On January 23rd... OFF99 presents legendary DJ, Remixer, and Producer FRANÇOIS K! In The Loft... François K (NYC) Alex Carrabba (OFF99) 21+ // 10 PM – 4 AM // _________________________________________ Born in Rodez, France in 1954, François Kevorkian is a man of many talents, Producer, Remixer, legendary DJ, Studio owner, Immersive audio pioneer, and AI authority. He has been a prominent figure in the New York City music scene since relocating there in 1975. Renowned for his exceptional career as a DJ, remixer and producer, François began his journey in iconic clubs defining the culture of dance music like Studio 54, The Loft, Paradise Garage, Better Days, Zanzibar as well as New York, New York and many others. His expertise in studio editing and mixing led him to an influential A&R role at Prelude Records, shaping the 12” single versions for many of the disco hits of the early 80’s. His tenure there was a key component of the success of artists such as D-Train, Musique, Sharon Redd and The Strikers. During that time, he also remixed some era-defining club smashes like Yazoo "Situation" and Dinosaur L's "Go Bang" that still get played and namechecked to this day as they’re often considered to be some of the foundational pillars of the modern dance music aesthetic. As the owner of Axis Studios, located in Manhattan’s West 54th Street, François collaborated with countless iconic artists such as U2, Mick Jagger, and Ashford & Simpson. His extensive experience also includes working with Depeche Mode on mixing their groundbreaking album ‘Violator’ and contributing to Kraftwerk’s ‘Tour De France’ as well as to their 'Electric Cafe' album and many further remixes. Since he first started working in the studio in 1978, he has amassed well over 1,500 remixing credits composed of a literal who’s who of popular music across many genres from Nina Simone to The Cure, Cesaria Evora, The Smiths, Moloko and Black Uhuru. In 1996, along with Joaquin 'Joe' Claussell and Danny Krivit he started a weekly Sunday afternoon dance gathering called 'Body&SOUL' which is still going strong today with many international and festival bookings around the planet. Started in 2003, his legendary Monday night weekly residency ‘Deep Space NYC’ ran for 17 years at Cielo in New York City and became a key pillar of underground music and a major proponent of the dub aesthetic; the party was especially noted for its early support of dubstep as well as bass music and was widely considered a mecca for consistently inviting some of the most gifted guest DJs and producers. Starting in 1995, he also helmed the influential label Wave Music, which was home to many eclectic artists exemplifying the late 90s and early 2000s sound of New York City, including his own timeless artist releases like the evergreen FK-EP or the acclaimed single "Time & Space". His prolific and diverse contributions extend beyond the dance floor, including hosting his monthly ‘World of Echoes’ radio show on Gilles Peterson’s WorldWide FM for over five years; and since the start of the pandemic, amassing over 1,200 hours of live streaming content on Twitch. During lockdown, FK was one of the pioneers who adjusted to the tough circumstances – and in the process tirelessly building a vast and thriving ‘World of Echoes’ namesake online community on both Facebook and Discord. François, known for his innovative approach, invented his own method of DJing he describes as ‘Live Stems’ Mixing. He uses AI to separate individual elements of classic songs, which allows him to then perform live remix versions using an array of multitrack mixing hardware and signal processing. This allows him to create refreshingly unique improvised performances of some of the music he plays, ensuring that no two DJ sets are ever the same. Besides his participation in the unstoppable Body&SOUL triumvirate, he has also taken part in a number of memorable back2back DJ sets with many of his peers, such a DJ Spinna, Ron Trent, Colleen ‘Cosmo’ Murphy, Dimitri From Paris, Theo Parrish, King Britt, Derrick May and Carl Craig. Beyond NYC’s home ground, he has performed at some of the planet’s best and most celebrated music venues, including Club Yellow and Precious Hall in Japan, Ministry of Sound and Fabric in London, Club Space in Ibiza, Panorama Bar/Berghain in Berlin, Rex Club and La Gaieté Lyrique in Paris, Angels of Love and Neuhm in Napoli, Sankey’s and Warehouse Project in Manchester and many more; as well he has made noted appearances at countless festivals all over the world.