Any historians keen on the subject of "French youth in the 1980s" are holding a treasure in their hands. As a true archaeologist of this decade dedicated to disposable culture, digger-in-chief Vidal Benjamin with his newest compilation, 'Pop Sympathie', offers them a unique journey in the heart of the cyclone of emotions that struck all teenagers during the first seven years of François Mitterrand's mandate. Fifteen musical nuggets, exhumed from the dungeons of history, each and every one of them teaching us about what really obsessed the youngsters at that exact moment, i.e. what happens when the city lights come on at dusk, when irrepressible urges that stir them to get lost even more appear until the end of the night. The artists gathered here did not have the honour of breaking into the local charts, but they all individually reached for the sky. Each song of 'Pop Sympathie' tells more or less the same story: that of a girl who throws herself into the night like one immerses one's self into the void, who rushes into a one-night adventure to become a star. And too bad if in the early morning she finds herself back at square one. In all these miniature odysseys there is neon lights, lasers, smoke machines, broken glass on checkered tiles, strangers on leather benches, celebrities in the bathrooms, stolen kisses, alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, Polaroids, venetian blinds and radioactive tubes. More

This October, the compilation Disco Sympathy will be released on Versatile. It’s author is Vidal Benjamin, an outstanding DJ / digger, considered by his pals as one of the most brilliant in his category. And that says a lot! Here he makes us rediscover the sound that was so characteristic of a certain early eighties French scene: wacky, happy, dancing and at times even poetic. One begins to travel through an era during which the French producers were not afraid to tackle disco, American boogie, British and German synth wave, to present us their version: French, poppy and above all... fun! As a prelude, before releasing the compilation, Versatile will come with limited 33 rpm and 45 rpm maxis, on which every track has undergone an editing treatment by mysterious French producers: Jean-Marc Misère (last sighted somewhere near London), DJ Ringardos (who, since his last Versatile release in 2008, chose Roman exile), ALT (already spotted on the Edits
Du Golem and on the US label Black Disco), and of course Vidal Benjamin himself, accompanied by Gilbert Cohen - the boss. On the 45 rpm you’ll find no-one less than Jeff Lasson, of the Get a Room! duo, who came through with flying colors. And as a bonus beat: Misère on the B-side.
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Here is part two of Etienne Jaumet’s dubs from his latest new album, '8 regard obliques'. Following on from part one with DJ Sotofett and I:Cube, DJ Athome (from the Belgian 'Front de Cadeaux') turns the jazz classic, 'Caravan' into a slow 90's breakbeat oddball whilst Jaumet himself revisits his own 'Ma révélation mystique' in a more Reggae fashion. More

Being in a different place and a different studio context changed some things for Gilb’R. The Versatile boss and half of Château Flight selected these 8 tracks, some short, some longer, from his studio sessions in Amsterdam where he has been living for the past 5 years. Reflections of the mind of Gilb’R and thus exploring many sides, from late night techno to West Indies non sense vocals, from dubby/moody sounds to ambient scapes. More

Any historians keen on the subject of "French youth in the 1980s" are holding a treasure in their hands. As a true archaeologist of this decade dedicated to disposable culture, digger-in-chief Vidal Benjamin with his newest compilation, 'Pop Sympathie', offers them a unique journey in the heart of the cyclone of emotions that struck all teenagers during the first seven years of François Mitterrand's mandate. Fifteen musical nuggets, exhumed from the dungeons of history, each and every one of them teaching us about what really obsessed the youngsters at that exact moment, i.e. what happens when the city lights come on at dusk, when irrepressible urges that stir them to get lost even more appear until the end of the night. The artists gathered here did not have the honour of breaking into the local charts, but they all individually reached for the sky. Each song of 'Pop Sympathie' tells more or less the same story: that of a girl who throws herself into the night like one immerses one's self into the void, who rushes into a one-night adventure to become a star. And too bad if in the early morning she finds herself back at square one. In all these miniature odysseys there is neon lights, lasers, smoke machines, broken glass on checkered tiles, strangers on leather benches, celebrities in the bathrooms, stolen kisses, alcohol, drugs and cigarettes, Polaroids, venetian blinds and radioactive tubes. More

Versatile presents part one of a two-part 7 inch series featuring dub versions of selected tracks from Etienne Jaumet's latest album, "8 regards obliques", in which he gathered and covered his personal jazz favourites. The first volume sees DJ Sotofett turn 'Unity' into a proper digi dub on the A-side, whilst on the flip I:Cube revisits Miles Davis' classic, 'In A Silent Way', turning it into a stellar 135bpm version. More

Remixes » is a meeting of French electronic champions. ?French Touch veterans I:Cube and Chateau Flight, trendsetting DJ Raphael Top Secret and newcomers Flegon provide us with remixes of the autumn released LP « Sphere Of Existence » by Antoine Kogut. Where the LP explored atmospheric and experimental pop, « Remixes » gives us a perfect four tracker that is made for the dancefloor. On side A, Chateau Flight transforms the title track « Sphere Of Existence » into a 90’s Italo house banger while I:Cube does what he does best in his unexpected dub version.? On the B side, Raphael Top Secret reworks « Current density » into a Hip House track full of jaunty vibrations and newcomer band/label Flegon fulfilled their goal of working with their all time favorite French Touch pioneer label Versatile giving us a Nu-Disco remix of the song « L ‘oeillet noir ». More

In a time when Jazz music is entering a contemporary renaissance and exciting the ears and minds of new audiences, Zombie Zombie's Étienne Jaumet offers us his unique, idiosyncratic take on the sound with the sprawling “8 Regards Obliques”, his 3rd solo album with the Versatile label. Jazz requires a certain freedom of technique, interpretation and improvisation that already matches Jaumet’s own production style and sonic aesthetic as well as his playful approach towards music. The eight pieces that make up the new LP were very quickly recorded; Jaumet let himself be carried away by the atmosphere without focusing too much on fine details or the laborious aspects of the composition process. The finished article is a spontaneous collection that stands out, a true mirror image of the creative process adopted by the artist. Not surprisingly, spontaneity is one of the characteristics already present in his music, in both his recorded output and his live happenings, where he leaves much room for freedom and improvisation. “8 Regards Obliques” was recorded at the Versatile studio in less than 3 weeks with quite a basic set up: TR 808, selected synthesizers, vocals and of course the saxophone, which is a constant presence also in his previous albums. For the mix Etienne has again appealed to the maestro I:Cube, a central figure of the Versatile story and a prodigious engineer and artist in his own right. He immediately understood that it was necessary to keep the spontaneous side alive and to not over-produce the pieces or over-edit them, being constantly mindful to retain the power in the sound and in the frequencies. From Sun Ra with “Nuclear war”, Miles Davis in “Shhh / Peaceful” or “Theme from a symphony” by Ornette Coleman to “Caravan” (already quoted by many jazzmen), Etienne enjoyed revisiting classic masterpieces and paying tribute to his inspirations. He allowed himself only one personal and original composition, “Ma révélation mystique”. More

5 would be the key number for the brand new Chateau Flight release on Versatile. It's been 5 years since the last release and it took 5 days to record. Nicolas (I:Cube) was busy with his own material, I moved to Amsterdam 3 years ago and as we like to make music in the same space. It took a bit of time but finally it's here; the Dam House EP. I invited Nicolas to visit me last winter, not to do music but just for a cool A’Dam hang out. This turned into 5 intense days of fun production in my studio. It was amazing for both of us to witness how our connection remained intact after all those years and the ideas came really quick. The vibes of the tracks all turned out pretty different, it's a true Chateau Flight kaleidoscope with an epic 10mn Techno track Sargan, a more House vibe, Crazy (Dam House mix), a heavy dark funk drive of Lo and the ambient Crazy(Ambient mix). This record would have not been the same without Redlight records,to whom this record s dedicated. James and Abel left their shop open at night just for us and as children in a candy store we went through the racks looking for samples that formed the inspiration for this ep. More

The man, the maestro, the mystery..... the Cube! That's right, you read that correctly, new music from the mind of one of Europe's freshest, not just one record, but two. At the same time. Right here. Versatile's main man (alongside Monsieur Gilb'R) returns to the fray with a hotly anticipated set of tracks that will surely stand alone in their uniqueness, but if you're reading this then you already know that. I:Cube has been busy, and he's keen to share the fruits of his labour with lucky us on this, the 120th release on Versatile. The sounds here are diverse, impeccably mixed, arranged and selected by the man himself and will surely find their way into the ears and minds of those who come into close contact effortlessly. From the late night cosmic-balearic feel of the first track 'Flutes Souterraines' to the acid indigestion inducing fingering of the 'Troglo Dance' to the deep cavernous bass-line creepings of 'Ramurc', this collection of six stellar cuts is a stunning return to form and a perfect example of why I:Cube should be regarded as one of the legends! Vive La Versatile! More

Wolf Müller & Versatile label head Gilb’R give the remix treatment to Zombie Zombie’s “Hippocampe” - the first track from their recent “Livity” LP. A long time fan of the band, Jan Schulte (under his Wolf Müller alias), delivers 2 interpretations of the track, combining heavy Krautrock influences à la Can with a distinctive b-boy twist. Gilb’R takes “Hippocampe” in a more minimalistic direction, with heavy drums laying the basis for a dubbed out journey More

Pierre Bastien is a French legend that has collaborated with artists such as Robert Wyatt, Jac Berrocal and Jaki Liebezeit, to name just a few. He is also very well known for his compositions based on home-made mechanical instruments, designed and constructed by Bastien himself. Pure DIY. Using these instruments he would create a heady experimental mix incorporating poetry and some far-out music, all in all very intriguing and original indeed. Needless to say when the notion of Pierre Bastien and Versatile Records potentially making a project together arose, it was a total honour! Throw into the mix esteemed electro-acoustic composer Eddie Ladoire and now we've really got something interesting. Eddie and Pierre met when they appeared on the same concert bill together and they decided to collaborate further with Versatile being the platform for the fruits of this particular project. The original version of 'Phantom Dance' is a beautiful piece where Bastien plays a trumpet into some water blended with electronic drums and mellow organs lines, creating an otherworldly, subterranean Jazz vibe for the freaks. Suzanne Kraft, the LA native / Amsterdam based producer turns the original into some mechanical broken funk vibes while Rotterdam's Oceanic delivers 2 fresh, reimagined versions. One for for the club with a strong afro beat feel while the other one is a slower affair for the after hours. Both mixes bringing something new to the table. A truly original and interesting release from some very talented people, for those with open ears and open minds! More

I discovered Benoit B through his own label - Banlieue records. He’s part of a new breed of young French producers who make music without any hang-ups and that are inspired by the entire history of House and Techno and everything in-between. I liked the combination of club beats with a deep, super melodic approach. The 6 tracks featured here almost make up an entire album that reflects Benoit’s skills and sense of production. Everything is here -from Ambient experiments to heavyweight club tracks and beyond. Here, bear witness to the new sound of France (even though he lives in Berlin!) More

Monster Fritalo tune featuring John Cravache on vocals and piano, produced by partner in crime I:Cube. Same version as on the " CITES NOMADES " LP, but now ready to be played out loud in the discothèques and fun fairs. More

Alma Vox is an eccentric Parisian combo, they gave us this little 7-inch without much explanation, and we were instantly drawn by its hazy poetical pop appeal.
The A side covers the famous French 80's song ‘Toi mon toit', by Elli Medeiros, adding a sensual neurasthenic disco twist, yet danceable and fun. 'Theme II' on the B-side, has a mid-tempo reggae/funk mood combined with some ecstatic emotional chords. Perfect for a cliché-freeMediterranean sunset, this tune has already worked wonders on various discerning dance floors. Both tracks have been mixed by I:Cube, who added his unique sound to great effect. More

Slow futur was the name of the live soundtrack of Zombie Zombie for a juggling company. An add project that we decided to release some months ago, consisting in 4 tracks of 15 minutes. We were suprisingly sold out very quick. So we decided to give that record a longer life having some new mixes of one the track : Hyperspace. Tolouse Low Trax is all around the place at the moment. The amazing resident dj at Salon des amareurs in Dusseldorf provides a kind of sleazy remix here,that never really starts but subtlelly evolves while I:Cube brings it in the dub territories, in a lush mood. Enfin, Gilb'R provides a little reprise,putting the percussions in the front for a tropical effect. More

Mystery, poetry, a play of masks: artistic creation according to John Cravache. His collaboration with Versatile dates back to the beginning of the millennium. A childhood friend of I:Cube, he is 44 years old, lives in a Paris suburb, and is not a professional artist. Getting involved in writing, he has been boasting his artistic and economic independence and his crafty attitude outside of the industrial system. He gave himself time to invent a personal world, wild and funny, which eventually gave birth to the album "Cités Nomades". Even though his influences are quite varied and avant-garde (Magma, Captain Beefheart, Tom Waits), they did not really affect this unclassifiable project. Poetry and mystery come before all, because John Cravache is appearing masked. John Cravache and Nicolas Chaix (I:Cube) have recorded radio creations since the early 90s, in particular for Chimère FM in Paris, as well as numerous long improvised music sessions. At the approach of the millennium, they embarked on the creation of an album that was not completed until sixteen (!) years later. John is a poet, accomplished pianist, and registered truck driver and Nicolas, a self-taught musician, have both made the realisation of "Cités nomades" possible. This is not an ironic pop album, this album is simply all you want. Listening will do you much good. More

Versatile Records are proud to present a 12" vinyl sampler of selected tracks form the forthcoming physical and digital anniversary compilation spanning 20 years of the labels output - "1996/2016". The compilation will feature exclusive and unreleased music carefully chosen from the Versatile Records vaults. The sampler features the return of the mighty I:Cube with his early House influenced cut "VVV", inspired by the masters with that unique cubic touch. Also featured is "Foliage (DJ Sotofett's "Live Jazz" mix)", the next chapter in Gilb'R & DJ Sotofett's ongoing collaboration. Recorded at the end of a studio session at Versatile studios and featuring the percussion skills of Cosmic Newman and live sax of Zombie Zombie's Etienne Jaumet the track remains here in it's original, unedited form, just as nature intended! I:Cube opens the B-side with his Boombastic remix of John Cravache whose forthcoming LP will be the 100th release on the label! For this mix I:Cube delivers a heavy, driving Techno cut that weaves a vocal mantra spoken in French through the rhythms. Finishing the EP we are treated to the sublime Zombie Zombie cover version of New Order's seminal "The Beach", once only available on an unofficial, limited 7" only release. Now available here for the first time on 12" for this ultra special anniversary sampler! More