Philippe Ortega

Spending my summers in Alicante, the searing days led to passionate evenings filled with the sounds of Flamenco and up-tempo Bulerias. Back in France, the rebellious sounds of The Clash, The Ramones and The Sex Pistols ruled the day. This unique upbringing filled me with a love of music. My cousin and I found some orchestral lighting and a friend lent me a pair of turntables. Ambitious and full of energy, we set up our own nightclub in a small, cramped basement ? and from that point on I knew what to do with my life. After wood-shedding away my early childhood to the style of DMC, I decided to branch out. In 1992, I earned a residency at Sasha Club in Alicante, and the revolving door of talent served as catalyst to my own skills and style. Shortly after, I returned to my hometown, Montpellier, where I could combine my Spanish style with my French roots. After a slew of appearances in the hottest clubs around France, and a lengthy stint in the electronic music festival scene, I felt the urge to travel. My first disembarkation saw me play on the club / riverboat ? La Peniche. Looking back at the seven-hour sets, I was forced to start with rock/pop top 20, but as the nights wore on, I was able to move the people to the newest club sounds out of London and Detroit. Shortly after, ?raves? started to take hold on Europe, my friends and I organized several less than legal events with scene heroes Jack de Marseille and Laurent Garnier. My urge to travel and my fascination with Asia brought me to the shores of Thailand where I played at one of the world?s largest outdoor parties ? the Full Moon in Koh Phangnan. After Thailand I ached to return to Asia, so chance led to an introduction with Bar Rouge. A few clever guys from France had an idea to start an electro club in Shanghai, and they were looking for a DJ to lead the way. In 2004, I was the resident DJ at Shanghai?s now iconic nightlife staple. From its inception I oversaw the musical direction, playing five nights a week. With the help of Derrick May, Laurent Garnier, Kenny Dope, Giles Peterson and more, Bar Rouge grew into the Bund?s biggest draw. In 2007, my efforts at Bar Rouge were noticed, and I was called upon to collaborate with legendary three-star Michellin chefs J&L Pourcel, and the incredible mixologist S. Bonnefoi to create a CD compilation for their book, ?Insense.? After the success of my first collaboration, I was again asked to continue my compilation work and collaborated with Smuggler for their 30th anniversary, delivering a memorable, 12-track package of joy. In 2008, my long stint at Bar Rouge came to an joyful end on endearing terms. During the Olympics, I worked as the artistic director and resident DJ for KlubbRouge in Beijing. I worked with Kheops from, ?I Am,? for the official closing party of France?s Olympic committee sponsored by Adidas. Once back in Shanghai, I found a home at the prestigious Sin Lounge. There I worked as the driving force behind the musical direction, inspiring some of the most renowned DJs, like Alex Gaudino, to come to Shanghai and experience our incredible venue. After a year as the musical director and resident DJ, I answered the call of another prestigious name in boutique nightlife - Costes. Assuming my familiar role as music director and resident DJ at Costes, I plan to bring the same passion and experience that has thus far led me from one iconic venue to another. I will be focusing every ounce of my energy to producing original, creative music and spinning it for the best guests in the city.