STUDIES

After a high school degree in economy in 90, I studied art, first in Marseille in 91, then in the Beaux-Arts of Grenoble specialized in contemporary art in 93-94. I finished my cycle in graphic design in Amiens in 95, north of France before starting my full time DJ job.



RAVE REVELATION

I first got in touch with electronic music in a new-wave club in Grenoble, where I met The Hacker. For New Years Eve 90, came a DJ team from Valencia, playing *Bacalao*, this Spanish commercial techno-dance. The club became quickly a dance club, where the DJ played U96, 2 Unlimited, Usura or Transformer 2. I needed money and offered a go-go dancer attraction to the boss, never topless, just entertainers like in Ibiza. The 1st guest-DJs I've seen were Jack De Marseille, Anthony and Jeff Valle. One week later, my friends and I went to our 1st rave party: a revelation. KLF, LFO, Aphex Twin, Autechre and the 1st Warp big releases became our home soundtracks. The French Alps became one of the most exciting party scene in the country.

1993 was the rave madness, driving around the country with Belgian club tapes and DJ sets loud, living for weekends, searching for outstanding DJs to dance on. We had our best party memories like Borealis #1 in Montpellier and the Spiral Tribe wild night near Orly airport in Paris, freshly escaped from the Criminal Justice Bill in UK. Shortly after, the tribe stayed in our hometown, setting up memorable illegal parties in the woods. Liza NВґEliaz or Electric Indigo became local heroes. Nostalgia, craziness and freedom describe perfectly this happy wild time we all miss.

1ST STEPS

In 94, I did my 1st mix at my boyfriend's, actually due to a funny arguement about his technique. He missed a mix, I explained my point of view, he took it bad and told me to do it myself. I succeeded in my 1st try. Thinking it was easy, so naive I was, I bought my 1st records: Richie Hawtin's Fuse, Robert Hood *Protein Valve* on M plant, Pizzaman...
Still at school, we founded with a bunch of students "Swift Tuttle", a collective offering rave decorations, so we could party for free and earn pocket money. We organized our 1st illegal party in an old military fort in the mountains. I played records for the 1st time in the chill out room on the unique no-pitch turntable. ItВґs also the 1st time the name "Miss Kittin" appeared on a flyer.
3 months later, I officially played in my 1st party with Eric Rug, Bertrand and Miloch, I had no turntables at home but a plastic box with 20 records. I was missing school to train at a friend's before a gig. After a 3 months job as a cashier in a big supermarket, I bought my 2nd hand pair of Technics from a radio station. I still use them today. I entered Tekmics booking agency created by my friend Miloch.

In 95 and 96, I started to play a lot in the country, 1st in the famous Dragon Bal illegal raves of south of France, but also in Chicago for Mike Dearborn and in Moscow. After conflicts at school, I decided to stop my studies, as DJing was already my half-time job. During summertime I met DJ Hell in Marseille, he just started his label "International Dj Gigolo", I played him a tape with 808 loops I did for fun at some friendsВґin Geneva, he asked for more.
Back to Grenoble, I called the Hacker, we recorded Frank Sinatra at KikoВґs studio above his record store. We sent it out to DJ Hell, without any other track on a tape. Few weeks later, he was already playing a dub plate of it. He invited me in Munich to play at the legendary Ultraschall club. It was my very 1st visit to Germany.



THE RISING YEARS

End of 96 I moved to Paris, sharing a very special house with Sex Toy, Rachid Taha, and owners of the now famous gay club Le Pulp. The Hacker and me recorded "Frank Sinatra" for DJ Hell's label. I started to hang around half of the time in Geneva with my friends from Mental Groove records/shop.

Summer 97, I left Paris for Geneva. I worked for a few months at the Mental Groove record shop.
The Hacker and me finally released our 1st EP "Champagne!" on Gigolo, with a total of 8 tracks composed while I passed by Grenoble. I immediately started to play more in Germany, as a new member of Gigolo-Disko B booking agency.

In 98, the track "1982" from "Champagne! EP" had an unexpected success, 1st because of promo copies spread over Berlin to underground DJs. ThatВґs where we performed our 2nd live ever, at Suicide club. Few months later, Westbam closed the Love Parade with this track in front of 1 million people. And we began to tour non-stop all around Europe.
In 99, we performed live at the famous mega rave Mayday in Dortmund, Germany: 30,000 people. We released our 2nd EP "IntimitГ©s" on Gigolo. I had propositions to collaborate with several musicians for my lyrics.

In 2000, we had our most important gig in Barcelona for Sonar, the advanced music festival. It changed my way of performing, creating an interraction between the audience and us. I had my 2nd visit at Mayday as a DJ. I met Felix Da Housecat in a Swiss festival, next day we were composing "Silver Screen Shower Scene" and "Madame Hollywood" in a small friendВґs studio in Geneva.

2001: THE CELEBRATION

Miss Kittin and The Hacker finally release their 1st album on Gigolo. My voice appears on a song with Steve Bug, an album with Felix Da Housecat, an album with my Zurich friend Goldenboy. I am suddenly welcome in France after 5 years of abscence. I took my 1st holidays in 3 years. After shooting the video of "Je t´aime moi non plus" Serge Gainsbourg cover with Sven Väth, I decided to move to Berlin.

2002: BUSINESS IS RUNNING

I started an A&R consultant job at Mute Records Germany since September 2002, and a non-regular show for Laurent Garnier's web radio PBB on www.laurentgarnier.com also since Sept.2002
I recorded a song with Tricky in L.A, and got back to rock'n'roll.
I experienced lives and DJ sets on festival's big stages, mainly with The Hacker, before we decided to do a break after the feeling being on tour since the last 5 years! Benicassim festival in Spain was definately the absolute pick time of the year.

It was time to focus on my solo project, stop any kind of live performances, big interview features, DJing only once a week mostly in my 3 residencies in Geneva, Zurich, and Barcelona.
For Christmas, I got a nice present: www.misskittin.com was born!
2003: BERLIN

I found my home, got closer to the scene and supporting it.
I started to work on my album, helped by two sound engineers: Tobi Neumann and Thies Mynther aka "Glove", who previously worked with the Chicks On Speed. ThatВґs actually how I met them, after composing the "Cheek shaving" song for the girls, and recording lyrics for Steve Bug. I also collaborated on "The game is not over" for BerlinВґs Shitkatapult label boss T.Raumschmiere.
I discovered two amazing countries, 1st Brasil, then Australia for a very special live tour with The Hacker as weВґve never played there before.

I created my own label "NobodyВґs bizzness" to release my finished album and keep the maximum freedom with my music. I started to make music on my own, mostly on the road on my computer. Ellen AllienВґs "Alles Sehen" remix was my 1st track totally done by myself ever released.
As a DJ, I achieved anything I could dream of, playing among my heroes in the best parties and places ever.

I accepted a new residency in Sven VathВґs Cocoon club in Frankfurt opening in spring 2004!

ABOUT MY STYLE

DJ is my main activity, working every weekend in clubs or festivals since 1994. I started with hard techno-acid sounds: Drop Bass Network, Analog, Interr-Ferrence, Force Inc, SP23, to Detroit and experimental techno. I figured out it expressed my late teenage aggressivity. With experience, I got musically softer and more open-minded.

Actually I play everything that entertains me: minimal, deep, to kicking techno, mixed with funny our leftfield tunes, classics, electro, no matter what it is. That's why I hardly can describe my style. A 2h monotone set really bores me. If I don't have fun myself, I'm not able to please people. DJing must be, in a way, something selfish. I shout it loud: I don't do it for the people. I never pretended to educate the audience, I just share a big part of me, taking it as serious as I love it. Michael Mayer (Kompakt records, Cologne) said: "Taking it serious about having fun." Because 1st it's a job, and we should never forget being paid to give pleasure to people is a great privilege. If the risks I take in my sets are my trademark, my priority is still to make dance the ones who make my living. Question of respect.

I think I have a sharp technique, pitch-control born in my acid times, I consider my best weapon to focus on musical choices.

I love playing records, it's probably the best thing I know to do in life. I do it because it's big fun and it makes me free, it even turns into a meditation kind of thing. With records, nothing is planned, every record is important. I often compares a DJ set to a tennis game where each ball counts. But people know me more for my voice even if I never took singing lessons.