Biography
Though recognized as a prominent figure in France's electronic music world, the producer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist Mirwais Ahmadzai was born in Switzerland to parents of Italian and Afghani descent. He settled in Paris at the age of six and quickly devoted himself to music, taking up the guitar before reaching his teenage years. In 1979 he launched Taxi Girl, a group fusing electronic, punk, and disco styles that later shaped the direction of 1990s acts such as Daft Punk and Air. The band's first album, Seppuku, appeared in 1981, but internal strains and drug-related difficulties led to its dissolution six years afterward, including the death of its drummer. By 1989 Mirwais had formed the folk-pop ensemble Juliette et les Independants with his girlfriend, yet soon returned to electronic work after encountering drum'n'bass. His 1999 single Disco Science gained traction on the French club scene and caught Madonna's ear, prompting her to enlist him as primary producer for most of her 2000 album Music. His solo debut Production reached American listeners shortly before that record arrived.