Meet The Electrifying Parisian DJ Duo… Ofenbach

Ofenbach are the Parisian DJ duo with their sights set firmly on taking over the world. With a string of huge singles already under their stylish belt, Dorian Lauduique and César de Rummel have teamed up with chart-topper Ella Henderson for their latest smash ‘Hurricane’. The single is the post-summer soundtrack we need to carry through the rest of the year and is set to ignite dancefloors across the globe. We caught up with Ofenbach to discuss ‘Hurricane’, their plans for world domination and getting back on the road after the turbulence of the past 18 months.

We hear you’ve been together for nearly a decade but where did it all begin for you and when was Ofenbach ‘born’?

We met at school when we were teenagers and have been close friends ever since then. We played music together since a very long time, but Ofenbach really began a few years ago 

Aside from pop/dance, there seems to be a rock / indie /folk tinge to your music too – what were you listening to as teenagers that inspired this fusion of sound?

That’s true and It’s something we like to include in our productions. We’ve always been listening to these kinds of music, and still are. So, it’s always an exciting challenge for us to see how we can add these influences on what we’re doing now.

Were there any other bands before you both became Ofenbach? Were you part of another group or making solo music?

Yes – We played music together as a rock band with other musicians. Actually, our friendship has always been surrounded by music. Whether it was going to live shows or actually playing music together.

What did you want to accomplish when you started out as a duo? What is still left to achieve on the Ofenbach bucket list?

We started by playing in a small pub 7 years ago and settled on the name of the duo that same night. Since then, our ambition has been to grow globally. We spend a lot of time and energy touring the world and doing promo in a lot of countries. Our bucket list is updated quite regularly since there’s new steps every time we achieve something. Playing a great show at Coachella is definitely one of the next ones. 

You’ve had a handful of huge songs already. What do you think makes a hit record in 2021?

The melodies have a major part in that in our opinion. We spend hours trying to find the best lines that will cut through the noise and get people’s attention. Production is also a very important step, since you really want to sound big and wide. And then it’s all in the fans and listeners hands. If they like, it will grow organically. 

Do you ever sometimes reflect and look at all of the amazing statistics, the streams and the follower numbers and get overwhelmed or amazed at what you’ve achieved in such a short space of time?

We do look at all the numbers and we feel very honoured but never overwhelmed. We think that it’s mainly due to the fact that we always keep our eyes on what the next steps are, so you don’t really get that dizzying feeling of ‘wow that was big’ 

We love the new single ‘Hurricane’ – did you create it with Ella Henderson already in mind for vocals?

Ella was someone we spotted and wanted to work with before ‘Hurricane’ was created, so obviously we had her in mind but we didn’t know if she would like and cut the track. We were super happy when she told us she loved the record and would be a part of it.  

You and Ella have been hanging out recently in Paris – how was that, and was it the first time that you had met in person due to ongoing COVID restrictions?

We did a lot remotely indeed. COVID made it nearly impossible to travel during the creation process of the track. Last time we met in Paris we had a lot to do, which included shooting the official video for the single, which was a lot of fun.

The song is such a summer tune – how come you decided to release it post-summer as we head into Autumn?

It’s always spring/summer on a side of the planet 😉 

Do you guys also play instruments as well as handle production duties and DJ?

Yes, Cesar plays the keyboards, and Dorian the guitar. We quite often start the songwriting of our songs with these instruments by the way. 

What will your live shows look like?

We’re currently working on the new one and we should have some shows ready for 2022 quite soon. 

Aside from the new single release, what else will you be doing for the rest of the year? 

Album is still something we’d like to release at some point. We have most of the songs, we’re just thinking about the right moment for it. Touring is non-stop all year round, with peaks during summer in Europe and focus on Asia and the US during winter. 

Listen to Ofenbach’s and Ella Henderson’s brand new single “Hurricane” below.