Laurent Garnier

Laurent Garnier is a French electronic and techno DJ and producer from Boulogne-Billancourt, France. He begins DJing in Manchester in the late 1980s and becomes one of the early Europeans to mix American house music in Britain. His work spans house, techno and related forms, including deep house, Detroit techno, acid and trance, as well as jazzier material.

Early years and move into DJing

Garnier discovers club culture in Paris in the late 1970s with his brother, while living with his family there. He listens to disco alongside reggae, funk, punk and other contemporary genres, and by the age of 16 he is already interested in clubs and DJs and recording and mixing music on basic tape recorders. In 1984 he works as a waiter for the French Embassy in London, stays there for a year and a half, then moves to Manchester in 1986. There he discovers the UK house scene and starts DJing.

In 1987 he discovers Manchester’s Haçienda club and meets resident DJ Mike Pickering. He begins mixing there under the name DJ Pedro and becomes a key figure in the late-1980s Manchester scene. His sets at the Haçienda also influence the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays to add house rhythms to rock music. In 1988 he returns to France for military service and also spends time in New York, where he meets Frankie Knuckles.

Production, labels and clubs

In the early 1990s Garnier turns more fully to production while continuing to DJ in clubs and rave parties. He runs the Wake Up club in Paris for three years and also plays at venues including le Palace, le Boy and London’s Ministry of Sound, where he appears at “Open all hours” Friday nights. For the FNAC label he releases French Connection and the Bout de Souffle EP. After FNAC ends, he and Eric Morand, a former FNAC colleague, found F Communications. He also records for Fnac Music Dance Division and Sounds Like Yeah !

Albums, tracks and collaborations

Garnier’s first LP, Shot in the Dark, appears in 1995. His second album, 30, follows in 1997 and includes the single “Crispy Bacon”. The retrospective Early Works comes after that, and Unreasonable Behaviour appears in early 2000, featuring “The Man with the Red Face”, one of his best-known tracks. He also releases an EP in 2002 and the album The Cloud Making Machine in 2005. A later best-of compilation, Retrospective, gathers original tracks and remixes, including vinyl-only and previously unreleased material. Garnier also collaborates with System 7.

Style and aliases

Garnier is known for moving across several forms of dance music, from classic deep house and Detroit techno to harder acid and trance-influenced material. He also uses the alias DJ Pedro. Alaska and Dune are listed among his associated names.