DJ Francis Mercier voices Haiti’s global culture on debut album Lakay

Mercier also owns Deep Root Records, one of the few black-owned labels in dance music – something he treats as an honour. “It’s been 12 years now,” he begins, “and I’m very proud to say that we’ve helped so many artists in the industry over the years, from the likes of Nitefreak to MoBlack. We’ve had an instrumental position in their careers, from sample clearance to artist development and visa procurement. By helping others, I’ve been able to help myself.”

Reflecting on the creation of Lakay, Mercier is particularly proud of the track Unjust, a collaboration with fellow Haitian Afro house DJ and producer Madmix. “It’s the track I listen to the most,” he says. “I love the message, spirituality, depth, and how it makes me feel. Madmix had this vocal laying around, and I loved it. I wrote some chords, we worked on it, and it turned out to be the third track on the album!”

The South African influence on the album is weighty and, in Mercier’s eyes, the most relevant. “When you talk about Afro house, you have to give credit to the pioneers,” he says. “One of the biggest tracks, Sadete, has a strong South African influence in terms of the beat. The vocals are Punjabi, and with collaboration from Turkish artists, it’s a melting pot.”

Lakay was produced in different corners of the world, with multiple seismic influences trickling into the sound. As a frequent flyer, when it comes to making his beats, everything is done out of the box. “We keep everything digital,” he says. “It’s the only way I can survive as a producer because I don’t have the luxury to be in the studio. A lot of the time, the tracks are produced on a long flight, in the corner of an airport, or in a hotel room.”