As the fiery Doha summer begins to make its way out by the end of this month, DJs from all parts of the world are set to descend in droves and get the party re-started. Of the many gigs on the anvil, the one by guest DJs Alexandre Destrez and DJ Yass at the newly revamped WAHM Lounge at W Doha Hotel & Residences is sure to pack a punch.
On Friday, August 26, starting 10pm, guest DJs Destrez and Yass promise to thrill Doha. The year 1995 was the first time Alexandre Destrez’s keyboards were heard on the album Boulevard with St Germain (Label F COM) that was selected Best Dance Album of the year by the UK press. His album Tourist (Blue Note) sold 3mn copies throughout the world, was rated No.1 in jazz sales when it came out in the US and was awarded three Victoires de la Musique in France.
Influenced by his grandmother’s colourful stories while she was running the mythical St Germain-des-Près Jazz clubs Le Tabou and the Whisky à GoGo in the 1960s, Destrez familiarised himself with the electro scene in 1994, when his personal jazz rendering contributed to the fame of the St Germain albums Boulevard and Tourist.
Alexandre has collaborated with numerous artistes on the French electro scene such as Shazz, Dimitri From Paris, Oscar, DJ Yass and with pop artist Overhead. He has released more than 20 singles and remixes as a pianist, composer, and producer. Today, Destrez is carrying on with this Electro Jazz adventure with the creation of Rive Gauche. He is backed up by the DJ producer, David H for composition, beats and samples, as well as by jazz musicians, each with their own talents.
Regarded as one of the most talented up-and-coming artistes in the contemporary French electronic music scene, DJ Yass played recently at Pacha Ibiza, Ministry of Sound (London), Club Air (Tokyo), Deep LA/Vanguard club (Hollywood-USA), Southport weekender (UK) and Mad (Switzerland). Producer and artist on Defected, Loulou, Urbana, Guesthouse, Sleezy G, Strictly Rhythm, Kingstreet, Ministry, and many more.
Yass has a few titles under his name such as Producer, Parisian remixer, FG radio DJ resident and Defected label artist ex-resident of the Queen club (Paris). He has over 25 years of experience mixing current club-style music, “pumping house” and seven years of experience in Hip Hop that has captivated everyone. He works nonstop, with his numerous successes on the most famous house music labels, and has reached top international DJ and producer levels. 
At the age of 19, Yass was one of the youngest resident DJs in Paris and with the influence of the great DJs of the world of the Rave party phenomenon, he gradually developed a passion for Techno and House sound. His flycases were slowly filled with vinyls from Detroit, Chicago, New York, Germany or England (Axis, Trax, Relief, F-Com, Tresor). 
From 1997, at the end of his sound engineering studies, he started working in clubs where he developed his own House music sound. His distinctive style combines his teenage groove with Funk, Disco, Jazz and even Techno. At the time, he mixed five days a week, in the biggest clubs of Paris, playing side-by-side with many well-known DJs.
As for the DJ event to watch out for next month, there’s the album launch party of Alex Finkin on September 16 – the opening set will be played by Bruno Rochard and Steve Paris. A music producer-DJ based in Paris, and resident of legendary club Djoon, Finkin produces music for various artistes including Aloe Blacc, Dimitri from Paris, Louie Vega, Anané, Barbara Tucker, DJ Spinna, Sebastien Grand, Greg Gauthier, DJ Fudge, Rocco, Manoo, Djeff Afrozila, Kenny Bobien, Djoon Experience and others.