Frederic Holyszewski (aka Dado, Deedrah) was raised in the countryside of Fontainebleau, south of Paris. His parents handed down strong family traditions that grew out of a humble background. It was a charmed setting in which to grow up -- Fontainebleau even has a castle. And music was a pillar of his family life.

From a very early age, he grasped the concept of combining sounds to make music. A violin at age 3 didn't interest him. But by age 5, he had already learned to write music -- even before he had learned how to print. And after mastering the transverse flute at age 7, he moved on to the piano. Success came so easily that he thought it was normal.

Young Frederic headed off for college with the goal of becoming a teacher. That plan evaporated when he discovered electronic music, and how much more fun it was than his biology and geology studies. Around 1990, Holyszewski bought a new instrument, an Atari computer. It's been pretty much straight uphill since then.