Heroes is back with a Bastille Day Special. Whilst there won't be any heads rolling or storming revolutionaries, the night will be celebrating those who continue to push boundaries and challenge the established ideas of dance music and clubbing.

France has produced some fantastic DJs and labels that have inspired the world for decades. One of the best who will be headlining Heroes this month has to be Sébastien Léger with his highly respected label Mistakes. Leading French Entertainment Developers, Lola ED, are really making waves across Europe with their impressive array of rising stars and established DJs and artists. Yakine and Djebali will be showcasing their talents and proving, once again, that French dance music is very much alive and kicking. This mix of international stars combined with London's rising underground talent, plus some quirky flourishes and characters, is what makes Heroes stand out from the crowd. Heroes are unique. Heroes aim for the highest standards and make them reality. Every second Saturday of the month at Egg London is all about Heroes.

SÉBASTIEN LÉGER

Sebastien Leger's label, Mistakes, has further strengthened his role as one of Europe’s leading proponents of contemporary underground techno. The antithesis of the showman that is fellow countryman, David Guetta, Leger mines a wholly different vein, updating the rich musical histories of Detroit and Chicago with a quiet determination and no-nonsense approach. His much lauded musical ability stems from a classical background, but formal training is but one half of the story; having served his ‘apprenticeship’ in clubs around France in his teens. The 1990’s saw the first explosion of French dance music culture, and as a young producer and DJ, he saw his heroes such as Laurent Garnier, Daft Punk, and Etienne De Crecy, begin to carve out a distinctive new wave of electronic music. He began producing at the end of that decade, and though surrounded with French filter house, helooked across the Atlantic for his own inspiration, with Underground Resistance, Derrick May, and Juan Atkins being a few prime examples. Heritage techno might be an influence, but it’s a mere reference point for Sebastien’s productions and the output from his label, as he’s always made technology dance to his very own, distinct tune. Leger is thoroughly 21st century in his delivery and execution, packing a punch that has seen Mistakes become a best-seller on Beatport, and an imprint that is defining a new sound away from the soulless beats and clicks of minimal. Tracks such as ‘Binola’, The White Island’, and ‘The Rhythm’, lie at the funkier end of the techno scale, throbbing and coursing with a proudly European sensibility; but regional influences aside, the reception to Leger’s recorded output ensures his popularity remains truly global. Over 50 Eps for labels including Black Jack, Ovum, Intec, Pryda, and beyond, make for an enviable discography, but as the cliché goes, you’re as good as your last record, and Leger has always kept the bar high despite a prolific release schedule. His latest remix, for Cirez D’s ‘On/Off’ on Mouseville, shows that he doesn’t just keep his best ideas for himself. Léger has consistently pushed his production boundaries and adapted himself to the sounds and technology around him. Despite his more cerebral sound of late, he brings to proceedings a dancefloor sensibility that is all about the ‘funk’, injected with a heart and soul attitude that means his music is never clinical. In addition to his studio exploits, a busy DJ diary means gigs across the planet, from Germany to Japan, the UK to Ibiza, and the US to Asia. It’s a schedule that means Sebastien remains at the forefront of modern EDM, taking his music to wherever dance culture shines brightest.

YAKINE

Paris born Yakine had his first musical encounter as a teenager, touring across Europe as a band with his electric guitar. The eye-opening experience had a profound impact on his musical taste and soon an instinct to DJ took over, along with a passion for turntablism and Hip Hop – a world he was immersed in for some time. Later, his brother introduced him to the Batocool parties held by Logistic/Telegraph at the infamous Batofar and it was game over. There, Yakine discovered the power of electronic music and began to hone his DJ skills, as he took inspiration from the likes of Daniel Bell, Fumiya Tanaka, Matthew Dear and Pantytec. Constantly evolving, Yakine lent his natural flair to the production world and in late 2008, after only a couple of months of working at his art, his first EP came out on Esperanza. Subsequent releases followed shortly, debuting on fellow Parisian Seuil’s imprint Eklo, Jetaime Records and Circus Company, the ultra-cool electronic hub releasing the likes of Nicolas Jaar, dOP and Seth Troxler. 2009 saw the success of Yakine’s hits ‘Maissade’, ‘Askola’, ‘Stickney’ and ‘Bazingue’ and the addition of Supplement Facts, Thirtyonetwenty, Robsoul, Adult Only and District Raw to his belt, further cementing his name as an important up and coming producer on the underground scene and part of a new wave of Parisian talent. Clearly turning heads, Yakine was snapped up in 2011 for two residencies, namely the ‘Doowee’ nights at world famous Rex Club, programmed alongside Margaret Dygas, Onur Ozer, Daniel Bell and Jan Kruger, and Half Baked, fast becoming known as ‘the’ underground party on the London scene. With his ‘Harmony’ EP released on Adam Shelton and Subb-an’s One Records late last year, Yakine can look forward to a number of prestigious label showcases coming up in 2012, including a takeover of Room 3 at Fabric and the Birmingham imprint’s original stomping ground Below. Production wise, Yakine’s ‘Get Me’ is featured on the new Eklo Compilation, as is ‘Some Say’ on the hotly anticipated Rexperience CD coming soon from Dyed Soundorom. Later this year sees a four track EP of moody, dancefloor techno on Spectral Sound, with follow-up releases on the cards…

DJEBALI

A club kid in Paris in the early 00s and inspired by great artists of the time Dan Ghenacia, Ivan Smagghe, Ricardo Villalobos and Luciano, Djebali was ultimately drawn into life, first gracing the decks of a club in 2001. Since then he has evolved into an accomplished house producer, launching his self-titled imprint in 2011 and making his Circoloco debut on the Terrace at DC10 Ibiza. Developing a taste for deep and groovy house, Djebali cut his teeth at some of the finest hangouts in Paris, making numerous appearances at Rex Club and holding a residency at Freak n’Chic’s Batofar parties between 2008 and 2010. Further afield, Djebali has brought his bounce and charisma to the likes of (how do u say dead) Bar25, Space Red Box Ibiza, KamaKama, Harry klein Vertigo Costa Rica, Gipsy Moscow, alongside influential names including Seth Troxler, Tania Vulcano, Visionquest and Christian Burkhardt. On the production front, Djebali caught the attention of none other than Jay Haze. Totally charmed by Djebali’s warm and fluid style, his first EP ‘Fanfare’ was released on Jay’s label Tuning Spork in 2008. Releases on Freak n’Chic followed, the inaugural label of quality Parisian house talent, delivering his 4 track ‘LAX EP’ to wide critical acclaim. With ‘Sorry, I Missed The Sky’, Djebali further cemented his signature smooth, organic house sound. 2011 saw the launch of ( djebali ), a limited vinyl series of only his music, produced, arranged and mixed exclusively on analogue gears. The first two releases received support from the likes of Jimpster, Burnski, Kate Simko and Sebo K, while the third release, comprising of two deeply hypnotic tracks, is just about to drop. On the remix front, with noteworthy labels like Monique Musique and Nordik Net already under his belt, Djebali has a number of forthcoming releases on Turquoise Blue and Limonada, as well as a rework for Inland Knights on Homecoming Music. 2012 looks set then to be another exciting year for Djebali, and what better way to kick things off than New Year’s Day with Circoloco, as he heads to Ibiza to rock DC10 once again.