Overview
When The FADER called Kiddy Smile “the LGBTQ icon France needs right now,” they couldn’t have been more spot on. The Paris, France-based DJ and producer (real name Pierre Hache) has certainly become a key figure in his two chosen areas of expertise—house music and the ballroom scene—both of which have distinct roots in the LGBTQ community. Weaving inspiration from the 80s and 90s with his personal story and experiences in both dance music and vogueing, Kiddy Smile creates a sound that is both forward thinking and nostalgic.
Hache got his big break in music through a chance meeting with Beth Ditto, who famously sang with the American band, Gossip. The two struck up a friendship, with Ditto ultimately inviting a young Kiddy Smile to perform with her at Coachella, and the rest, as they say, is history.
As a musician, Hache has released a slew of singles and EPs, including 2022’s ‘Paris’ Burning,’ and his 2016 top single “Let a Bitch Know.” He’s also shared one full-length album, ‘One Trick Pony,’ which was followed up by a subsequent remix album, featuring reimaginings by the likes of Yuksek, Hannah Holland, and TEPR. Hache himself has been behind several notable remixes of his own, for the likes of Aluna, as well as a part of collaborations with the likes of David Blank, Catz n’ Dogz, and Vitalic. Kiddy Smile has had an exclusive feat broadcast on the well-respected online music broadcasting platform Boiler Room, which is certainly no small feat for any artist. In addition to his 2017 profile in The FADER, Kiddy Smile has garnered a great deal of press attention, and was featured in MixMag in 2020 as well as in publications like DJ Mag.
Though he’s found a great deal of success as a musician, Hache also still has both feet firmly planted in the ballroom world. Most notably, he served as a judge on “Drag Race France,” the French edition of the popular TV competition series “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” He still continues to play a big role in the voguing community in Paris, even garnering nicknames such as “The French Prince of Voguing.”
