When I spoke last with Chris Le Friant (aka Bob Sinclar) in late 2003, he was about to embark on a most excellent journey. A journey that would take him across the planet stopping on almost every continent, playing an itinerary of DJ shows which would make even the hardest working DJ blush, and all the while working on his latest offering the DVD ‘Enjoy! (Bob Sinclar – Around The World)’. It took a number of phone-calls and a few delays, but before I could light up another cigarette, the call dropped in and we were off to Europe to have friendly little tête-à-tête with Chris…

Hunter: Salut Chris! Ca va?

Chris: Ah! Salut! Oui! Ca va!

Hunter: It’s has been almost a year since we last spoke, Monsieur – please allow me to live a little vicariously, and tell me all about the exploits of Bob Sinclar in this past year:

Chris: Ah! Too many things… but too many beautiful things! Last time after we met, what I did… I tour of course. I share my time between the studio and DJing, so during the weeks I am in the studio everyday, doing my music, and on the weekend I am outside, playing. Also, I have been launching the new album and compilation so, this came out and then I had to promote it in every country and of course I really had to plan the summer. I did 25 or 26 DJ dates and I had to be really fresh because it’s quite hard you know. Very nice, but hard. Septembre… what I did Septembre..? Ah! I came back from touring! It maybe seems funny to you, but I am quite tired. It’s been hard to come back, and I’ve been working so hard. Septembre is the dark month of the year, do you know what I mean when I say ‘dark’? And October I come back into the music and I have to produce. I am working on three albums at the moment. I am working on new music with Salome de Bahia, a new song ‘Son of Brazil’, because in France next year it is ‘Year of Brazil’. So this song, it is a celebration of all Brazilian artists we like. I am also on the Tommy Boy album, with artists on the album doing music from one or two years ago – also Brazil, but in a jazz way. I’m gonna do the new Africanism Volume 3 in April of next year and one or two singles for next summer, so this is my plan.

Hunter: I’ve noticed on your itinerary for New Years Eve this year that you’ll be headlining the Docks party at Marseille, and we were sitting around talking about how amazing it would be to be there, but can you tell me how you’re feeling about actually playing there?

Chris: Marseille for New Years Eve… well, you know, it’s a town which is really very close to my heart. My family are there, I have friends who are there and Marseille is very welcome – always very welcome, very fresh and they are always very happy to see me. I will be with David Guetta – actually, we are the number one and number two on the top of the DJ album charts at the moment in France, so it’s going to be very fun!

Hunter: Chris, one of our members has requested I ask you when you plan to next visit us here in Australia?

Chris: I would like to come very soon! I took very nice… ah, how do you say?... I have included some very nice parts of my time in Australia in my DVD ‘Enjoy’, and I look and I am thinking “Mon Dieu! It’s amazing! I have to go back every year!”. You know, it’s 20 hours of flight and to put it this way, I have to come for ten days next time I come. It is too short otherwise. I come 5 days, and I am here – and then I am gone!

Hunter: Another member question now: Do you prefer to DJ, or produce?

Chris: ... DJ. But I quite like to… produce. laughs

Hunter: In July of this year, you released the classic ‘Kalimbo’ on your Africanism label. Why did you choose this record to release?

Chris: A big part of my job to discover tracks. I’m into African. All types of African music was produced in France and it never really appeared. So African, funky – you know, Afro-funk appears really strong in the beginning to mid 1970’s, and so, Kalimbo is a track from a band Malinga Five. It was originally discovered by Eddy Barclay – he lives in St. Tropez, he throws very big parties – all very nice with the music and the girls. He never did something too erotic, he was just into the music. He produced this band and it became one of his favourite bands so he decided to put money into this band. So that’s it. There were a few tracks but one especially on the album I liked and he called… and I called back later to ask for the master and they gave me a master, and you know its very important to continue to work your back catalogue. It was amazing! I didn’t do anything really, I just – did a few little things and we released it!

Hunter: This month, November, you have such a busy performance schedule! Do you still love what you do with abandon and joy or has it become much more businesslike for you?

Chris: You know, I really want you to know that I am really against all types of drugs, and I’m really keeping myself healthy, no smokes even! I think it’s important to keep your health really straight. It’s quite… I’m quite tired sometimes, because I do love the weekend. I sleep from 11pm until 7am through the week. I don’t have enough time to do everything in one day and I get quite stressed sometimes, but you know, it’s good stress. I mean, I work with music and I know its not getting to everybody, but it’s a very big chance in life to like what you do for work. I wouldn’t really use the word ‘lucky’. Yes, I am lucky to be able to do what I love for my job, but I have worked very hard so it’s not so much luck there. My life is, well you have to pay for success … you know me laughs. I tell you though, France is not my favourite city to play in. Yes, it’s close to my heart, it’s my country! I like to play outside of Paris. Paris is too snobby too… too ‘fashion’ for me (is that okay to use that word? Does this make sense?). You know, sometimes everybody, they go in some place and they are not ‘fashion’. So they think ‘Everybody’s going to same place’, and they go, and everybody goes to the same place it’s just not fashion anymore. It is so sad and… they are like sheep. So I like to play in Europe. Last weekend I was in Spain, Barcelona. It was just a really fresh and amazing place to be. The clubbing was really good and the gay scene is huge with all the models all the young guys all in the same club. It was very vibrant, yes, and fresh. London is still really amazing with Turnmills and Belgium’s Le Fuse. Also, La Café in also,.. in,... um… and in Switzerland the Madd Club -so many clubs around the world, Tokyo club Air… I did all these clubs and I have the sense to make a choice now. I choose where I play. I work very hard, I have worked very hard always and some might say ‘lucky’. I have worked very hard to be able now to make these choices.

Hunter: You’re considered one of the very best House producers and DJs on the planet. Which new or relatively new producers/DJs do you recommend we keep our eye on and why?

Chris: I appreciated that people like my music I do my music because people love it. People enjoy it. I like a lot of producers. I like Paul Johnson, I like Armand Van Helden, I like also um… a new guy ‘he has done that song ‘Calling Me’?... ‘Call On Me’ ? (Eric Prydz). I don’t know when they’ll stay on the scene like Kenny (Larkin), and if they have a nice career behind them. He came into our house, disco-house 7 years ago but, um, I like the Peppermint Jam team – Mousse-T, Mustafa Gündogdu, you know, Boris Dlugosch, Maurice… There are many artists I like, especially the Chicago scene, the New York scene – * laughs * they all have their own scene.

Hunter: I’d like to thank you one again Chris for your time today, and finish with one last question from our readers – Where do you see ‘House’ going? Will you continue to be influenced heavily by disco for the rest of your life – or are you looking at new directions?

Chris: Ah! You are always so very lovely with your wonderful questions! Thank you! You are always very welcome. New directions are behind us. Because everything is a cycle, so albums from the 60’s, 70’s, 80s are good to get influences from, you know, some new lines, melodies, sounds, so it’s ‘OK, why not to do an African project today? why not do a disco project?’. I’m sharing time with musicians and singers and making music for pleasure. I don’t need to show that I’m a new producer making new sounds all the time. I’m behind my computer with musicians and I am making new sounds. I’ll always be dedicated to this funk sound. Dedicated to the funk.

Bob Sinclar’s latest release ‘Enjoy’ is out now through Ministry of Sound.