Founded in 2016, Pont Neuf is an independent label with a mission to encourage the emergence of France’s burgeoning electronic community. Its origins can be traced back to an early compilation, the likes of which included productions from Sweely and Folamour. This opened the door to Rex Club, where they held their very first party before going on to host a two-year residency at Boulevard Poissoniere between 2018 - 2020. Add to that past showcases at Concrete, Badaboum, Djoon, Sacre, Java and Batofar and you’ll soon start to see that Pont Neuf’s standing in the city runs deep. Recognised in 2019 by Mixmag as “one of the French scene’s most essential labels”, the Paris-based imprint is spearheading a cultural movement, developing the careers of several artists in the process including Tour-Maubourg, Vitess, Cosmonection, KX9000 and many more besides.
Review: Pont Neuf regular Tour-Maubourg is undoubtedly an artist on the rise. There are gems aplenty in his back catalogue, which supplements dusty, jazz-flecked deep house with blazed electronica and hazy downtempo gems. 'Spaces of Silence', his second album, is exceptionally strong, too, with the French producer sashaying between immersive ambient ('Intro'), organic, loose-limbed deep jazz-house (the fabulous 'Just Believe'), head-nodding instrumental hip-hop ('Why (Life)'), sun-splashed warm-up shufflers ('I Never Will'), nostalgic New Jersey style deep house ('Paradise'), horizontal electronica ('L'Hiver'), deep space workouts (the deep house goes ambient techno haze of 'Solaced') and nods towards the vintage early works of St Germain ('You (feat Ismael Ndir)'). Impeccable.
Review: Many happy returns to much-loved French imprint Pont Neuf, who have decided to mark their sixth birthday with an expansive compilation of new tracks from a mix of label regulars and newcomers. It's a predictably strong set all told, with the label's usual high-grade deep house cuts being joined by a range of delicious dancefloor diversions and surprise workouts. There's not room to pick out all the highlights, but our current favourites include the gently acid-flecked, soon-to-be-anthemic positivity of Tour-Maubourg's 'Square Sounds', the dubbed-out, off-kilter micro-house brilliance of Flabbaire's 'Tribute', the vibraphone-sporting deep house rush of 'Cosmopolitan' by Maoke, Mira Lo's trance-inducing 'Look What You've Done' and the sparse, sub-heavy jack of Saudade's 'Sherman'.
Review: Although he built his reputation as one half of Alva, Raphael Bureau-Mirat has devoted more time to solo productions over the last 18 months, serving up a series of singles as Berzingue on Pont Neuf. 'Woodflaure', the title track from his latest single, is an excellent example of his now trademark sound: a chunky, rolling deep house number built around jazzy synth bass, undulating acid lines, cowbell-loaded drums, subtle disco samples and ear-pleasing pads. His love of psychedelic, high-register TB-303 motifs come to the fore once more on 'L'impasse', a more bouncy affair that sits somewhere between contemporary Parisian tech-house and dreamy, life-affirming deep house.
