You wouldn't know it by his minimal but funky robo-beats, but Parisian star Dan Ghenacia started off his DJ career enamored of deep house. Yes, he was lured to the psychedelia dark side during a year abroad in California, and brought back the soulful sounds to his native Paris, where he started off selling records. When he actually started playing them, though, is when things really jumped off. A few years into his DJ career, Ghenacia came to dominate the Parisian late-night scene, helming a legendary afterhours weekly at Batofar, the City of Lights' top peniche -- a club based on a docked boat.
By then, too, his sound had changed, morphing from a relatively orthodox four-to-the-floor into a spacier, more sparse techno sound, though one still influenced by house's snare-heavy swing. Pulling the plug on his Batofar residency at the height of his popularity, Ghenacia instead turned his focus to developing that sound on his own label, Freak N' Chic. Since its inception in 2003, it's become one of the most carefully curated and critically respected techno labels around, releasing early efforts by rising stars like Shonky, Jamie Jones, and Maayan Nidam.
Ghenacia, too, continues to release his own tracks, which as time goes on, continue to push the limits further and further into slightly wonky outer space. During conference, he headlines his own Freak N' Chic-sponsored party, as well as taking the decks at a couple other gigs alongside the cream of the current techno crop.
At the Culprit and Freak N' Chic Face-Off party, with Shonky, Hot Natured (Jamie Jones and Lee Foss) live, Droog, and others. 10 p.m. Wednesday, March 24. Grass Lounge, 28 NE 40th St., Miami. Admission costs $10 before midnight, $15 and $20 after; age 21 and up. 305-573-3355; grasslounge.com
At the Circo Loco Pool party, with Timo Maas, Francois K, DJ Sneak, Jamie Jones, and others. Event goes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday, March 26. The Eden Roc Hotel, 4525 Collins Ave., Miami Beach. Tickets cost $50 and up from residentadvisor.net; age 21 and up. 305-531-0000; boldnewedenroc.com
At the [listed] Varsity Allstars party, with Anja Schneider, Alex Dolby, Touane, and others. Event runs from 12 to 11 p.m. Saturday, March 27. The Hotel Victor, 1144 Ocean Dr., Miami Beach. 305-428-1234; hotelvictorsouthbeach.com