Earlier this year, following the temporary closure of some of this capital’s larger clubs for a number of reasons such as alleged drug dealing, its various repetitive beats are resounding more and more from smaller venues. Clubs like the Rex, La Scène, Pulp, Nouveau Casino and — despite a change in programming — the Batofar, are all benefiting from their intimacy. With a more personal gathering of people, there comes a more specialized taste in music. That’s why we’ve listed Paris’ hottest clubs according to “musical genre” — featuring the coolest local DJs — to avoid confusing your Neptunes with your Cosmo Vitellis.
Electro
Electroclash, No Wave… whatever you want to call it, music by the likes of Tiga, Random Factor, LCD Soundsystem and Volga Select is the new sound of Paris. There’s no let up in the profusion of recently initiated nights emerging from the detritus of hype surrounding Thursdays at Le Pulp. DJs: Ivan Smagghe, Feadz, Krikor, Jenifer
Electro DaTa @ Nouveau Casino, June 14 & July 25, 11pm, 8E
Jenifer heads a German lineup of electro DJs including 0+0 and residents Alta and Bruce. Also check out the Rapture, a NYC electro group, July 18, 7:30pm, 15E info: nouveaucasino.net
Kill The DJ @ Le Pulp, first Thursday of the month, midnight, free.
Catch Black Strobe mixing the dirtiest dub-plates so freshly pressed, they’re still sticky. Don’t miss the other Thursday night parties — No Dancing Please, Naked and Sometimes Funky People Are Dressed in Black!
Deviant Groove @ Batofar, third Thursday of the month, 10pm, 12E
Minimal rhythms, synth-pop melodies, deviant grooves... Vigo, the new head of programming at the Batofar, keeps the electro vibe alive with regular guests from labels like Ersatz Audio, Leitmotiv, Gigolo and Bpitch Control. Info: batofar.net
Hip Hop & R’n’B
When soul singers (Toni Braxton) started to be produced by hip hop artists (The Neptunes), a new wave of music surfaced — a kind of sexy, urban groove with Gucci hoochie chic for wide boys and fly girls. DJs: Dee Nasty, DJ Pone, Chris Click
Brooklyn Zoo @ OPA, June 18 & 11, 11pm, 10E
Saundi is the resident jock at this US-friendly party, playing old school classics and new school cool. Guest NYC DJs spin the freshest stateside imports on the ground floor, while the upstairs crowd keep it funky with ’70s cuts in the loft. Info: bkzoo@hotmail.com
Generation All Stars @ La Scène, every Wednesday, midnight,16E
Organized by Paris radio station Generations (88.2FM), the All Star party is exactly what it says it is: the frequency’s star DJs spinning the best hip hop and R’n’B licks. Expect DJs Juan and Fab playing the latest hits from Snoop Dogg, Nelly, the Clipse etc. Info: www.la-scene.com
Streetlife @ La Casita, every Saturday, 16E
This is Paris’ “100% gay” hip hop and R’n’B party. DJ Silk and Chris Click mix a selection of American flavors, cut with a slice of ragga and funk. Info: streetlife.fr
House
With filtered house buried deeply in the past of what became known as the “French Touch,” local DJs have taken their sound deeper and darker. Tribal beats and throbbing bass lines are redefining Paris’ dancefloors, blowing a smoke machine-like breath of fresh air onto the dancing masses. DJs: Laurent Garnier, Chloé, Dan Ghenacia, Jérome Pacman, Terry, WARRIO
The Other Way @ Rex Club, first Saturday of the month, 11:30pm, 12E
Dan Ghenacia and Ivan Smagghe recall the Rough Trade days at their monthly residency, joining the dots between Dan’s deep house and Ivan’s electro-dance.
Automatik @ Rex Club, every Friday, 11:30pm, 11E
Celebrating its 250th night (June 13), the Rex’s longest running weekly welcomes Industrial Strength’s Lenny Dee and French jockeys Manu le Malin and Torgull for a marathon session of hard house.
Minimal Dancin' @ Nouveau Casino, July 5, midnight, 10E
Epitomizing the minimal house grooves typical of this long-running party, Duplex 100 and Raugement Alpha’s Ron Schneider, mix ambient samples from the NASA archives with their tech-funk attitude. Info: www.nouveaucasino.net
Where?
Batofar opposite 11 quai François Mauriac, 13e, M° Bibliothèque, tel: 01 40 33 37 17 La Casita, 9 rue de la Grande-Truanderie, 1er, M° Châtelet Nouveau Casino 109 rue Oberkampf, 11e, M° Parmentier, tel: 01 43 57 57 40 OPA 9 rue Biscornet, 12e, M° Bastille, tel: 01 49 28 97 16 Le Pulp 25 bd de Poissonnière, 2e, M° Grands Boulevards, tel: 01 40 26 01 93 La Scène 2bis rue des Taillandiers, 11e, M° Bastille, tel: 01 48 06 50 70
