Listeners 73.149, Plays: 196.612, Listening Time: 40.604 h
Grenoble born Caroline Hervé aka Miss Kittin, has over the past years become one of the most inspiring DJs and voices to emerge within the electronic music scene. Her vocal collaborations have produced seminal moments of dancefloor heaven. Alongside long-time production partner The Hacker, tracks such as ‘Frank Sinatra’ and ‘1982’ propelled them into the spotlight whilst further collaborations with Felix Da Housecat ‘Silver Screen (Shower Scene)’,... Read more
Grenoble born Caroline Hervé aka Miss Kittin, has over the past years become one of the most inspiring DJs and voices to emerge within the electronic music scene. Her vocal collaborations have produced seminal moments of dancefloor heaven. Alongside long-time production partner The Hacker, tracks such as ‘Frank Sinatra’ and ‘1982’ propelled them into the spotlight whilst further collaborations with Felix Da Housecat ‘Silver Screen (Shower Scene)’, Golden Boy ‘Rippin Kittin’, Sven Väth ‘Je T’aime’ and T.Raumschmiere ‘The Game Is Not Over’ have confirmed Miss Kittin’s star billing status.
She released her debut solo artist album ‘I Com’ in 2004, that showed her spreading her wings with jacking Chicago House, distorted punk attitude, skanked-up Dub and Electronic Pop as the singles Professional Distortion, Requiem For A Hit and Happy Violentine aptly displayed.
The heavily-accented deadpan delivery over techno beats that established her notoriety on previous recordings has been unseated by a desire to sing, to scream, to rap and to croon, all of which she manages to do with ample helpings of sly wit and wordplay and a musical landscape that incorporates both brazen beats and intoxicating atmospherics.
However for all her releases and collaborations Kittin’s first and main love remains DJing. From starting out in 1994 Kittin’s name first appeared on a flyer in the chill-out room for a rave in an old military fort in the mountains. From there on Kittin hasn’t looked back. From playing harder edged Techno, rave classics, Chicago, Acid and Detroit Techno Kittin has progressed into more leftfield, Electro and electronic realms. Able to play Prince with Black Dog or Aphex Twin with a new Kompakt 12” she has an uncanny and intuitive sense of selection that not only flows but also maintains that primary sense of the party. Anyone who has seen Kittin dancing behind the decks or grabbing the microphone mid-set will understand only too well that she is also a clubber at heart. As Kittin says, “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.”
Based in Paris since 2007, Kittin released her second solo album "Batbox" in 2008, followed by the second album of the collaboration with her all time favorite musical partner The Hacker entitled "Two" in 2009, both released on her own label 'Nobody's Bizzness'. After the extensive live touring of Miss Kittin & The Hacker in 2009 all over the globe, Kittin is rightly placed as one of the most revered and recognizable artists in Dance music today. As for the future? It’s looking purr-fect.
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.
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!!! Show less
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