CHILDHOOD
Born in 1973 in Grenoble, a medium town in the Alps, south east of France. Due
to my young parents, music was everywhere at home, from Genesis, Supertramp,
Miles Davis, Philadelphia Sound, Maria Callas, Pink Floyd and of course, The
Beatles. I remember my Mum doing the housekeeping on Vivaldi's 4 seasons...
Around 6, I was often playing piano for fun at my grand-parents', reproducing
melodies from the radio. They decided to pay me lessons but I gave up after
2 years. I also practiced ballet from 5 years old to 22.
STUDIES
After a high school degree in economy in 90, I studied art, first in Marseille
in 91, then in the Beaux-Arts of Grenoble specialized in contemporary art in
93-94. I finished my cycle in graphic design in Amiens in 95, north of France
before starting my full time DJ job.
RAVE REVELATION
I first got in touch with electronic music in a new-wave club in Grenoble, where
I met The Hacker. For New Years Eve 90, came a DJ team from Valencia, playing
*Bacalao*, this Spanish commercial techno-dance. The club became quickly a dance
club, where the DJ played U96, 2 Unlimited, Usura or Transformer 2. I needed
money and offered a go-go dancer attraction to the boss, never topless, just
entertainers like in Ibiza. The 1st guest-DJs I've seen were Jack De Marseille,
Anthony and Jeff Valle. One week later, my friends and I went to our 1st rave
party: a revelation. KLF, LFO, Aphex Twin, Autechre and the 1st Warp big releases
became our home soundtracks. The French Alps became one of the most exciting
party scene in the country.
1993 was the rave madness, driving around the country with Belgian club tapes and DJ sets loud, living for weekends, searching for outstanding DJs to dance on. We had our best party memories like Borealis #1 in Montpellier and the Spiral Tribe wild night near Orly airport in Paris, freshly escaped from the Criminal Justice Bill in UK. Shortly after, the tribe stayed in our hometown, setting up memorable illegal parties in the woods. Liza N´Eliaz or Electric Indigo became local heroes. Nostalgia, craziness and freedom describe perfectly this happy wild time we all miss.
1ST STEPS
In 94, I did my 1st mix at my boyfriend's, actually due to a funny arguement
about his technique. He missed a mix, I explained my point of view, he took
it bad and told me to do it myself. I succeeded in my 1st try. Thinking it was
easy, so naive I was, I bought my 1st records: Richie Hawtin's Fuse, Robert
Hood *Protein Valve* on M plant, Pizzaman...
Still at school, we founded with a bunch of students "Swift Tuttle",
a collective offering rave decorations, so we could party for free and earn
pocket money. We organized our 1st illegal party in an old military fort in
the mountains. I played records for the 1st time in the chill out room on the
unique no-pitch turntable. It´s also the 1st time the name "Miss
Kittin" appeared on a flyer.
3 months later, I officially played in my 1st party with Eric Rug, Bertrand
and Miloch, I had no turntables at home but a plastic box with 20 records. I
was missing school to train at a friend's before a gig. After a 3 months job
as a cashier in a big supermarket, I bought my 2nd hand pair of Technics from
a radio station. I still use them today. I entered Tekmics booking agency created
by my friend Miloch.
In 95 and 96, I started to play a lot in the country, 1st in the famous Dragon
Bal illegal raves of south of France, but also in Chicago for Mike Dearborn
and in Moscow. After conflicts at school, I decided to stop my studies, as DJing
was already my half-time job. During summertime I met DJ Hell in Marseille,
he just started his label "International Dj Gigolo", I played him
a tape with 808 loops I did for fun at some friends´in Geneva, he asked
for more.
Back to Grenoble, I called the Hacker, we recorded Frank Sinatra at Kiko´s
studio above his record store. We sent it out to DJ Hell, without any other
track on a tape. Few weeks later, he was already playing a dub plate of it.
He invited me in Munich to play at the legendary Ultraschall club. It was my
very 1st visit to Germany.
THE RISING YEARS
End of 96 I moved to Paris, sharing a very special house with Sex Toy, Rachid
Taha, and owners of the now famous gay club Le Pulp. The Hacker and me recorded
"Frank Sinatra" for DJ Hell's label. I started to hang around half
of the time in Geneva with my friends from Mental Groove records/shop.
Summer 97, I left Paris for Geneva. I worked for a few months at the Mental
Groove record shop.
The Hacker and me finally released our 1st EP "Champagne!" on Gigolo,
with a total of 8 tracks composed while I passed by Grenoble. I immediately
started to play more in Germany, as a new member of Gigolo-Disko B booking agency.
In 98, the track "1982" from "Champagne! EP" had an unexpected
success, 1st because of promo copies spread over Berlin to underground DJs.
That´s where we performed our 2nd live ever, at Suicide club. Few months
later, Westbam closed the Love Parade with this track in front of 1 million
people. And we began to tour non-stop all around Europe.
In 99, we performed live at the famous mega rave Mayday in Dortmund, Germany:
30,000 people. We released our 2nd EP "Intimités" on Gigolo.
I had propositions to collaborate with several musicians for my lyrics.
In 2000, we had our most important gig in Barcelona for Sonar, the advanced
music festival. It changed my way of performing, creating an interraction between
the audience and us. I had my 2nd visit at Mayday as a DJ. I met Felix Da Housecat
in a Swiss festival, next day we were composing "Silver Screen Shower Scene"
and "Madame Hollywood" in a small friend´s studio in Geneva.
2001: THE CELEBRATION
Miss Kittin and The Hacker finally release their 1st album on Gigolo. My voice
appears on a song with Steve Bug, an album with Felix Da Housecat, an album
with my Zurich friend Goldenboy. I am suddenly welcome in France after 5 years
of abscence. I took my 1st holidays in 3 years. After shooting the video of
"Je t´aime moi non plus" Serge Gainsbourg cover with Sven Vath,
I decided to move to Berlin.
2002: BUSINESS IS RUNNING
I started an A&R consultant job at Mute Records Germany since September
2002, and a non-regular show for Laurent Garnier's web radio PBB on www.laurentgarnier.com
also since Sept.2002
I recorded a song with Tricky in L.A, and got back to rock'n'roll.
I experienced lives and DJ sets on festival's big stages, mainly with The Hacker,
before we decided to do a break after the feeling being on tour since the last
5 years! Benicassim festival in Spain was definately the absolute pick time
of the year.
It was time to focus on my solo project, stop any kind of live performances,
big interview features, DJing only once a week mostly in my 3 residencies in
Geneva, Zurich, and Barcelona.
For Christmas, I got a nice present: www.misskittin.com was born!
2003: BERLIN
I found my home, got closer to the scene and supporting it.
I started to work on my album, helped by two sound engineers: Tobi Neumann and
Thies Mynther aka "Glove", who previously worked with the Chicks On
Speed. That´s actually how I met them, after composing the "Cheek
shaving" song for the girls, and recording lyrics for Steve Bug. I also
collaborated on "The game is not over" for Berlin´s Shitkatapult
label boss T.Raumschmiere.
I discovered two amazing countries, 1st Brasil, then Australia for a very special
live tour with The Hacker as we´ve never played there before.
I created my own label "Nobody´s bizzness" to release my finished
album and keep the maximum freedom with my music. I started to make music on
my own, mostly on the road on my computer. Ellen Allien´s "Alles
Sehen" remix was my 1st track totally done by myself ever released.
As a DJ, I achieved anything I could dream of, playing among my heroes in the
best parties and places ever.
I accepted a new residency in Sven Vath´s Cocoon club in Frankfurt opening
in spring 2004!
ABOUT MY STYLE
DJ is my main activity, working every weekend in clubs or festivals since 1994.
I started with hard techno-acid sounds: Drop Bass Network, Analog, Interr-Ferrence,
Force Inc, SP23, to Detroit and experimental techno. I figured out it expressed
my late teenage aggressivity. With experience, I got musically softer and more
open-minded.
Actually I play everything that entertains me: minimal, deep, to kicking techno,
mixed with funny our leftfield tunes, classics, electro, no matter what it is.
That's why I hardly can describe my style. A 2h monotone set really bores me.
If I don't have fun myself, I'm not able to please people.
DJing must be, in a way, something selfish. I shout it loud: I don't do it for
the people. I never pretended to educate the audience, I just share a big part
of me, taking it as serious as I love it. Michael Mayer (Kompakt records, Cologne)
said: "Taking it serious about having fun." Because 1st it's a job,
and we should never forget being paid to give pleasure to people is a great
privilege. If the risks I take in my sets are my trademark, my priority is still
to make dance the ones who make my living. Question of respect.
I think I have a sharp technique, pitch-control born in my acid times, I consider
my best weapon to focus on musical choices.
I love playing records, it's probably the best thing I know to do in life. I
do it because it's big fun and it makes me free, it even turns into a meditation
kind of thing. With records, nothing is planned, every record is important.
I often compares a DJ set to a tennis game where each ball counts. But people
know me more for my voice even if I never took singing lessons.
AS A WOMAN
We can't help the DJ starification. If I'm against it, because we are basically
"record pushers", people always needed icons. As a woman, I'm proud
to be in the minority. I can't say I was a direct macho-victim but it's true,
we mostly earn less than men, and I saddly think you rarely succeed if you are
fat and uggly. It's a common fact. When we DJ,1st people will pay attention
to our appearance, figure, clothes, make up. If "male DJs" are sexually
more successfull when famous, it's undirectly not the case for us. As we can
consider the "groupie effect" as a girl thing, men may fantasm on
us, they mostly are too scared to approach us, and it's really fine for me!!!