Coming off of his 2023 Coachella performance and an Electronic Dance Music Award for Best Radio Show (Process Radio), French DJ and producer Dombresky has continued his momentum into 2024 with his Sound of the Drums EP collab with London duo JADED and his LIFT OFF Tour. The EP’s melodic peak-time tracks released on Diplo’s Higher Ground clock in at 130 (Sound of the Drums) and 126 (All For You), and bring a classic, yet futuristic, feel to the dancefloor.
Dombresky got his start in Miami in 2016 under the relatively unknown name, Quentin Dombres. He’s since collaborated with the likes of Blond:ish, Armand Van Helden, Diplo, Claptone, and MK.
We connected with Dombresky to talk about what he seeks out of his DJ sets, how he’s crafted his sound, his love for South America, his thoughts on the current dance music scene and more. Stream Sound of the Drums here and check out his SPIN SETS below. Want more SPIN SETS? Head over to SPIN TV to keep up with all the latest and greatest DJ’s/producers pushing the boundaries of electronic music.
Who is Dombresky and what do you stand for?
I’m a nice French human being who really enjoys spreading love during his DJ set! I stand for moments of joy and happiness at the club, and I use the tools of producing house music to help do that.
Tell us about your sound – where does your style originate from and what have been your biggest visual, social, and sonic influences?
As a French person, house music has always had a big impact on my life. I’ve always been a fan of disco and funk and those genres have a big influence on my music, as heard in my recent release, Sound Of The Drums with JADED.
Was there a definitive turning point to your success?
When I decided to leave France and take my chances in America in 2016! Then, when I started to release music, my tracks “Soul Sacrifice” and “Simple Hit,” released in 2019 was a huge moment for me.
When did you realize the magnitude of your impact within the industry/community?
When I started to see videos of DJs all over the world playing my music, that was really special to see.
Where do you want to go next with your music and what can your fans expect from future releases?
My goal is to follow my gut, always music that I enjoy first, and then if people love it, it’s the cherry on top. I love good songs with great vocal hooks, so I will try to focus on making music with a good balance of vocals / samples.
Where have you not performed yet that you want to perform?
I’ve always been a fan of South American culture, and I have never been to Colombia, but I’ve heard the electronic scene there is amazing and getting even better.. so yes, I would love to go to Colombia (and meet my future wife there, jk… maybe…)
In what ways have you pushed yourself beyond existing self-imposed limitations?
Over the years I’ve gotten more and more comfortable with the demanding lifestyle of being a touring artist. I have the confidence to play any show and welcome any new opportunity.
What’s next for Dombresky?
More music, meeting more good humans on the LIFT OFF tour, more collaborations with artists I admire, and continuing to be happy!
What do you wish for the future of electronic music? In what ways would you like to see it evolve?
I’m actually very happy with the scene now, there is a good balance between the underground scene and mainstream scene. I don’t think it needs to be more popular, and I hope this quality of great music will keep coming out!
Any last words for the SPIN universe?
I’m so excited to be able to express myself on the LIFT OFF tour and I hope to see you somewhere and share a musical experience together soon.
