Dimitri From Paris- Hugh Hefner Was The Last Gentleman I've Met

"To be a gentleman you should take the best out of every situation, and never be rude to people. It's about enjoying the finer things and trying to give it back to the people, that would be my definition of a gentleman. However, I never actually said that I am a gentleman; other people say that. I am trying to be one."

Described on his latest Defected Records press release as 'the quintessential gentleman', and judging by his immaculate dress sense and sophisticated, typically manner, he certainly looks the part. Sitting in a conference room of the London label's offices Dimitri's chatting to Skrufff's Benedetta, though insists his impeccable manners are more than just a girl thing.

"If it was just with the ladies, that would make you a playboy, those are two different things," he explains. "A gentleman should be well behaved with everyone."

Etiquette lessons aside, Dimitri's also just compiled a new triple mix CD Defected (Dimitri From Paris In The House) and it's to promote this new project that he's flown into London for the day. He previously achieved great kudos mixing two compilation CDs for Hugh Hefner's Playboy organisation, a man he has a lot a time for.

"I thought Hugh Hefner was the last real gentleman I've met," says Dimitri.

"We just shook hands, but he gave me a very good impression. He was a real gentleman, in fact. Especially being in the area he's in, the sex business… but he was delightful. I also like what he's done with the magazine, it's tasteful, not vulgar, and so I have a lot of respect for him."


Skrufff (Benedetta Skrufff): How much did you consider In The House being played for listening to or for dancing, are the two mutually exclusive-

Dimitri from Paris: "That's a typically Japanese question… You can play it anyway way you want really, I don't want it to be limited to any particular environment. I personally don't like house compilations where you have a beat running for hours, I find that totally uninspiring and boring. I try always to create an atmosphere, and for that you need to be happy to listen to the album from beginning to end. It has to be like a soundtrack, that's how I envisage it."

Skrufff: You started both CDs with old tracks, is that significant-

Dimitri from Paris: "Probably, since I don't believe that anything new is necessarily good, just because it's new. I believe that if something is good, it's going to last forever, therefore I'm more inclined to look out for timeless classics and maybe stuff that we haven't heard in a while. I wanted to use tracks that would make people discover or re-discover them. Sometimes, when I play these kind of tracks in a club, I see people smiling, because they haven't heard them in a while. At the same time, I try to present these tracks slightly re-edited so that they have an originality to them that hasn't been heard yet."

Skrufff: How close do you see the DJ role to being a modern day version of a playboy, have you crossed paths with 'international gigolo" DJ Hell, for example-

Dimitri from Paris: "We've crossed paths, but we haven't met. We didn't even talk; so no, I don't know him. I believe he's doing the next Playboy Mansion CD."

Skrufff: Do you feel any sense of competition toward Hell-

Dimitri from Paris: "Not really, I'm done with the Playboy project. I think him doing it is better that anyone else doing it… he's credible enough for me. I wouldn't do another one, so whomever Hugh has chosen I respect his choice. I couldn't really see a relation with Playboy and his music, which I feel is dark and cold. He isn't an obvious choice, but I'll need to hear what he's done."

Skrufff: Hell used to play techno, but for quite a while his style of electro has been some of the sexiest and freshest music around…

Dimitri from Paris: "Well you see, to me, people who change all the time are just trying to adapt to the trends, and I don't find that particularly effec Tags