busy p / ed banger interview

posted by ph on July 13, 2010

We just re-launched the Ed Banger catalog on digital.turntablelab.com and for the occasion, the busiest man in showbiz, Busy P, has granted us an all access interview and nude pictorial (coming later). Let’s get into the head of one the most influential label heads of the 2000s.

So you started managing Daft Punk very early in their careers. How did you meet them? What did you see in them?

I met them a bunch of time in a little record store in Paris (own by Gildas the head of Kitsune by the way)

Then I throw parties in a little nightclub and asked them to perfrom, we quickly became friends, and one day they asked me to work with them.

I spent 12 years with them, i owe them so much. 

The nineties must have been fun for you? What was the French scene like back then. Any good Daft Punk stories?

We were young kids and had to write our own rules, this is where Daft Punk were good. They wanted to do something different, i’m sure they knew they were writing history! French scene was really exciting. We had the godfathers Motorbass and Cassius, the more jazzy thing with Saint Germain, and all the excited kids like Daft Punk. 

Ed Banger is known for uncovering unknown artists. What do you look and listen for in new artists?

Of course music is the most important, but i also choose “people”, i mean i will never work with an ass hole evn if he is a genius. I spend my life in studios or on tour with my artists, we live together, so the releationship is a key thing.

What the most unexpected place you’ve found an artist?

at a cheese party! Where i met Justice 

What labels have inspired Ed Banger?

I often talk about them, Mo’Wax for sure, Factory and Stones Throw.

You can understand why i guess. Musicaly Open minded and visualy blow minded.

I have lots of respet for James Lavelle and Peanut Butter Wolf. Ed Banger is only 7 years old, i still have lots to prove. 

The style and direction of the label always seems to be evolving?

What is the current direction of Ed Banger? Any artists we should be aware of?

I’m glad you’re asking, i am so sad when i read stuff about Ed Banger being only distorded disco and noisy disco! People only think about Justice or Sebastian.

But hey guys, wake up, we have so much different sutff here. We only release 5 albums on the label, DJ MEHDI who is a hip hop producer discovering MDMA,

JUSTICE two heavy metal heads who wanted to Rave, Mr OIZO who is our french Aphex Twin with a better sense of humour!, KRAZY BALDHEAD a jazz head in a k-hole, and last UFFIE our little sister. If you listen to those records and you tell me it’s all the same, then i quit! 

What are your 5 favorite records on Ed Banger?

I prefer to give you ONE

It’s MR FLASH “Radar Rider”

first because it is the record that make me star the label. It’s a lso a dark downtempo instrumental track and i released it when everybody was into filtered disco here in France. I wanted to put out something different. 

If we are in Paris, what are things we should make sure to do?

Come on top of my hill, Montmartre, in the north of Paris. First you’ll enjoy the view and if you’re nice you can come by the office and get some nice goodies! 