Book: Laurent Garnier — Electrochoc

In the “What to Read” section, we recommend books either about the history of electronic music, or tightly connected to it. Today, we have Electrochoc by Laurent Garnier, the autobiography of a French techno revolutionary who caught the birth of modern electronica, actively participated in it, and wrote about it all in 440 pages. The book covers the period from 1987 to the tens—from rare, underground and risky parties (when a bottle could be thrown in the DJ’s face for a house record) to large-scale raves (when house and techno were already normal and a million people danced at the same time at the Love Parade).

Laurent Garnier

Garnier was lucky to live in the right time, but the country was wrong—his soul belonged in the home studios of Chicago and Detroit, in the clubs of London and Manchester, while in his dull native France, people felt boredom, contempt, and confusion when confronted with the new music. What you can definitely learn from this famous monsieur is his incredible determination and unshakable faith that everything would work out. In the early 90s, Laurent created the first techno/house label in the country. He organised parties, arranged the production of records, fought with sound engineers who didn’t understand how to master electronic music, brought over foreign pioneers of the genre, confronted the authorities, listened to numerous claims, and endured endless ridicule. He devoted all the important years, from 20 to 30, to the struggle for his favourite music and eventually won: the highest award in France, the Legion of Honour for services to the Fatherland, was awarded to him by yesterday’s detractors. What a life! A must read, in short.