Schnautzi.
Feeling the groove.
Schnautzi on Dancehall Rave, working with Warrior Queen and choosing to focus on his own music.
André Joye · Schnautzi
From nights in Geneva’s squats to sessions in Kingston, Dancehall Rave brings together influences Schnautzi has carried since his teenage years. The project connects electronic music and dancehall culture without separating sound from images and bodies. André Joye tells us about the very physical signal that a groove is working, a voice that made him rebuild an instrumental and a change of direction after fifteen years of supporting artists.
Schnautzi is the project of DJ and producer André Joye, based in Lyon following a career closely connected with Geneva. This interview for our Swiss edition was conducted by email on 4 November 2026, ahead of the Dancehall Rave show at Usine à Gaz on 7 November.
Two cultures, one banner
What made you want to bring your different influences together under the name Dancehall Rave at this point in your journey?
As I explained in that post, I wanted to bring two of my major influences together under one banner.
Having spent my teenage years in Geneva in the 1990s, I was able to discover both scenes through the wealth of nights taking place in squats and alternative venues. And yes, Geneva was Europe’s most squatted city at the time! I was more into electronic music, but my best friend was really into dancehall and reggae, and he helped shape my musical education!
The body gives the signal
When you build a track at the meeting point of dancehall and rave, what tells you that the groove is working?
If I start moving around in every direction on my studio chair, that’s usually a good sign. But sometimes I get it wrong, haha.
If I start moving around in every direction on my studio chair, that’s usually a good sign.
Living up to Warrior Queen
You released “Killy Killy” with Warrior Queen. What did her voice bring to the track that you hadn’t imagined at the start?
I’ve been a fan of Warrior Queen since discovering her on The Bug’s album London Zoo, on the track Poison Dart. Later, I had the opportunity to get in touch with her through my work as label manager at Dubquake Records, OBF Sound System’s label.
So I took advantage of my time in Kingston to collaborate with her. I played her an initial instrumental, and she absolutely smashed it, so much so that I made another one to live up to her performance! The idea for the lyrics, a sort of introduction to Jamaican culture, came to me during my stay. I was pretty lost myself!
Sound, images and bodies
At Usine à Gaz on 7 November, dance and visuals will also be part of the show. How does their presence change the way you prepare music for the stage?
For the Dancehall Rave live show, I wanted to convey what shaped me when I discovered club music. The sound, but also the colours, images and, above all, bodies crossing paths and colliding. That’s where the idea of bringing music, VJing and dance together in one show came from.
Putting everything into his own project
Through Argent Sale, you also support other artists’ music. What makes you want to champion a project, even if it’s far removed from what you produce yourself?
For more than fifteen years, I worked to support developing artists through Argent Sale and the network I built up over the years.
After my illness in 2021, I threw myself back into music and decided to devote all my resources to my own project. So I no longer produce other artists. I can’t do everything.
But I experienced some incredibly intense moments during those fifteen years of supporting artists. Successes, but also major disappointments. Having worked as a programmer, and as a music fan in general, I’m very open when it comes to styles and genres.
Schnautzi
Interview by email · Editorial and image art direction: SCENE:ID. Noémie Lacote · Marion Dardenne