History definitely speaks for itself. In a world were so many wannabes sell their souls to make nothing but money, Louis Sims, better known under his Lil' Louis moniker, would rather buzz off than putting something that shoudn't be outstanding for his own first. As a result, none of his works suffered the comparizon with anyone else's so far and this is why, although we haven't heard of him for quite a while, his image remains the one of one of the biggest talents that house music has provided with throughout the years…

FRENCH KISS 

Who has ever forgotten that famous "French Kiss" released some 15 years ago and its orgasmic rhythm conception ? More mysterious no doubt would be its author… Some guy called Lil Louis who, like Frankie Knuckles and the late Ron Hardy, got to be one of the most touted Chicago DJ's at the time. Some guy that would have the image of a man sure about what he was doing, if not arrogant… I remember the first time ever I saw him. That was in 1990 and he'd been invited to do a live PA at Wembley Arena at the DMC Awards ceremony in front of a B-boys crowd no surprisingly mostly dedicated to hip hop. Right after his performance He then made the following statement : I was born house, I am house and I'll die house !

Arrogant ? Big headed ? The question was not there, as our man definitely gave the proof to the planet that he had a strong conviction, doing the things on his very own, away from the outside look. He was confident in what he was doing and this is how he ended up controlling about everything including the conception of his video clips.

No doubt, Mr Sims Jr had some strong background that soon made him flirting with jazz (on his second album) way before anyone else to the sole exception of Larry Heard. This music had been in me since the beginning. A statement that would sound a bit surprising at the time from a man who'd clearly infected the heart of house with trance on what reminds his biggest success so far…

Lil' who ? Louis… I'm hailing from a 9 children family. We're seven borthers and I owe what I'm doing mostly to my dad (Bobby Sims who would play with B.B. King at some time). Got a 3 years old daughter and she's the light of my life. Family is more important than anything else…

Sims Jr makes his debut behind the decks in the mid-seventies at the early age of 12. A period mainly dominated by the Motown stars and the Philly Sound. We was not doin' mix but cuts at the time. I've always been into jazz, the one of Miles Davis and Thelonious Monk. And if you have a look at Marvin Gaye's attitudes, you could see that he was also into it. So what about "French Kiss" ? It came by accident, he says. I guess it's its excentricity that made its success. It had been primarly built on a completely different bassline, in a jazz spirit. Then, all of a sudden, that harmony came to my mind when I was doing the track by track check before the final mix. For me, it became clear that it should be the focal part of it. In this sens "F.K." is nothing but a studio mutant. Once I had the harmony, the rest came naturally. "F.K." is the transcription of some intense sexual experience. It wouldn't have been a one night experience. We were madly in love with each other. Was not neither a solely physical attraction, we was emotionally stucked to each other.

CHICAGO

Chicago, house mecca whereas you would find its originators : Frankie Knuckles, Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Mr Lee, Tyree Cooper, DJ Fast Eddie, Rocky Jones and his DJ International imprint, Trax label and the likes… Consider Chicago as a musical community on its own was nothing but bullsh.. Each of us'd been doing thangz on his own. I myself have always lived like that without trying to know what the others are doing. Got no pals, don't talk to anyone. I'm doing my business and I don't care about the rest… What Louis does not express by words would find its niche on his music. I've never been that sociable. Going out for havin' a chat or showin' my face has never been my thing. I'd rather spend time with my instruments.

As a matter of fact, 3 years would pass between Louis's first and second albums. I've tryed to avoid that bis raepetita trick on my follow up. A new album has to be better than the previous one. It has to be as surprizing if not more. For that, I guess you have to have the necessary distance inbetween. I had to make sure it didn't have anything to do with its predecessor. I've worked very hard with my computers but also with my instruments in order to find new combinations between synthetic and organic sounds. Most of my inspiration'd come from the solitutde that had been mine during this period. I've learnt to accept myself and not to be anymore feared of staying alone.

An album that could have fairly well been entitled Introversy… This has been an interesting experience. Three years ago I was going from a story to another without transition. How could you get to know yourself in such conditions ? It was a sort of continuous rejection of my inner myself. I didn't know what to start with. I was always surrounded by someone and never took the time to know myself. You reach an important step when you realize what loneliness is.

Following Frankie Knuckles's footsteps, Louis would leave his native Chicago to find a new home in New York for some time. I don't feel like I have anything to say about the reason why Frankie had gone, although I guess it could be for the same reasons.As "French Kiss" became a hit, I had to make a choice of living : stay as a DJ or become an artist. The problem being that, there's no way to get feedback in Chicago if not a DJ, meanwhile you could get the vibes in NYC's places like the Zanzibar, Shelter or jazz clubs like Blue Note.

JAZZ REVIVAL

Jazz has so many different significations, he continues, following so many different paths. The so called Kenny G's new age jazz sucks. I'd rather go for Miles ore Brandford Marsalis. Acid jazz ? Hmm ! But it's nothing in comparizon with the straight ahed. I think jazz is too often used for commercial reasons and commercial music whatever maty be, I forget ! I don't see music an dits conception the way people think that's mine. I feeling different in my approaches and I'm proud of this.

More "music", more songs featuring Tracy Chapman, more acousticity on this second album… Music is not enough to make a good album. I need songs. You might peop)le people shouting on most of today's production. Myself, I've wanted passion. Tracy is a good singer and my choice was simple. It's not because you're coming from a certain universe that you have to reject the talent of people coming from other areas. Good music reminds good music, wherever it's coming from. Myself, I love rock, vintage rock, jazz, blues and soul. I definitely feel like I have something different to show and it has to be definitely relied with surprise as without it everything becomes normal, accessible to anyone.

Excerpts from an interview released in Dec. 1992

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