Julienne Dessagne is the mastermind behind Fantastic Twins: drawing on her broad connoisseurship of dance music’s sonic fringes, she likes to conjure up massive synth drones and swooping vocal textures. As inciting as it is intoxicating.
The Berlin-based French producer, live performing artist and label owner has been fully immersed in the world of electronic music ever since her baptism into the fold at Glasgow’s legendary Optimo Espacio nights. Having begun her solo project under the name The Twins in 2013 before evolving into Fantastic Twins in 2017, Dessagne has assembled a mighty catalogue, having been invited to appear on such illustrious labels as Optimo Music, Hippie Dance and Kompakt. She’s also contributed to two volumes of the respected Weaponise Your Sound series that showcases women producers.
The New You EP cemented Dessagne’s reputation as a master of the lysergic, off-kilter dance music she’s best known for, spanning the gamut from nervous post-punk to industrial techno. Later in 2017, her debut album Obakodomo – created as the soundtrack for a piece of contemporary dance – showcased a more avant-garde approach, with its frozen textures and adventurous compositions.
Most recently, Fantastic Twins returned with Lost In Germany, a dance floor record that feels like an exciting synthesis of kosmische and new wave. As with all her work, Dessagne’s love of the sheer possibilities of sound is viscerally felt.
While her solo work represents the cornerstone of her output, Dessagne has proven herself an in-demand collaborator, having worked her magic with artists such as Smagghe & Cross, Cosmo Vitelli, Pachanga Boys and Golden Bug. She’s also remixed the likes of The Golden Filter, C.A.R. and Rebodello. This symbiotic spirit extends to her own Microdosing label, which she launched in 2019 with a series of compilations featuring mind-expanding tracks from kindred spirits such as Autarkic, Gilb’R and Manfredas.
Fantastic Twins on record is one thing, but Fantastic Twins in the flesh is an absolute force of nature that pushes her catalogue to new heights. Simply put, Dessagne has one of the best live sets in the industry, finely honed over years of touring. From The Block to Concrete to Robert Johnson, her gig itinerary reads like a list of Europe’s most beloved nightspots. In thrall to the intense psychedelic potential of the club, Fantastic Twins is that rare performer capable of elevating her audience to genuinely altered states, lulling you into a trance before snapping everything into sharp relief. In recent years she’s started to establish herself on the festival circuit, with bookings at Distortion, Houghton and Convenanza. Dessagne’s canvas might be getting bigger with every passing year, but her music remains just as dangerous and transformative.
