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: Inspired by his belief in the similarities between his day job as an architect and his approach to music-making, Berzingue's second solo EP for Pont Neuf is a self-confessed showcase for the producer's love of exploring "different genres and formats, while staying true" to his "trademark sound". It's an undeniably attractive affair, with highlights including the dreamy two-step-goes-deep house loveliness of 'Panorama', the rolling, melody-rich deep house bump of 'Dehli' and the more sci-fi-sounding, early morning bump of 'Mausolee'. Elsewhere, 'Night Cruise' is an attractive roller built around a darting, squelchy-sounding bassline, crunchy drums and immersive pads, and 'One' joins the dots between electro, organ bassline-propelled garage and tactile deep house sonics.
Review: Under the ALVA alias, Raphael Bureau-Mirat and Alexander Gueri previously impressed via releases on Chez Damier's Inner Balance imprint and Parisian label Pont Neuf. Here they return to the latter as Calmos & Berzingue, bringing with them a bolder and more forthright collection of cuts. They begin by peppering a bouncy beat with jaunty synth riffs and smile-inducing chords on 'Java', before opting for chunkier, heavier bass, psychedelic acid lines and a few exotic melodic flourishes on the rather good 'Pali Kao'. 'Piat' is a sunnier, warmer and slicker slab of tactile deep house gold, while 'Burnouf' is a wonderfully positive, retro-futurist house treat.
Review: ALVA are Raphael & Alexandre: a young deep house duo based in Paris who appear here for local imprint Pont Neuf. Right here are some well executed perspectives on classic styled sounds. Fittingly titled French Kicks, this EP is their second for the label and follows up the impressive grooves on the Mental Scopes EP from last year. The gutsy yet smooth charm of "Cecile Du Flow" will appeal to fans of local heroes such as DJ Steaw, Flabaire or Lazare Hoche with its evocative chords, sexy Rhodes and swing fuelled rhythms. Equally adequate for early evening mood lighting is the neon-lit pump of "Pont 909" until we are treated to two dubby and hypnotic jams were the duo really hit their stride. "Harry Poppers" with its spellbinding chord progression and the very Swiss sounding "Drumsteak" calling to the mid-noughties throwback sounds of Agnes, Quarion or Baaz.
Review: Under the DJ Psychiatre alias, Sylvain Creton is fast becoming a rising star of the current French electronic underground. Further proof of his credentials arrives via 'Glad To Be Back', a four-tracker based on fusing his love of vintage progressive house sounds and the hands-in-the-air rush of piano house. He first gets 'Lost In The New', adding hands-aloft piano stabs, MK style organ motifs and colourful chords to a crispy rhythm track, before opting for a breezier and even more rushing vibe on the similarly kaleidoscopic 'Riding Zone'. 'We Make Records' sees Creton wrap echoing vocal snippets, woozy ambient chords, acid-influenced electronics and jaunty pianos around a shuffling deep house groove, while 'Thinks We Do' is a bubbly, acid-flecked slab of breakbeat house joy.
Review: Pont Neuf serve up yet more of the Parisian underground's finest sounds, with their third installment in the Habemus Paname series. Beginning with KX9000's undeniably French Touch influenced tribute "Requiem Pour Un Boogie", the zeitgeist is recaptured again on Tour-Maubourg's "Anyway You Want" which brings the funk (and the mandatory use of filter sweeps) on this emotive and soulful jam. Hot duo Alva, who served up one of 2017's standout releases with their French Kicks EP, return with more sexy late night deepness on "Louxor Funk" which calls to mind the early sounds of local hero D'Julz. Elsewhere, Cosmonection turn up the heat on "Dust In Space" which is sure to pack the dancefloor with its razor sharp Juno bassline, cosy pads and swing fuelled rhythm and, by contrast, label staple Taos delivers a nice cosmic downbeat moment to chill to in conclusion.
Review: Hexagonal Club isn't a real nightclub, just the name given by Paris-based Pont Neuf to their compilations showcasing fresh electronic grooves from up-and-coming French artists (France being known colloquially as 'l'Hexagone', you see). And what a compilation Volume 2 is: few things in life get this writer as excited as a collection of quality deep house jams from people you've never heard of, and this album ticks that particular box nicely! The over-riding influence is deep house from the Heard/Trent/Damier school but there's room too for everything from the Italo/prog stylings of Fasme's 'Turbo Blaster' to the left coast-ish bump of THEOS's 'Wanna Go Out'. Get 'em while they're chaud, people!
Review: Pont Neuf, a pivotal player in the vibrant French house scene, stands as an independent music label with some 40 releases over seven years. Notable artists like Tour-Maubourg, Oden & Fatzo, Mira Ló, THEOS, Cosmonection, and Vitess have graced the label - for starters. Marking their seventh anniversary, this annual compilation series, Hexagonal Club, spotlights both established and emerging artists who define the evolving French house wave - leafing heavily from classic American genres like disco, ballroom and mid-western house to B-boy electro and deep, modern swoon to boot. Get Hexagonal
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'.
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