Hi Nicolas, it is fantastic to have the chance to speak with you today. You have had a busy summer with a number of releases across the Fantastic Friends catalogue. Can you tell us a bit about the story behind Fantastic Friends and how it became the top label it is now?

Fantastic Friends was born more than 10 years ago. Following the closure of my record store and thanks to the many networks I have built up and with the financial help of my friend Mandarin, I decided to continue the musical adventure. To become a recognised label, it takes as much rigor as combativeness, being recurrent in the rhythm of releases, having a varied musical orientation and choosing recognised artists as well as new comers in the making.

How would you say your sound has developed over the years?

My musical ear has been refined, I am moving towards more organic sounds thanks to my machines, I develop a story in my songs but without worrying about cataloguing my style.

You have just released the Oasis Various Artists collection, how did you go about selecting who would feature on the record?

Each track of this release complements each other. I called on friends like Brizman and Daschsund, the choice of Alex Arnout comes from a recent meeting with him and Dieru is an artist that we have already signed digitally. I also think about what fans expect from the label.

Have the past few years through covid changed the way you look to release records? What have been the biggest challenges?

Covid has significantly slowed down the pace of our release schedule. As a result, we looked for a way to stay present on the scene by doing other things like radio shows. This period also allowed the listening and the discovery of new artists.

What more can we expect to hear from you as a producer this year? Any further EP’s scheduled?

You will discover by the end of the year a new Various Vinyl on which I will be present with Christian Burkardt and Petit Batou, as well as a digital EP on Golden Gate.

With 2022 nearing its final few months what have been your best DJing experiences?

I particularly enjoyed participating in the Caprices Festival, an incredible stage, an outdoor event also at the top of a mountain organized by a small local collective “Traffic”. Also not forgetting my residency at the D! Club where I rubbed shoulders with Sven Vath, Carl Craig or Nathan Fake.

Which five artists would you tip to blow up next year?

I will push artists like Mandarin, Guedes, Kid Moss, Marseey, Petit Batou, also the team of Fantastic Friends …

Check out the latest offering on Fantastic Friends here