Does It Get Better?

The David Guetta (pronounced Ge-tta) story reads like a fairytale: a young boy dreaming of being a musician then takes himself on a journey to heights previously thought unimaginable.

“It is something like that,” the affable Frenchman declares, laughing down the line. “I started in the music game when I was 13 - it was when I was practicing basically every day. Of course, soon it became a little bit more professional and by the time I was 15 or 16 I started organising parties in the basement and I would ask for $1 to get in.”

And while he reminisces with some fondness about those early days, it was that predisposition and commitment that has stood him in good stead for today. “By that time, I was listening to and hearing music like I hadn't heard before and that started going further with production and remixing, doing special edits, that sort of thing. I was really excited about creating my own music and then I ended up doing all sorts of different things and now I find myself getting nominated for five Grammy awards!”

Not that the road has been easy all the way, for there have certainly been roadblocks. But David is focussed and likes to keep things in perspective. Even with the changing technological paradigm, he sees opportunity where many of his compatriots are complaining of poor record sales. “Well, even with the Internet, everyone now has access to the same music and before you know it, you can be playing the same set quite easily as someone else. So having unique and exclusive stuff is over in some ways, because producers are all swapping records between themselves and it is harder and harder to become more unique.”

So in all of that, where does one derive the oft-sought yet rarely found competitive advantage? Easy - produce it and edit it on the fly. “That's really how I like to work,” enthuses David. “I try to play tracks that are not released yet; of course it is not always possible, but I can try. I was playing ‘I Got A Feeling’ before we actually released it so people hadn't heard it before. I do a lot of producing on my laptop as I travel so it is a great opportunity to test some of this music on the crowds around the world to see the reaction, before I release it. Then I might change it around a little bit until I think it’s perfect - and even then, I can do some special edits when I play the party.”

Right now David is touring and heavily promoting his new ‘One Love’ LP. Released on EMI Records in France and around the world, it is his fourth artist work and bridges the divide between EDM and the urban cultures of Europe and the USA. “I must admit, I'm really happy with the album because it was such a different direction for me. It was a really new project with collaborations with guys like Black Eyed Peas and I'm proud of the risks that we took with it - I guess I'm lucky that it really worked out and the things that have come from that success are really crazy!”

Yet despite that success, David remains as humble and down to earth as ever. He still sees himself as nothing more than a party DJ who is blessed to enjoy what he does - and make a living doing it. “What is funny,” he says, “is that I have always loved doing my little edits and creating my own music - nothing has changed there. People talk about the success we had with Black Eyed Peas, Akon and Kelly Rowland - I mean these just came about by accident almost. I wasn't really expecting these things to happen and I'm honoured and excited to work with artists like that; I mean Kelly came up to me at a club where I was playing at, and Akon I met backstage at a festival and from there, we just decided to work together. We recorded ‘Sexy Bitch’ in one night and from that will.i.am called me and that gave me even more new ideas.”

David Guetta plays the Future Music Festival, at BRC Doomben Racecourse, Saturday February 27. Hde’s joined by the recently announced Way Out West, Spankrock and Space Invadas.