By Olivier Lamm (Libération)
With
Anetha (Mama Told Ya)
Brice Coudert (Underscope)
Victoria Cappelletti (Ninja Tune / Big Dada)
Zaltan (Antinote)

Not so long ago, independent labels played a central, if not essential, role in the independent music ecosystem, nurturing scenes, genres, expressions, and artists who might not have had the same weapons to create in total freedom otherwise. However, two decades of successive industry revolutions and the rise of music streaming platforms have disrupted this landscape, partially eroding independent networks (record stores, distributors, concert venues) and pushing artists toward self-sufficiency, often breaking away from collectives and support systems. This raises the question: how do labels live and survive today, and what purpose do they still serve?

Anetha:

An emblematic figure of the new generation of French DJs inspired by EBM, trance, electro and the old school techno tracks of the 90s, Anetha has an incomparable ability to make people dance. But she doesn’t stop there: since 2019, the Parisian has been running her solo project called Mama Told Ya, a label focused on sharing and experimentation, promoting alternative talent in different art forms, while seeking to push boundaries through the release of unreleased collaborative tracks.

Brice Coudert:

Brice Coudert is a passionate fan of electronic music who explored the European dancefloors of the 2000s. In 2010, he co-founded the renowned Concrete club in Paris, which quickly became a global reference for electronic music thanks to its challenging programming over the past 8 years. He also helmed the Weather festival, a major electronic music gathering in France.
Brice manages lavibe label, discovering new talents and collaborating with established artists. Following the interruption of the Dehors Brut project due to the COVID crisis, he launched Underscope, a new kind of structure representing over a hundred of the best French labels, offering them publishing and digital distribution services, and managing their promotion via a multi-platform media on social networks and a collection of playlists on streaming platforms.
In 2022, he also initiated two event series, Antiverse and Mutant, dedicated to modern club music.

Zaltan :

Zaltan has masterfully run the Antinote label for over 10 years. With residencies on Rinse FM and NTS, appearances at major European festivals (Dekmantel Selectors, Lente Kabinet, Nuits Sonores etc.) or at parties in the woods, no one embodies the underground dance music of the 2010s better than Zaltan. Staying the course and caressing our ears since 2012, Antinote is the place to be for fans of dance music on the fringes and groove off the beaten track.
Deploying an extremely wide musical spectrum, the Parisian label has drawn a line of its own
with a fascination for electronic cultures. A curation focused on quality and the never-ending search for the next thrill, relevant over the years, and which opens its second decade of existence with the same panache.

Victoria:

After working for a few years in press and artist management agencies in France, she became an expatriate in London. In 2017, she joined Ninja Tune within the International department and later became the label manager for France. She also played a role in the relaunch of the sub-label Big Dada.
Founded in 1997, this pioneering label for non-conformist hip-hop was relaunched in January 2021 in response to the Black Lives Matter movement. It now operates as a label led by black members of the Ninja Tune team, hailing from various ethnic and minority communities, for black artists from similar backgrounds. Big Dada strives to amplify the voices of black and marginalized artists and seeks to change the narrative surrounding its music. By circumventing stereotypes, the label aims to enable and encourage the freedom of expression for who they are and what they want to be.