Mirwais

by Heather PharesThough he is known as one of the leading lights in France's dance music scene, producer/composer/multi-instrumentalist Mirwais Ahmadzai was born in Switzerland to Italian and Afghani parents. After moving to Paris at age six, he immersed himself in music, learning the guitar before he hit his teens. In 1979, he started the electronic/punk/disco hybrid Taxi Girl, a group that became a major influence on '90s bands such as Daft Punk and Air. They released their debut album, Seppuku, in 1981 and broke up six years later due to internal tensions and problems with drugs, which claimed the life of the band's drummer. In 1989, Mirwais formed the folk-pop outfit, Juliette et les Independants, with his girlfriend but returned to electronic music after hearing drum'n'bass for the first time. His 1999 single Disco Science became a hit on the French club circuit and attracted Madonna's attention; she was so impressed with it that she invited Mirwais to produce the bulk of her 2000 album Music. His own solo debut album Production arrived in the U.S. shortly before Music was released.