Listen Up: Japanster

By day, David Abitbol is one of thousands of New Yorkers who trudge to Midtown for the 9-to-5 grind (he’s a financial engineer at R&R Consulting), but when the sun sets, the 33-year-old Parisian expat turns into Japanster, one of the city’s most sought-after DJs.

Japanster? I fell in love with Tokyo in 2003 and wanted to use Japan in my name somehow.

Have your musical tastes shifted over the years? When I started out, I played a lot of fashion parties and electronica. Then I started to play at places like the
Beatrice Inn, where electronic music was basically banned, so I started playing indie-pop, rock and hip-hop oldies.

Now that Beatrice is closed, where are you most nights? The 18th Floor at The Standard Hotel, Bowery Hotel, Tribeca Grand Hotel, Avenue and Mr. Black. The most fun I’ve had lately was at the Bowery. They brought together the old Beatrice crowd, and they always dance. Everyone’s waiting for the Beatrice to open again. It felt like family there, and that feeling is missing at these other places.

Seems everyone’s partying at the 18th Floor these days. It’s just so beautiful. I think NYC has been waiting for a place like this for a long time. It’s like Studio 54 meets the Titanic, with its interesting mix of design from the ’70s and its ’20s-style opulence.

What makes you one of the best DJs in the city? I play what others usually don’t. There are always lots of celebrities at my parties, but I don’t really care. Although, it’s nice when you see a legend like Valentino dancing to your music.