Twin Jacques

New York disco-houser Jacques Renault could be an honourary Australian, given his close ties with Future Classic. They're touring him here for the fifth time (he thinks) this summer, with the DJ/producer joining his buddies at the Paradiso party, held as part of Sydney Festival 2014.

On an earlier trek, Renault was billed alongside Flume, the label's superstar, for Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House. “I was definitely overwhelmed by how big that was.” Yet Renault's Aussie affiliations go further. Three years ago he tweaked Big Scary's breakthrough single Falling Away, the Melbourne indie combo then little known abroad. “A lot of things come through word-of-mouth,” Renault recalls. “Probably because of my experience working with other bands – and remixing other bands – I get exposed to different circles and hear about things that I wouldn't normally hear about.”

Renault (his real name and nothing to do with Twin Peaks' unsavoury drug runner) was raised in Washington DC. His mother encouraged him to pick up instruments – but concentrate on classical musicianship. However, Renault was soon more interested in hardcore punk and playing in bands. In the late '90s he left for Chicago to pursue his viola studies. By this stage, Renault was getting into dance music, but house would become his real passion. In 2002 he moved to NY, lured by its disco heritage. Here, Renault embraced the punk-funk movement, befriending the DFA Records fold. He'd find fame off the back of his edits and remixes (Future Classic called on his skills). Renault also formed the Runaway project, and launched the label On The Prowl, with Marcos Cabral. More recently he's developed Let's Play House (LPH), originally a party series, securing music from the likes of hip retro-housers Bicep.

Renault hasn't abandoned classical. “I'm in Vienna right now,” he reveals. “I still love classical music and still try to listen to things other than just dance music. I try not to be so close-minded when it comes to all styles of music.” Still, it wasn't music, classical or otherwise, that brought him to Vienna. “My girlfriend lives here, actually,” Renault says bashfully. Nevertheless, Brooklyn remains home.

Renault has a wealth of material planned for 2014. “I have a new single coming out on LPH that I'm really excited about.” Renault, who's recorded with members of The Rapture, The Hundred In The Hands and Midnight Magic, is tempted to complete an LP. “It's actually been a big topic this year – grouping a couple of these projects… We'll see.”

Renault is committed to a uniquely NY mode of house. “I'm still basically a house/disco producer – that's where my influence is.” He's fond, too, of analogue sounds. But Renault is aware of trends in the wider scene such as bassy house. “I listen to a lot of new music – a lot of the younger generation of producers who are putting out things that sound completely different. I'd say it definitely is an influence, 'cause you hear things differently. You wanna evolve as well – you can't keep doing the same thing forever. I don't really know how much it'll change. But I've delved into other projects just with collaborating with other producers and other vocalists and other types of musicians that I haven't worked with before – and that's kinda my branching out. I do a lot of producing for other people and that's a new thing for me.” Renault laughs off any suggestion that he might be ghostwriting for pop stars – though it may yet transpire. “It's funny – I had one friend who I worked with and he did a lot of pop stuff. There were a couple of moments where Katy Perry was almost involved and we always joke about it – not with me, this is my friend! But that's a whole other ball game. We'll see what happens. I don't see that in the near future.”

In the meantime, Renault is fostering Antipodean talent on LPH. “We have two new releases from Melbourne – one of them is Fantastic Man, Mic Newman. He has an EP [Heartbreaker] that just came out. We're also releasing another guy called Francis Inferno Orchestra [aka Griffin James], so that's exciting.” And Renault is keen to share new music at Paradiso. “It's my first summer in Australia, so I'm looking forward to the heat! I have so much new music – at the top of the year you [always] have a fresh bag of new goodies to play.