It started as an edit made for their own sets, a two-year-old SoundCloud upload shared with their community, never intended for anything bigger. Now it’s an official Barclay/Universal France release, with Dalida’s team personally reaching out to bring the French duo’s remix of “Paroles Paroles” into the light. For Faul & Wad, that’s the story of their career which started as a hobby between two best friends since their teens that turned, almost by accident, into thirteen years of house music built on live instrumentation, Latin and Afro influences, and an unshakeable focus on the dancefloor.
We caught up with the duo to talk about the making of their edit, current state of the music scene in Paris, how they use AI without losing their identity, and what’s coming next as they head into a packed run of Ibiza and festival dates this summer.
Your remix of “Paroles Paroles”, the Dalida & Alain Delon classic, came out officially on Barclay/Universal Music France. It started as a SoundCloud upload and slowly built momentum before its official release. What made you remix this classic and how did the idea come about?
We made this remix two years ago. It started as an edit for our sets in France and we decided to upload it to SoundCloud for our community. Two years later we’re incredibly proud that Dalida’s team reached out to us to release it officially.
Was there any pressure knowing this track carries so much cultural weight in France and how did it end up on Barclay/Universal for the release?
We didn’t really feel any pressure because it was never supposed to be released in the first place. It was just something we made for ourselves so the approach was purely musical. I think that’s exactly why it resonates with people. Now we’re obviously very proud to be part of this legacy.
Take us back to how you two first started making music together. What did those early sessions actually look like? How would you describe your sound back then compared to now?
We actually started doing music for fun as teenagers but we “really” started again around 2012-2013 when we were 20. It was still for fun but somehow it went from a hobby to a “what if” : we would meet in Max’s (FAUL) basement and make music like we were playing video games. It was all about having a good time and experimenting with sounds we liked.
Today we still have the same passion and drive. We started with Deep House and gradually added real instruments like saxophone to our productions. Of course our sound has evolved a lot over the past 13 years (that definitely makes us feel old haha). We still make house music at its core but we like to bring in live and organic elements along with Latin or Afro influences. At the end of the day it’s house music that makes people dance and keeps things uplifting and sunny, and that’s what we always aim for.
What does your actual studio setup look like? Are you both hands on with the same session or do you tend to work on separate elements and bring them together?
We’re very lucky to work in some incredible studios thanks to our management, Stefan Dabruck Management (SDM). That said, we’re constantly producing wherever we are, whether it’s in a hotel room before a show or on a plane. Inspiration can strike at any moment so you have to be ready to capture it.
When it comes to sessions, it depends, it really comes naturally : sometimes one of us starts something, the other one jumps in or takes over, or we start something from scratch together… Anyways, we always enjoy making music together and we feel our best ideas always come when we’re grounded as a duo.
AI tools are becoming more common in music production. Where do you personally draw the line on what feels acceptable to use versus what feels like it takes away from the craft?
We think AI is a powerful tool and that’s exactly how we use it. It can give you ideas for arrangements, make you think outside the box and offer a different perspective. But at the end of the day you still have to be the conductor and have the vision. You have to make everything sound cohesive and stay true to your own identity. Otherwise it can feel very… artificial ? (laugh)
How would you describe the Paris electronic scene right now and how has it shaped who you are as artists?
Paris has always been thriving when it comes to electronic music. There are so many talented DJs and producers representing France on the international scene and we hope we’re adding our own stone to the building. Early on we were hugely inspired by iconic duos like Justice and Daft Punk. They sampled a lot of old records and we always loved that creative approach.
Was there a specific moment, event or release when you realized this could become a real career rather than just a shared passion project?
For the context, back in 2013, the music industry was really different : we’re talking pre-social medias and pre-music platforms like Spotify, so everything was happening on Youtube. When Changes really picked up and we received offers from labels and for bookings, it really felt huge. At age 21, we were dreaming of it but actually had no clue of what was possible or what was yet to come! We still have to pinch ourselves sometimes to realize that we’re touring the world and that so many people listen to our music. We’re always focused on the next step and on bringing our vision to life so we sometimes forget to look back. But every time we play a show and see people’s reactions it reminds us how lucky we are to experience that as DJs of course but also together as IRL best friends.
Are there any up and coming French producers or DJs you think people should be paying attention to?
Every day, new talents are emerging. We’ve been playing a lot of Ochok’s tracks recently and we’re actually from the same area, so shout out to him!
That said, he’s been around for a while. It’s his new project that’s really been catching our attention lately.
What advice would you give to young producers and DJs just starting out and trying to find their own voice in a crowded scene?
Do what you love and don’t try to copy someone else. Your greatest strength is being yourself because nobody has the same vision as you. Make your own music, watch tutorials on YouTube and stay consistent. Progress takes time but it pays off, so never stop until it happens
What can we expect from you for the rest of 2026? Any releases or tour dates you’d like to share with us?
We’re right in the middle of the summer season so we have some amazing shows coming up. We’ll be playing Hï Ibiza two more times with Francis Mercier’s party Soley on August 24th and with Mestiza on September 13th (we already played at HUGEL’s Make the Girls Dance on july 2nd). We’re also playing the huge French festival Le Touquet Music Festival.
On the music side we have some great new releases on the way. Our next two tracks will be released on Hugel’s label Make The Girls Dance. They’re proper club bangers that have already received a lot of support across the scene and we can’t wait for everyone to hear them.