Sebastien Leger

Brings his funky house and techno to SET on Sunday, Feb. 27

By Michael Hamersly | mikehamersly@gmail.com2/25/2011

Don't wait until Winter Music Conference hits town to get down to some funky beats, as French house DJ Sebastien Leger steps behind the decks at SET (320 Lincoln Rd., Miami Beach) on Sunday, Feb. 27. You'll probably hear his dance-floor bombs "Hit Girl," "Hypnotized" and "Aqualight" - and if you're really lucky, he'll break into his remix of Daft Punk's "Around the World." He talked to Miami.com about his set at SET.

What can we expect from your show?
Expect nothing that you could expect from me. But it'll be funky, from house to techno.

You're a prolific remix artist. What about a track stands out to you to make you want to remix it?
It depends on the case - these days, I need to like the artist's work first, who they are, what they do, what they stand for. If I can make something with my touch from their original, it's "goal."

You've been trained as a pianist and drummer. How did you end up as a house-music DJ?
I'm not a talented pianist or drummer at all! I learned those instruments when I was a kid, and this is like 20 years ago. Believe me, I'm better with knobs and faders. The short story of how I became a DJ is the following: I was about 10 years old when Lil Louis' "French Kiss" came out, and this is how I fell in love with this music. And so when I first went to a club at 14, I knew this was my thing, so I bought the beginner DJ set-up back in 1993 and started to play in my bedroom.

What's the musical mission of your label, Mistakes Music?
If there is a mission, it might be to bring some fun into techno. The music from the label is very positive and funky. The quality of the music production is also very important. I try to release the music I like - if the people connect, then it's great.

Will you be in Miami for WMC?
Nope.

What do you think of Miami, and how often do you visit?
I like the nice and sunny weather. For me, who lives in cold and rainy Amsterdam, it's quite an important thing. I think I come to Miami every one-and-a-half years or something. It's a good city for clubbing.