Madonna's new producer puts electro punk back on the musical menu.

Twenty years ago the Taxi Girl's (of 'Cherchez Le Garcon' hit in 1980) member Mirwais was hailed as the future of French rock. Looks like the techno troubadour is finally living up to his promise. Just ask Madonna.

Not only because bands like Daft Punk and Air name-check him in interviews as the 'Godfather of the French electro-rock', nor that he's produced six songs for Madonna's September-due album [working title 'Music', after his song]. And neither simply due to the fact that Maddy sings 'Paradise (Not For Me)' on his debut disc. The recognition is largely founded on the release of his own genre-defining album 'Production'.

Mirwais Ahmadai is a 39-year-old Frenchman of Afghan/Italian origin, whose album is full of dark, mutant disco tones. It is a melancholic soundtrack to stylised erotic dreams. His name may sound new but he's been music-bound since the age of 17 and, after Taxi Girl disintegrated in 1987, had an acoustically inclined venture named Juliette et les Independents... Kraftwerk ['Naive Song' on 'Production' is a homage to the Kraut-rock
meisters], The Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop/Stooges are admitted influences but the end result is something else.

"While working with Juliette and les Independents," says Mirwais, commanding English with his mellifluous Gallic tones, "I was intrigued by the energy of the house and jungle club scene and started experimenting which led to my own solo electronic work. What attracted me to this musical venture is the possibility of working on my own."

Cross channel traffiking

Two samples are used on this album, The Breeder's 'Cannonball' [in 'Disco Science'] and Serge Gainsbourg's 'Cargo Culte' [in 'V.I. (The Last Things She Said before Leaving)'], that further Mirwais's pioneering path, but he is too modest to accept the accolade.

"I'm very grateful for all the praise and acclaim but it is never so black'n'white. It is usually evolution of an idea, a combination of styles... What we tried to do with Taxi Girl was to combine electronic music, rock, pop and a bit of punk. It is the same situation with Daft Punk and Air exporting music to England that was made possible by the Channel tunnel, British going on foreign holidays more and having become open to accept music of different nations more… It's part of the Europeanisation..."

Some boys' Technicolor dream...

After seeing a video-clip for Mirwais's 'Disco Science' - a highly charged sexual affair MTV has banned - directed by famed French photographer Stephane Sednaoui, Madonna wanted to work with him; Mirwais ended up co-writing and producing six songs for her new album, joining William Orbit and Sasha who handled the rest of the songs. And he is full of praise for the pregnant 'Material Girl'.

"Madonna is incredible and has such a strong sense of melody and song structure, it was so easy to work with her. It was her own album and she could have had full control but it was a collaboration of the equals. She made me feel comfortable and not intimidated at all, when you think where she is in the music business compared to me."

One expects Madonna's canny music sense, but how 'bout her sex appeal away from being camera-ready? "Oh yes, she is very, very sexy... I worked with her before her pregnancy started to show. Incredible!"

Due to the birth of her second child Madonna is not due to tour but Mirwais has plans for his own shows. "I'd love to play live as I've not done it in about 8 years and plan to do some live dates at the end of the year. But it is not going to be me playing alone, I'll have a band..."

To dance for France...