John Thomas

Le Petit Prince is, to most who recognize the title, a well-loved book for children. Things are a bit different on the rave scene, obviously, with such literature not figuring in prominently. Thereabouts, “Le Petit Prince” — with or without the explanatory “de techno” — is a moniker for the French techno producer and mixer John Thomas. The nickname is known in English as well as French, as is Thomas himself; he seems to be among a clique of French techno artists who were found endearing by the Detroit techno scene circa 2000. Feedback from this period, during which Thomas spent many a “Working Night” exploiting his “Vision” of dance music, hardly indicates an “Undisputed Life,” with some critics accusing the artist of starting out “Downhill” and then staying there. Few dispute his fast mixing technique, resulting in the type of short tracks that cater to the short attention span while containing very few scratches or hints of a live performer’s hand. Criticism of Thomas seems based on the presumed superiority of similar artisans from the French techno scene who also made a dent in the Motor City, Thomas’ efforts described as lazy and boring in comparison. ~ Eugene Chadbourne