Biography
François Kevorkian stands alongside only Frankie Knuckles in terms of longevity at the center of dance music, yet his contributions remain far less widely recognized than his influence would suggest. From late-1970s production for the pivotal disco imprint Prelude through countless remixes and productions for pop acts in the decade that followed, he played a central role in transforming the disco blueprint into the clearer contours of house. After relocating from France to New York City in the mid-1970s, he absorbed mixing techniques from the period’s leading DJs—Walter Gibbons, Jellybean Benitez, and Larry Levan—then created early reel-to-reel cut-ups modeled on dub methods that injected experimental energy into disco. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s he supplied dancefloor treatments to numerous alternative and mainstream artists, although he issued comparatively few original recordings of his own despite operating the Wave label.
Born in Rodez, France, in the mid-1950s, Kevorkian spent his formative years in the Paris suburbs, where he played drums in local groups while pursuing studies in biochemical engineering and pharmacy. Abandoning academics, he headed to New York and took whatever live work he could secure with pickup ensembles. His initial significant involvement in club culture came via a part-time role at Galaxy 21, supplying live percussion behind resident DJ Walter Gibbons. When that venue shuttered, he moved to Experiment Four and formed a friendship with its house DJ, Jellybean Benitez.
Once he discovered that Benitez possessed a four-track reel-to-reel recorder, Kevorkian began fashioning his own material, applying dub-derived editing and splicing techniques to heighten dancefloor impact and incorporating audio effects drawn from film and other sources. One early effort—a version of Rare Earth’s “Happy Song and Dance”—remained a New York club favorite for years. In mid-1977 he commenced DJing at New York, New York, the city’s foremost disco after Studio 54, where he met Larry Levan and the pair quickly became close. Selected for an A&R post at Prelude, he collaborated with Levan at the label’s studios on mixes for West End and Salsoul as well as Prelude itself. His 1978 treatment of Musique’s “Push Push (In the Bush)” attained gold status even without notable chart performance, while his work with D-Train yielded further club successes including “You’re the One for Me,” “Music,” and “Keep On.”
Kevorkian’s command of studio mixing and established dancefloor credentials positioned him among the decade’s most sought-after producers. As demand for club-oriented versions of pop material intensified during the 1980s, he delivered specialized mixes for Yaz, the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Diana Ross, Adam Ant, U2, Kraftwerk, Matthew Sweet, the Pet Shop Boys, Thomas Dolby, Ashford & Simpson, Erasure, and many others. In 1987 he established Axis Studios, which hosted sessions for Madonna, C+C Music Factory, Mariah Carey, and Deee-Lite.
His packed studio commitments left little room for DJ work through most of the 1980s, yet he resumed active performance in 1990, joining Larry Levan for several prominent engagements in Japan. During the 1990s he launched his own Wave imprint, which issued several of his productions, among them the forward-looking FK-EP in 1997. A 2000 compilation, Essential Mix, stands as the clearest record of his DJ abilities.
Born in Rodez, France, in the mid-1950s, Kevorkian spent his formative years in the Paris suburbs, where he played drums in local groups while pursuing studies in biochemical engineering and pharmacy. Abandoning academics, he headed to New York and took whatever live work he could secure with pickup ensembles. His initial significant involvement in club culture came via a part-time role at Galaxy 21, supplying live percussion behind resident DJ Walter Gibbons. When that venue shuttered, he moved to Experiment Four and formed a friendship with its house DJ, Jellybean Benitez.
Once he discovered that Benitez possessed a four-track reel-to-reel recorder, Kevorkian began fashioning his own material, applying dub-derived editing and splicing techniques to heighten dancefloor impact and incorporating audio effects drawn from film and other sources. One early effort—a version of Rare Earth’s “Happy Song and Dance”—remained a New York club favorite for years. In mid-1977 he commenced DJing at New York, New York, the city’s foremost disco after Studio 54, where he met Larry Levan and the pair quickly became close. Selected for an A&R post at Prelude, he collaborated with Levan at the label’s studios on mixes for West End and Salsoul as well as Prelude itself. His 1978 treatment of Musique’s “Push Push (In the Bush)” attained gold status even without notable chart performance, while his work with D-Train yielded further club successes including “You’re the One for Me,” “Music,” and “Keep On.”
Kevorkian’s command of studio mixing and established dancefloor credentials positioned him among the decade’s most sought-after producers. As demand for club-oriented versions of pop material intensified during the 1980s, he delivered specialized mixes for Yaz, the Smiths, Depeche Mode, Diana Ross, Adam Ant, U2, Kraftwerk, Matthew Sweet, the Pet Shop Boys, Thomas Dolby, Ashford & Simpson, Erasure, and many others. In 1987 he established Axis Studios, which hosted sessions for Madonna, C+C Music Factory, Mariah Carey, and Deee-Lite.
His packed studio commitments left little room for DJ work through most of the 1980s, yet he resumed active performance in 1990, joining Larry Levan for several prominent engagements in Japan. During the 1990s he launched his own Wave imprint, which issued several of his productions, among them the forward-looking FK-EP in 1997. A 2000 compilation, Essential Mix, stands as the clearest record of his DJ abilities.
Albums
