Alongside his remarkable contribution to the series, we sat down with Perfo who shared his thoughts about his career, inspirations & aspirations!
- Hi Thibaud, very happy to welcome you to our series. We will begin this exchange with your first steps in Techno. What was your journey in terms of influences and listening?
Hi Nabil, I’m excited to be speaking with you for Paradox!
I’ve been following the project for several years, having discovered techno alongside your events, particularly at the Cabaret Aléatoire in Marseille around 2017. My beginnings were modest and slow: I come from a family of jazz musicians, and I was initially influenced by Rap and the French Touch, genres that defined an entire generation.
Little by little, with my brother and friends, we created our collective Techno Cadeau and started organising events at the Baby Club (where I had my first techno gig around 2016-2017), followed by rave parties in the South of France. What started as parties between friends quickly attracted a larger audience. We discovered a world where everyone found their place, a safe place ! Surrounded by music that was still underdeveloped in our region.
These experiences taught us the importance and the magic of a good sound system. We eventually built our own, and it was a crucial period in my journey. Learning how to build a sound system, manage the lights and wiring, sharing with sound engineers, other musicians, and approaches that are completely different from one another. All this introduced me (us as a collective) to people who, today, have also found their path in music. These memories and collaborations were significant, and I’m incredibly grateful for them.
As for my influences, I owe a lot to the jazz culture my family passed on to me. I grew up in an environment of active listening, as both an audience member and an observer of live performances. I initially considered producing before diving into DJing, but the desire to create emerged later once I realized I could bring my own influences into this world.
In terms of techno, my first inspirations were artists like Aphex Twin, Shed, and Barker, who worked with complex and atonal structures, which I was always drawn to. Then, when I discovered Electric Deluxe from Speedy J, with its profound, almost chaotic and intensive vision, and Ostgut Ton for its incredible and versatile catalog (without mentioning any specific artists, as honestly, everything is remarkable), along with exploring works on Semantica, everything changed for me. Pandora’s box was opened
- Recently you were part of one of the New Faces line up at Tresor.Berlin where you shared the bill with Red Rooms & Sanna Mun… I suppose it’s the kind of dates that mark an artist for a long time… What do you mean? happened?
Tresor has always been a dream for me; it’s an important rite of passage for every DJ, whether they live in Berlin or not. It’s a very special club that has greatly impacted me, even before I started dancing there. Tresor has contributed immensely to the underground scene, both through the iconic artists who have played there and through its label, which features very cutting-edge releases that add real value to this place. To name just a few: Underground Resistance, Surgeon, Marcelus, Drexciya, James Ruskin, you see what I’m talking about ? Or Zadig who is also an inspiration for our French scene!
As a raver, this space has always impressed me: you have this very low ceiling and the atmosphere of a vault, creating a unique ambiance where you feel trapped in a basement. There’s a single, incisive strobe light, and the sub-bass is powerful within these walls. It really rumbles, and it wasn’t necessarily easy in the booth not to be overwhelmed by all those basses clashing together. Yet f**** enjoyable !
This gig at Tresor has a very special story for me because, just a few hours before my set, I got the news that I would be playing at the Berghain a few months later. It was a very exciting day, but also a bit scary, let’s be honest haha. You have your friends coming to see you play and the pressure to perform well, then these two monuments standing in front of you like two mountains, strangely everything is fine because you know this environment.. However, there is a challenge that arises, and it’s exciting. Definitely a date that will remain etched in my memory, not only for the gig itself, which went smoothly with a warm welcome from Cecilia Tosh, who was hosting this New Faces event, but also for the significance and the moment it brought me.
- Another turning point in your career, your performance at Berghain, the cathedral of world techno, an essential institution in the career of any self-respecting Technophile. What did you feel special about this place?
Playing at Berghain has been a dream of mine since my teenage years, and finally experiencing it was surreal. I’d imagined this moment countless times, even sketched the building when I was 18! I had pictured stepping from the dancefloor to behind the decks, and it’s part of why I chose to live here, drawn by this one-of-a-kind place. Realizing that dream felt magical.
After countless hours within these walls, spanning days, weekends, and years, a different kind of love and emotion emerged, one inspired by the way this place seems to move as there is this constant dynamism and life in the club yet also suspend time! There’s a feeling of being in a bubble where time slows down, blurring the hours. It’s a beautiful inferno; arriving at any hour over the weekend offers a completely new perspective on Klubnacht.
From preparing my set to dancing the entire day afterward, surrounded by loved ones who traveled just to support me, every moment added a layer to that day. It became a cherished memory filled with thrill and love—an experience I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life.
The set itself taught me a lot as a DJ, as I had to step completely out of my comfort zone to give back what this club has given me, how it has fuelled my inspiration over the years. Nothing but love.
Speaking of the Berlin scene, you have been living in the German capital for some time. How do you perceive the current excitement that this scene is experiencing, particularly in the Techno register?
It’s now been six years since I moved to Berlin, and I’ve never felt so inspired by the local scene. I think that being in a city where hidden gems emerge, surrounded by close friends who are both geniuses and incredible people, or directly connected with the art world is fundamental to your daily inspiration. I would say there is a new wave of energy since the end of Covid, with new talents taking the reins, artists pushing boundaries in productions, projects, and events.
In Berlin, we’re witnessing a great diversity of events, where organisers, bookers, and promoters are also incredibly creative in offering open and safe spaces for all artists. The techno scene is closely connected to Berlin’s broader artistic landscape: whether it’s dance performances at Kraftwerk, Atonal, Art Week, the live jams of WSNWG on a Thursday at Berghain allowing us to rediscover this dancefloor from a fresh perspective beyond the weekly Klubnacht, or the New Faces nights on Wednesdays at Tresor to discover fresh talent. How lucky we are to exist and grow within this local scene, an engine powering something much larger that we must care for, a responsibility to sustain.
- Which artists or labels impacted you the most in 2024?
Not easy to sum up a wealth of gems in just a few words… But if I can mention some artists/releases I discovered this year across various genres, then let’s give it a try:
In a more open style: the works of Cousin and Priori in a Dub/Meditative Trip genre; Monolake’s latest album on his label Imbalance Computer Music, which has always been an incredible source of inspiration with its textures and Sound Design. The remarkable Objekt on Ipsela, making a powerful comeback with Breakbeat/Garage proto-Dubstep—an artist who’s been a foundational part of my daily listening! The Final Experiment with a fantastic release by Shed, The 030-Files. And currently awaiting DjRum’s next release, Meaning’s Edge!
Another artist I’ve closely followed and whose releases I’ve practically devoured is Singular Anomalies, offering a very diverse and unique experience in a much more deep and Sci-Fi-Textured universe.
One last word, Hayes Collective, which once again delivered a 2024 series of absolute quality—I’m blown away by the catalog’s level. Thanks to them
- You recently released your album “Grand Final” on the Dutch label “MORD”. In what vein are you currently in terms of production? On what setup did you produce this album?
I would say that I’m positioned within a complex style, oriented towards sound design, with a jazzy undertone. Why jazzy? First of all, because I always try to approach my productions with an improvisational mindset that I learned through jazz. Additionally, most of my productions are recorded in one take as a jam, and then I go back and rework certain moments. This allows me to maintain an organic, instinctive, and playful aspect in my way of working. Preserving ‘non-mechanical’ or ‘unintentional’ moments is very important, as improvisation fuels my inspiration. Of course, I align with the techno vein, but I try to steer away from a purely dancefloor approach or adapt it as needed.
I produced this album entirely on Ableton (mainly using Operator), while also taking an experimental approach with the help of Gleetchlab and . It may be somewhat unconventional, but at that point in my life, I was in the midst of rediscovering new ways to approach and express my music. I also used my voice in certain tracks to bring a more personal and musical approach. This period greatly contributed to my discovery of my own music, as well as various techniques and sound design.
- As a DJ, it’s not easy to find yourself in all these weekly releases with this wave of hyperproduction. How do you always stay up to date?
Staying up-to-date in this flood of new releases is definitely a challenge, but it’s really about staying curious and selective. I listen to a wide range of genres—from jazz to oriental percussion, French rap to UK garage and grime, anything weird and out-of-the-box stuffs, and, of course, Techno. All of this feeds my inspiration. I keep an old-school approach to staying current: I check new releases on Hard Wax and regularly listen to podcasts. I also keep an eye on social media to spot anything that stands out.
Reorganising my Rekordbox also helps; it pushes me to revisit labels and artists that sometimes (unfortunately) get buried in the digital clutter.
Between friends, we share a lot of new discoveries with each other—a process I really enjoy. It’s a great way to stay inspired and connected to fresh sounds, whether it’s something emerging or a hidden gem one of us found. This mix of personal exchanges, social media, and file organisation keeps my library dynamic and my inspiration alive.
- How did you record the podcast for Paradox ?
For this Paradox podcast, I approached it as a kind of dancefloor retransmission, inspired by clubs that have had a big impact on me this year, shaping both my music exploration and expression. I wanted to capture the energy/feelings and influences from those experiences like a collage that blends new and old sounds, with trippy layers, complex textures, and as always some vocal elements woven in.
- Can you give us a glimpse about your future projects?
In the coming months, you can expect a return to some of the labels that have crafted my artistic journey the last years, a vinyl release scheduled for the next few weeks, and possibly a new collaboration. Looking ahead, I’d also like to explore projects that move entirely away from the dancefloor.
Thanks a lot Thibaud, we hope to see you very soon somewhere, keep the good vibe on!
Love and respect