François X

François Xavier-Zoumenou, aka François X, is a DJ and musician from Paris who has forged his position as an artist of note in the world of electronic music. Characterized by his love for warm, earthy and swinging compositions, he is an individual that takes things slowly while spinning them big.

François’ own label DEMENT3D, noted by Resident Advisor as a “key cog in the French techno renaissance”, was established in 2011 and has served as the home of his last five releases, blending his influences – house idm, electro, techno – into sonically adventurous stories. There, he displays his talent to transform streamlined club music with subtle, disturbing elements into exciting and abstract journeys. Within the label, François has showcased his ability as an A&R, releasing material from the likes of Polar Inertia, In Aeternam Vale and Valentino Mora, with the label’s output spanning from ambient, techno and drone through to abstract and leftfield landscapes.

His debut album ‘Irregular Passion’, selected by Groove Magazin in their top debut LPs of 2017, provides a perfect example of Zoumenou’s ability to merge layers of experimental electronica, off-kilter house and techno – interlacing sensual and rich textures amongst darker elements to compose delicate productions that span the width of dance music. Alongside his work on the label, François has also released material on a number of acclaimed imprints including Deeply Rooted (remixed by Marcel Dettmann), fabric, MDR and Pole Group.

Centred around but not limited to techno, François’ love for musical genres is apparent throughout, with his DJ sets drawing from a wide range of music including house, electro, acid and more. His love for the club has brought with it a reputation as a devoted DJ who has heightened his sonic palette through regular sets at some of the world’s most notable institutions, namely Exit festival, residencies at Concrete (Paris) and more recently Drugstore (Belgrade), and, not to mention, being one of the few to play closing sets at both Berghain and Panorama Bar.

Whether playing all-night-long sets, curating nights or performing audio-visual sets within historic venues, François X is a performer that projects his feelings and raw emotions in all aspects of his work – an approach that finds him in a constant state of evolution as one of electronic music’s most consistently refreshing artists.