Block Rockin’ Beats: DJ Bobby French
What does it take to be an elite DJ in the City of Angels? Is it all about schmoozing with celebs, cavorting with movie stars, or perhaps, being on speed dial with Hollywood’s cool kids? These are all questions that keep us up at night, but thankfully, we have one of LA’s finest spinmasters, DJ Bobby French to sate our curiosity.
His celebrity clients include Leonardo DiCaprio and Janet Jackson, and he has DJ’d corporate events for major companies like Activision, Microsoft and HBO. We spoke to the stylish DJ about his soaring career, laid-back West Coast style, and a recent skydiving adventure he experienced. (He even executed a superb mix for our Fall Style issue which you can listen to here.)
What’s the LA scene like for a successful, in-demand DJ? Does it revolve mostly around the celebrity scene?
That’s a part of it. I wouldn’t say it revolves all around the celebrity aspect, but it plays a role. The bottle service venues definitely cater to that clientele so you have to be able to roll with it. You usually just get a text from a promoter or manager telling you so and so is here. If it’s a musician, maybe they want to hear their own music, maybe not. Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of a Hip Hop beef and must DJ accordingly.
What is the unique aspect about your DJing skills that separates you from the competition?
I do my best to be prepared and organized. I try to keep everything smooth with my mixes so that people can enjoy themselves and dance with no hiccups. I sprinkle some elements of turntablism throughout the night without being too in your face. The flow of the music is really important and can make a break a night in my opinion. I incorporate a lot of oldies with the new stuff to keep everyone happy and hopefully set myself apart a bit.
For the coming fall season, what music releases and new singles are you looking forward to spinning?
The new Weeknd and Daft Punk track, “Star Boy” is a great record that I featured on this mix. I’m still playing a lot of stuff from the most recent Kaytranada LP which is great. The Travis Scott album is another good one that came out recently.
You also do a lot of remixes – can you tell us more about that aspect of your career?
I just put out a remix of Janet Jackson’s “That’s The Way Love Goes”. I always loved the song but wanted to do a more updated / club friendly version that kept the original feel. I’m gonna keep on remixing these kinds of songs and eventually start working on original material.
Tell us a little bit about your LA fashion style – how would you describe it?
I’d say it’s pretty casual for the most part, usually wearing a bomber jacket and black jeans. I spend a lot of time at odd hours looking for vintage shirts on eBay. Sometimes I think I’m dressed like a dad in the 60’s at a picnic. I try not to follow fads too closely and just try to wear clothes that I’m comfortable in. Also, I’m just not that into giant Guns & Roses t-shirts paired with tiny ripped jeans. Sorry, Kanye. (I miss the old Kanye).
“I’m just not that into giant Guns & Roses t-shirts paired with tiny ripped jeans. Sorry, Kanye”
What’s your favorite place to go in LA for an awesome brunch after a long night of dancing and partying?
I find myself at Kings Road Café a lot for brunch, because it’s right by my place. They make a mean huevos rancheros and their latte is stronger than Schwarzenegger. Republique also has a great brunch menu.
What’s coming up next for you that you can share with our readers?
I’ll be putting out a bunch more mix tapes, remixes and originals on my soundcloud and mixcloud. I keep my calendar up-to-date so you can check my website to see where I’m playing next. In LA, you can usually catch me at Warwick, Hyde Sunset, Adults Only, Doheny Room and Bootsy Bellows. I spin a lot of corporate events. In the next few months I’ll be traveling for FOX, Microsoft, and Activision.
DJ Bobby French talks about #TheAdventureLife:
The other weekend I went skydiving with some strangers I met in Indonesia. Just kidding. I’m not insanely adventurous I’ll admit. I have many strange routines that I stick to adamantly. My girlfriend and I take a lot of road trips around California and are planning to go to Europe next summer, which I’m looking forward to!
Keep up with all of DJ Bobby French’s appearances on his website, and follow him on Instagram here.
