THE JOURNAL
Mr Guillaume Berg, left, and Mr Virgil Abloh
Mr Guillaume Berg – creative director of the DJ fraternity leading Paris’ techno scene – picks a playlist based on the label’s focus on friendship.
The idea of good music being borne out of friendships is nothing new. Think of any successful band or DJ duo and it’s likely they started out as mates with shared tastes, a bit of talent, and a desire to avoid a regular desk job. But Parisian DJ collective Bromance Records, founded in 2011 by Mr Louis “Brodinski” Rogé and manager Mr Emmanuel Barron, takes this concept to the next level. Friendship is at the heart of everything the label does – the name is no affectation. “Everyone signed on Bromance is [considered] family and a friend. I will do anything for them,” Brodinski said.
If you haven’t heard of the label, you may have inadvertently enjoyed some of its output. A couple of months back, there’s a good chance you saw a viral video, replete with 36,000 students from China’s Shaolin Tagou fighting school, for the track “International Sound Pt II” by GENER8ION + M.I.A. (aka Bromance old-timer Surkin). How about Mr Kanye West’s album Yeezus, and the standout track “Black Skinhead”? That harsh, industrial sound? The work of Gesaffelstein – the impossibly cool, chain-smoking Bromancer, who likes his techno as dark as his (usually black) suits.
Of course, there are more than four members of the Bromance family, and it would be remiss of us to ignore the rest. Club Cheval’s project Panteros666 is one to watch – especially his critically acclaimed EP, featuring “Clear” – a collaboration with Woodkid. Louisahhh!, Para One, Ateph Elidja, Illangelo, Monsieur Monsieur, and Pipes are other key players contributing to Paris’ healthy electronic music scene. “We work together, we live together. Bromance is more than a record label for us – it’s records, parties, it’s a way to think, to work, to create,” said creative director Mr Guillaume Berg in an interview for Hypebeast earlier this year. A quick look at some major projects illustrates this sense of community. In 2008, Bromance co-founder Mr Manu Barron (the man behind Mr David Lynch’s members-only club Silencio) set up the hugely profitable, Paris-based artist agency Savoir Faire. Used as a hub for the Bromance artists, it also served as a launch pad for the DJ duo Paris, IL, a drive by Mr Berg to promote creative spaces – as the settings for raves and art exhibitions – for the youth of Paris.
So, what would a “friendship” playlist from the most fraternal DJ collective on the planet sound like? Creative director Mr Berg agreed to step up and show us. “I decided to pick tracks that my friends have shared with me, or music that my friends make,” he said. “It’s a really eclectic selection of new and old stuff, and I hope it’ll follow you everywhere.”
To hear Mr Berg's full playlist, head to Spotify.
My friend Pascal Monfort \[creative and fashion director of Sport & Style\] and I were born in the same part of France. Even though we both live in Paris, we don’t see each other that much as we travel a lot. He came to my place one night and he made me listen to this. Now it’s on heavy rotation on my iPhone.
Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy – my friends from LA – have a project called DJDS. Last year, they released an excellent LP called “Friend of Mine”. They are, for me, the definition of "LA House”. This is their new single and it will make you feel good.
Every month, my friend and I send each other a zip file of music that’s been really important in our life. This one was a recent find. When I listen to it, it makes me think of my time spent in New York.
This is a track from Derek’s project The Devil. It’s a mixed media project at the crossroad of genres that really talks to me. You can download everything on SoundCloud and watch the movies he’s made for it on YouTube.
As I’m writing this, I’m sitting in my friend’s studio/ office in Lausanne, Switzerland. Lately, I’ve spent more and more time here to work. It’s a really inspiring city with a lot of creative people. When I listen to this track, I feel like I’m walking around a lake in Lausanne on a sunny spring day.
JoeFarr – who had a track on the “Friends” disc of the first \[Bromance\] Homieland compilation – is a good friend and collaborator. He has a really awesome sense of groove. If you listen to this track you will understand what I mean. Watch the video for the full experience.
This one is dedicated to my friend, my brother, \[Atlanta-born rapper\] Derek Schklar.
If I start to talk about this track, I’ll be inexhaustible… So I’ll just say “Free Bloody Jay”, he’s a good soul. Hang in there, brother.
This is a track by some friends from my hometown in France. I deeply respect them because they’ve always been real to themselves – and their music is amazing. Buckle your seat belt, you’re about to take off.
I met these boys just a year ago, but I feel like I’ve known them forever. Even though we create really different music, we are doing it the same way – and for the same reason.