Rather than simply reiterate what so many people have said about the sad loss of such a genuinely inspirational person, I thought it only fitting to celebrate his jaw-dropping career. Alongside Busy P, DJ Mehdi was the driving force behind Ed Banger.
Born in the suburbs of Paris in 1977, Mehdi’s big break came with his seminal 2006 album ‘Lucky Boy’ on his own label. Adding the clear-cut beats of Hip-Hop to Electro and House is what made Mehdi the DJ he came to be. As he honed and perfected his sounds he began to work more and more with Pedro “Busy P” Winter before forming Ed Banger Records together.
Over the years he’s collaborated with a huge range of artists including Cassius, Daft Punk and Chromeo who said of his death “We lost our brother. No words”. Just about everyone, it seems, hails Mehdi as an inspirational figure – or at least a dear friend – “one thing you could always count on from Mehdi was a hug and a smile,” added Toddla T. His remixes also marked him out as an original, Architecture in Helsinki, New Young Pony Club and Miike Snow all had tunes
Last night The Paris Social Club where Mehdi frequently played closed its doors as a mark of respect, adding “Following the death of DJ Mehdi, we have made the exceptional decision to close the club tonight,” according to the club’s Facebook page. “An evening of silence in honor of the artist. Thank you for not commenting on this status.”
