Live Review: Lil Louis

These days the Chicago DJ/producer Lil Louis is billed as "The Founding Father Of House" – possibly so no European pretenders imagine they can co-opt the title. But while Louis, some 40 years into his career, is easily among the world's greatest DJs, he's rarely proclaimed as such. This is because he is less visible than most of his peers from the Chicago and Detroit scenes – despite being active for longer.

Indeed, Louis was DJing at 12 in early '70s Chicago – prior to the disco boom. By his mid-teens, he was promoting clubs. Louis enjoyed underground hits in the '80s, beginning with Frequency – very Detroit techno. In 1989, he broke out majorly with French Kiss – which, signed to Pete Tong's FFRR, crossed over into the charts. It was banned by the BBC for its erotic moans. In the '90s, Louis turned to producing R&B on the DL.

Yet Louis remains so elusive as to make Moodymann seem like a member of the Swedish House Mafia. Until now, he's never toured Australia. Louis was meant to hit our shores in 2012, but the trip was reportedly "postponed" due to weather and flight issues. Then, in 2015, he suffered devastating hearing loss in one ear from an air horn during a soundcheck at a UK event. Still, Louis has recently been sampled by everyone from John Legend (the Kanye West-assisted Made To Love) to Booka Shade (Love Inc) to Robyn (Send To Robin Immediately references French Kiss). 

Fast track to this weekend, and Louis is the buzz headliner of the super-credible Meredith. The night before the fest, he plays a club show at Yours&Mine – the diverse, friendly crowd sweltering in the heat. In fact, the party, Double Vision, is two events in one, with the European Laurence Guy, Folamour and DJ Different upstairs and Louis downstairs, scheduled between local legends JNETT and Chris NG. But "Lil Louis" is in the big letters.

Warming up sweetly for Louis is JNETT (also billed at Meredith), who spins bumpin' house – from deep to wiggling acid. Towards 1am, the diminutive Louis enters the room in a hoodie – adding to his mystique. Patrons have already been advised that there is a 'no camera phones' rule on the dancefloor – to "respect the vibe". Nonetheless, once on the podium, Louis removes the disguise to reveal his trademark flat cap. Mind, the Chi-towner isn't the kind of international DJ who arrives and kicks a local off. He graciously allows JNETT to wind down – and leads the applause. 

Louis builds an impeccable arc of a set, initially incorporating Latin, vintage soul and disco funk – his selections expansive. An edits pioneer, the DJ memorably splices up Chicago soul great Minnie Riperton's Lovin' You. And he manipulates the EQ, even as he deploys the CDJ over vinyl turntables. The only DJ who might match him for sheer physicality, and grit, is Detroit's Derrick May. Mid-way through his three-hour slot, the athletic Louis is topless. 

Louis climaxes with driving techno. Symbolically, he flips dialogue paralleling his upcoming documentary, The House That Chicago Built, as a narrative a cappella – notably the quixotic lines "Is it house or is it techno?" Many iconic DJs will drop their signature records, but Louis is on another plane. He doesn't play French Kiss. No one minds.