Portrait - DJ Algernon (ENG)

It’s been quite some time now that DJ Algernon (Algie) has been making tireless efforts to organize Goth events in bars and venues around the Bordeaux area. Such dedication is, by nature, a positive force. It feels only natural for Jeu D’Ombre to give a voice to those, like Algie, who strive to sustain the scene and keep the movement grounded in reality.

You’ll see that our guest is far from new to the game, and he offers a sharp and nuanced analysis of the challenges faced by today’s Post-Punk/Goth underground. Yet Algernon carries hope — the hope of seeing a community blossom and thrive through the creation of these events.

Interview conducted by Xzvrey in 2025.

1/ Hi Algernon, how are you doing? What’s spinning on your personal turntable these days? Any recent discoveries you’d like to share with us?

Honestly, I try not to get stuck on any one artist in particular. I spend quite a bit of time on Spotify exploring discovery playlists and digging up new tracks. Lately, I’ve been listening a lot to NNHMN, the latest album from Dark Line Spectrum, and Aksis — my most recent discovery — a young French band with a lot of promise.

2/ Could you please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background as a DJ? How long have you been mixing? And where does your DJ name come from?

Well, I’m Algernon, I’m 38, and I’ve been part of the goth community for... almost 25 years now. That’s quite a lot — I’d never really thought about it!

I started going out to goth parties in my area (Clermont-Ferrand at the time) when I was around 17 or 18... Then I stopped when the scene in Bordeaux kind of fell into a coma, about fifteen years ago. At some point, I felt it was a shame to let the scene stay dormant like that, and I personally wanted to bring back the atmosphere of goth nights. So I got my first turntable as a gift — a setup that was great for beginners and allowed me to start mixing at private parties. That was the year before COVID, roughly — a year of organizing private events with someone I knew, mostly playing for friends — a friendly crowd, so to speak.

Then the lockdown hit. I kept mixing for myself at home, and once things opened up again, we went back to the private parties, and that’s really where I cut my teeth. First, because guests weren’t always people I knew, so there was real motivation to make sure everyone had a good time. And second, because I found myself doing marathon sets. I think my longest mix lasted... close to 9 hours!

As all things do, those private parties came to an end. That’s when I started looking for more professional gear, because I wanted to start organizing public events. I was lucky to meet Carbon Killer, a synthwave artist who helped me a lot — he advised me on equipment, helped me get used to the new setup, and pointed out things I was missing or hadn’t considered. Up to that point, I was entirely self-taught. Plus, I come from a dance background, not a music one — so some things weren’t obvious to me, while others came very naturally. That little upgrade did me a world of good!

Not long after, a bar agreed to give me a shot, and I now have a monthly residency there. A pretty classic DJ path, really: a few years of living-room DJing, and then moving on to playing in bars. So I’ve been doing this for about 6 or 7 years now, and it’s been almost a year since I started playing publicly.

As for the name — it comes from the mouse in the excellent novel by Daniel Keyes. I chose it for many reasons — some I can’t share without spoiling the book (which would be a shame), and others that are more personal. It’s also a reminder to not lose my temper over certain personal things that can make me furious very quickly — but which, in the end, aren’t worth it.

3/ What styles do you usually mix at your events? Do you have any favorite artists at the moment? Do you blend different eras as well (80s, contemporary, etc.)?

At the events I organize, I try to cast a wide net in terms of styles — mostly because we don’t have a large enough crowd in Bordeaux for me to focus on just one genre. I know some people (jokingly) complain about the structure of my sets, but as long as attendance stays relatively low, I’ll keep trying to strike that balance. So yes, I mix styles and eras, but I try to maintain a certain “flow” throughout my sets. I’m not going to jump from Hocico to The Cure and then back to Siouxsie — that would be... difficult to listen to, and more importantly, it would break the mood of the night.

Generally, I start with post-punk and 80s darkwave, or with more modern bands that have that same vibe — like Twin Tribes, for example, or Aksis, the young band I mentioned earlier. I usually finish with aggrotech, which is a very high-energy genre. I aim for a progression in “intensity,” for lack of a better word. That said, at events where I’m booked, I mostly stick to the style they ask for.

As for favorite artists at the moment... I’ve got quite a few. In more traditional goth, I’ll mention Aksis again, and also Suzi Sabotage. On the aggrotech and industrial side, I’m into Extize/Basszilla, and a band I really enjoy mixing is Alien Vampires. And of course, I can’t help but slip in a track or two from Dark Line Spectrum — even though I’ve noticed I haven’t played them as much recently, but that’s bound to change, especially with their latest album out! Outside of goth, I’m a big fan of synthwave, and two artists I really appreciate are Carbon Killer and Polybius.

4/ You’re very active at a bar near Bordeaux — L’Arcadien, is that right? Could you tell us more about the concept behind your DJ nights there?

Yes, L’Arcadien! It’s a bar in Bordeaux with a mostly metal vibe that opened a few years ago, and its owner agreed to give goth nights a shot with me. We called it L’Arène des Damnés — “The Queen of the Damned” — in reference to the novel.* I’m not sure we could really talk about a proper concept until this past summer.

I was offered regular slots in two other Bordeaux bars: the Black Cat and the Sputnik. For those, we’ll name the events La Crypte des Damnés (“The Crypt of the Damned”) and Le Vaisseau des Damnés (“The Vessel of the Damned”). I try to stay in tune with the identity of each venue where I play. So I guess you could say the overarching concept in Bordeaux is: “Algernon makes the Damned dance.”

*{Editors Note : "The Queen" is "La Reine" in french which is pronounced exactly the same as "L'Arène" (the arena)}

5/ You're also very active on social media. In one of your videos — and quite rightly so — you said that goths need to get out and take part in events, because being goth online isn’t enough to keep the movement alive. Do you feel there's a lack of attendance at parties, concerts, and other events?

Yes, definitely. But it’s not just in alternative circles — even though I think the goth scene has probably taken the hardest hit. I don’t want to bash Gen Z, but it’s really hard to get them to go out. The current economic climate encourages them to save money, so they go out less. But even beyond that, the time in their lives when they might have started socializing through going out was, for many of them, during the lockdown period — and they never developed that habit.

On top of that, there’s the generational gap left by the Mall Goths (the “M6 Goths” in France), which disrupted the passing of the torch. I could probably talk for hours about the social causes and consequences behind all this, but to keep it short: yes, I think there’s a real lack of attendance. And I stand by what I said — seeing highly styled people online but empty venues in real life does not make a movement.

6/ Have you had the chance to DJ in other cities besides Bordeaux — through club nights, festivals, etc.? Any experience abroad?

Not yet, but I’m keeping my fingers crossed! I’m in touch with Freaky Dandy, a DJ from Rouen who’s pretty active and also organizes events. Honestly, right now my ultimate goal would be to play at a Setmana Santa event in Toulouse! After that, I’ll ask myself: is that enough for me, or should I try aiming even further? But Setmana Santa would already be a big step forward.

7/ In your opinion, what is currently lacking in the French scene? I mean, there are big festivals and major concerts in countries all around us (Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Italy, Spain…), but in France we can’t really say there are many large-scale events with a significant crowd.

To be honest, I feel like the goth scene never really caught on properly in France… All the goths who lived through the 2000s — when it felt like there were quite a lot of us — will also remember the constant bashing we got from television at the time.

But to connect this to my previous answer, I think what’s really missing are local events where people can gather — and the willingness of goths to actually show up for those gatherings. Like I said in the video you mentioned, it’s only by showing that we exist that we’ll encourage producers to book big headliners all over France.

8/ In your view, what can we do individually to help revitalize the Post-Punk/Goth scenes in France?

Individually, it’s a bit complicated, I think. But for starters: support local scenes, go to concerts... I won’t say people should show up every single time — it can get expensive, and everyone has a busy schedule (I know that all too well) — but I do think it’s one of the most important things.

I also regret the disappearance of goth magazines, which is why I think webzine initiatives like yours are incredibly important.

And in places that are really deserted, I genuinely encourage young goths who feel a DJ calling to just go for it. I didn’t talk about this much in the video, and maybe I should have, but with a good sense of rhythm, it’s something you can learn fairly easily — and even small-scale parties can do a lot of good for the energy of the community.

Now, I’m not saying it’s super easy either. Depending on the gear, you can end up facing some pretty steep costs, and I totally understand how stressful it can be to approach venues that don’t initially seem open to our culture. And physical promotion has a cost too…

9/ Let’s talk a bit more personally now. When and how did you first come into contact with the gothic universe? What memory do you have of that first encounter?

Ahah! I think I followed the classic pipeline of kids from the 2000s! Back then, no internet yet. My dad used to listen to a bit of coldwave and progressive rock, so even as a kid, I already had an ear tuned to rock music. Then came Indochine, Placebo, maybe even Evanescence or Manson if you’d seen Bowling for Columbine — and finally, I discovered Elegy, the goth culture magazine! And that hit me like a truck.

As I said, there was no internet — if you wanted to discover goth music, you either had to know someone older or rely on those kinds of magazines. Elegy used to come with a full goth music CD every month! I remember the first CD I got like that — I played it on repeat for days, and that’s when my love for aggrotech really solidified, especially with Hocico.

All of that while endlessly flipping through this amazing magazine, which was super comprehensive. It showcased goth culture in all its forms: literature, visual artists, performers, cinema... even figures who were just well-known in the scene. You see, that’s something I think we really miss today too — we tend to rave about the founding artists of the movement, but we hear much less about the contemporary ones, even though they played a big role in keeping the scene alive and vibrant!

10/ Who are your musical references when it comes to the Post-Punk/Goth scenes?

I’m not going to be very original here: Bauhaus, Siouxsie, and Clan of Xymox.

But on the aggrotech and industrial side — Hocico, Psyclon Nine, and Combichrist!

11/ Aside from being a DJ, are you involved in the scene in other ways? How does your passion for the Post-Punk/Goth world fit into your daily life?

I try to match what I say with what I do — so I make an effort to go to goth concerts and events in the area. But my job comes with a demanding schedule, and I can’t always make things work... On the other hand, there’s no dress code at work, so I can dress however I want. Even if I don’t go in full look, no one’s ever commented on my appearance — which is already a lot better than in many companies these days.

Part of my free time is also dedicated to preparing upcoming sets — whether it’s finding and prepping new tracks or working on visual communication. You know, earlier we talked about concepts — well, I try to apply that to my visuals too. All the posters for L’Arène des Damnés follow the same artistic direction: photos taken with friends from the community, a monochrome filter to give a slightly vintage vibe — the kind of look you’d find around 2010!

12/ In your opinion, how is the Post-Punk/Goth scene doing in your area (around Bordeaux)? Is there enough audience? Enough events?

There are never enough events ^^. To be honest, I feel like too few people actually go out — but I know the audience is out there. Have you ever heard of the concept of induced demand? It’s an economic idea — basically, offering something for which there is no demand can actually create that demand, simply because the offer exists.

There are young goths in Bordeaux and nearby who don’t go out because there aren’t any events. By organizing events, we can bring visibility back to the goth scene and introduce it to people who were just waiting for a community to exist before taking the plunge and joining it. It might sound cynical, but it’s not. By multiplying small events, I hope we’ll eventually build a community large — or at least dynamic — enough to justify larger-scale events!

For me, my only real interest in all of this is to have more local events!

13/ Alright, you won’t escape this one either 😄 What are your favorite dishes and drinks?

Oh, it’s terrible! You can bribe me easily with sushi, gnocchi, or anything with peanut sauce! As for drinks, I barely drink alcohol anymore, but I’m a big fan of a modified White Russian made with Baileys instead of Kahlua. Otherwise — and this is really my shame — you should never leave a bottle of Coke around me… I’ll finish it, no matter the size, and that’s not exactly healthy :-/

14/ Algie, thank you so much for answering my questions. I hope we get the chance to cross paths again at an event sometime soon. I wish you great turnout at your future parties 😉

Thanks to you! I’m sure we’ll see each other again. And I really want to say that initiatives like yours are incredibly important. Thank you for taking the time to keep this webzine — and our beloved culture — alive!