Name: Desire Records
Vibe: "Dark, not black."
Founded: 2009
Location: Paris, France
Upcoming releases: In Fields - Phantoms, Orphan Swords - Licensed to Desire.How many record labels would release post-punk, Chilean techno, and Portland-born dream pop under one umbrella?
Many labels pretentiously claim they don't care about genres, but this one factually doesn't. Desire Records owner Jerome Mestre has fostered one of the most intriguing labels you'll find. From Ricardo Tobar's Treillis to Ike Yard's Nord, the stylistic spectrum is wider than almost any other imprint around. Many artists on the label are vastly different both instrumentally and sonically. Despite this, the focus of the label's musical identity is surprisingly clear. In one of his first English interviews, Mestre explains the label's mantra of "dark, not black," how the Desire name sprung out the pre-digital age and his laundry list of upcoming vinyl reissues.THUMP: Could you give a history of the label? In what year was it founded?
Jerome Mestre: The label started during the summer of 2009 with the release of the Project:Komakino album. The idea was quite simple: help bands that have a recording ready but have no organization or plan for distribution, pressing, promo, etc. It's not really working as a traditional label that pays for the recordings and keeps the copyright. Desire acts like a structure that could help a band in fields that it doesn't really control. I was also very cautious about letting the bands/artists keep their publishing rights. I always think that an artist should be the sole owner of all the rights of their music.From the start I didn't want the label to be in a specific music scene or a local scene. I wasn't really impressed by the French bands at the time and the ones I liked, like Frustration, were already signed. I also wanted an international audience and felt the best way to do it was to sign artists from abroad. This is why a lot of people thought Desire was a US label in the beginning.During the start of the label I was only thinking about releasing a few records a year with the help of my previous distributor, but I became frustrated by his lack of work. I decided to have a more active role in distribution and started to develop my own network of shops, distributors and mail-orders all over the world. After this, I began to do many more releases, mostly on vinyl. I started releasing reissues around the same time which really helped boost the profile of the label and sales followed. Now I'm trying to balance between reissues and new bands; sometimes I mix both with bands like Ike Yard and Live Skull. In 2014, I registered the label as a company and now I'm trying to focus more on the label's activities.
When I began thinking about launching a new label (I had a previous one 20 years ago), the name was really important to me. It was a time when the Internet was starting to be all over the place and it was easier to find music in just a few seconds. Back in the day you heard about a band without being able to find a record in a shop or even hear a track on the radio. The information was mostly coming from zines and it was not rare to know a band's name six months before being able to listen to their music. This wait created a desire for the unknown music and I would like to pay tribute to these formative years for me.You have the phrase "dark, no black" as your slogan on your social media sites. What does this mean?
It's just an indication of the general feeling I'm attracted to in music. I like when things are deep rather than superficial. This is the difference for me between dark and black. It's also an easy way to say that the label is more about dark music.What is the Parisian music scene and nightlife like? How is Desire Records involved in the local scene?
To be honest, I don't really know what the Parisian scene is like at the moment. There are a lot of garage-punk bands around but I'm not really interested in them. There are a few producers, labels and bands I like such as Arnaud Rebotini, In Paradisum, Black Mass Rising, Malditos Records, and Born Bad. However, I don't really look at Paris when I'm searching for new bands, even though I have quite a few Parisian artists signed to the label now. This year will see the release of at least four bands from Paris. It's a lot more than few years ago.I don't really go to clubs anymore so I don't have a connection or interest in this scene. Every time I'm looking at new label/club nights on the Internet I don't feel a connection with what I'm doing. In fact, Desire is a lot more popular in the USA, Germany and UK.You have an upcoming album from In Fields scheduled to be released on March 16th. How did you come to know In Fields and what can we expect from their upcoming album, Phantoms?
It was the old, tricky way. Ed Cox, one half of In Fields, just sent me an email out of the blue introducing me to In Fields' music, saying he was searching for a label to release their debut album. I really liked what I heard and it went quite fast. For me, the album is a great step forward from their earlier releases. It combines a club aesthetic with a certain sense of freedom. All the tracks are different but the whole thing is pretty unique and original. Not original for the sake of it but more as a personal style.The sound of your label is very eclectic. How do you decide to select an artist or a track for your label?
The only criteria is that I like what I'm listening to. I don't sign an artist because I think it will sell well. The only question I'm asking is, "would I buy it if I found it in a shop?" If the answer is yes, I'll do my best to release it.Do you have any other releases planned as of now? What other artists should we keep an eye out for on Desire?
It might be a busy year. On the reissues front, Desire will release the whole Martin Dupont catalog, the first Minimal Compact EP, the first two records by French cult band Un Département, the ultra-rare first 7-inch by French post-punk band D.Stop. The first two albums by post-punk legend Opposition, and the complete vinyl catalog of post-punk French band Ausweis. For new music, we'll put out the first EPs of French female producer Fawkes and Spain-based UK artist Kris Williams. I'll also release an EP by Zastranienie, which has a modern EBM vibe. The French industrial/techno duo Sergie Rezza will have their first EP and album by , after a new EP by techno/noise Belgian band Orphan Swords. We also have an album by US dream-pop band Appendixes, the new album by Japanese Jesse Ruins and many other things. I will also release the vinyl versions of the Model Alpha and Blush Response albums.Desire Records is on Soundcloud // Facebook // Twitter
Vibe: "Dark, not black."
Founded: 2009
Location: Paris, France
Upcoming releases: In Fields - Phantoms, Orphan Swords - Licensed to Desire.How many record labels would release post-punk, Chilean techno, and Portland-born dream pop under one umbrella?
Many labels pretentiously claim they don't care about genres, but this one factually doesn't. Desire Records owner Jerome Mestre has fostered one of the most intriguing labels you'll find. From Ricardo Tobar's Treillis to Ike Yard's Nord, the stylistic spectrum is wider than almost any other imprint around. Many artists on the label are vastly different both instrumentally and sonically. Despite this, the focus of the label's musical identity is surprisingly clear. In one of his first English interviews, Mestre explains the label's mantra of "dark, not black," how the Desire name sprung out the pre-digital age and his laundry list of upcoming vinyl reissues.
Advertisement
Jerome Mestre: The label started during the summer of 2009 with the release of the Project:Komakino album. The idea was quite simple: help bands that have a recording ready but have no organization or plan for distribution, pressing, promo, etc. It's not really working as a traditional label that pays for the recordings and keeps the copyright. Desire acts like a structure that could help a band in fields that it doesn't really control. I was also very cautious about letting the bands/artists keep their publishing rights. I always think that an artist should be the sole owner of all the rights of their music.From the start I didn't want the label to be in a specific music scene or a local scene. I wasn't really impressed by the French bands at the time and the ones I liked, like Frustration, were already signed. I also wanted an international audience and felt the best way to do it was to sign artists from abroad. This is why a lot of people thought Desire was a US label in the beginning.During the start of the label I was only thinking about releasing a few records a year with the help of my previous distributor, but I became frustrated by his lack of work. I decided to have a more active role in distribution and started to develop my own network of shops, distributors and mail-orders all over the world. After this, I began to do many more releases, mostly on vinyl. I started releasing reissues around the same time which really helped boost the profile of the label and sales followed. Now I'm trying to balance between reissues and new bands; sometimes I mix both with bands like Ike Yard and Live Skull. In 2014, I registered the label as a company and now I'm trying to focus more on the label's activities.
Advertisement
Where does the name of the label come from?
When I began thinking about launching a new label (I had a previous one 20 years ago), the name was really important to me. It was a time when the Internet was starting to be all over the place and it was easier to find music in just a few seconds. Back in the day you heard about a band without being able to find a record in a shop or even hear a track on the radio. The information was mostly coming from zines and it was not rare to know a band's name six months before being able to listen to their music. This wait created a desire for the unknown music and I would like to pay tribute to these formative years for me.You have the phrase "dark, no black" as your slogan on your social media sites. What does this mean?
It's just an indication of the general feeling I'm attracted to in music. I like when things are deep rather than superficial. This is the difference for me between dark and black. It's also an easy way to say that the label is more about dark music.What is the Parisian music scene and nightlife like? How is Desire Records involved in the local scene?
To be honest, I don't really know what the Parisian scene is like at the moment. There are a lot of garage-punk bands around but I'm not really interested in them. There are a few producers, labels and bands I like such as Arnaud Rebotini, In Paradisum, Black Mass Rising, Malditos Records, and Born Bad. However, I don't really look at Paris when I'm searching for new bands, even though I have quite a few Parisian artists signed to the label now. This year will see the release of at least four bands from Paris. It's a lot more than few years ago.
Advertisement
It was the old, tricky way. Ed Cox, one half of In Fields, just sent me an email out of the blue introducing me to In Fields' music, saying he was searching for a label to release their debut album. I really liked what I heard and it went quite fast. For me, the album is a great step forward from their earlier releases. It combines a club aesthetic with a certain sense of freedom. All the tracks are different but the whole thing is pretty unique and original. Not original for the sake of it but more as a personal style.The sound of your label is very eclectic. How do you decide to select an artist or a track for your label?
The only criteria is that I like what I'm listening to. I don't sign an artist because I think it will sell well. The only question I'm asking is, "would I buy it if I found it in a shop?" If the answer is yes, I'll do my best to release it.Do you have any other releases planned as of now? What other artists should we keep an eye out for on Desire?
It might be a busy year. On the reissues front, Desire will release the whole Martin Dupont catalog, the first Minimal Compact EP, the first two records by French cult band Un Département, the ultra-rare first 7-inch by French post-punk band D.Stop. The first two albums by post-punk legend Opposition, and the complete vinyl catalog of post-punk French band Ausweis. For new music, we'll put out the first EPs of French female producer Fawkes and Spain-based UK artist Kris Williams. I'll also release an EP by Zastranienie, which has a modern EBM vibe. The French industrial/techno duo Sergie Rezza will have their first EP and album by , after a new EP by techno/noise Belgian band Orphan Swords. We also have an album by US dream-pop band Appendixes, the new album by Japanese Jesse Ruins and many other things. I will also release the vinyl versions of the Model Alpha and Blush Response albums.Desire Records is on Soundcloud // Facebook // Twitter