Home / WHAT IS FCOM ?




WHAT IS FCOM ?

Fcom is the fruition of a meeting of minds at the end of the 1980s between two pioneers of the French electro scene, Laurent GARNIER and Eric MORAND. Their first collaboration dates from 1991 when MORAND suggested releasing Garnier?s first records on FNAC MUSIC-DANCE DIVISION where he was artistic director.

Three years later, having initiated the first ever French techno/house record label with international influence, we decided to write a new chapter in French electronic music culture by launching F Communications in April 2004 which, at the begining, housed the artists that made FNAC MUSIC?s reputation, Laurent GARNIER Ludovic NAVARRE, SHAZZ and SCAN X.

Subsequently, a new wave of talent came to open the label up to different sounds and styles. The creativity of these artists pushed forward the frontiers of the label. The slogan « electronic with no limit » encapsulated the trend best. The watchwords were: seek, explore, innovate and experiment, without the immediate obligations of what we know to be the record industry. The priorities were to be emotional and spontaneous.

The experimentation is above all musical within the global vision of the label. By 1994, F Comunications had succesfully launched the debut albums of Laurent GARNIER « Shot in the dark » and ST GERMAIN « Boulevard », confirming that it was possible to listen to electronic music at home as well as in nightclubs. The success of the two albums established established F COM as an innovative label, nurturing new talent.

The influence of the label was global from the beginning. With 70% of record sales and concert/DJ gigs outside of France, FCOM established itself as the number one French electro music imprint. Its reputation was cemented by the huge success of « Flat beat » by MR OIZO in 1999, by Llorca?s « Newcomer » album in 2002 and Alexkid?s « Come with me ».

But FCOM is more than just the sum of its record sales. Its success is its longevity and its reputation as a breeding ground of quality. Unclassifiable, unpredictable.

FCOM club nights, artist concerts and DJ sets have in many people?s eyes contributed to the label?s reputation. Whether it?s in a club, at a festival ((Montreux Jazz, les Vielles Charrues..etc), FCOM events are always a bonding moment between FCOM artists and fans.

It?s also impossible to speak about FCOM without citing the visual legacy of the label which embellished its record sleeves and merchandise with the talents of graphic designers Geneviève Gauckler (1994 to 1998), Seb Jarnot (1998 til 2002) ou HotSpot Design. Same thing for its video clips, where it has always given carte blanche to young directors or meetings between artists and directors.

FCOM is also the story of its performances and artistic collaborations at the Palais de Tokyo or the Pompidou Centre in Paris. Another chapter in its history was the launch of le Lieu Commun (Common Ground) in May 2005 with Matali Crasset and Ron Orb. Lieu Commun brings together the worlds of music, design and fashion via three creative forces with a shared vision. A shop, a meeting place where ideas can be shared and explored and where you can discover the whole FCOM catalogue, as well as a host of other surprises.

Finally, FCOM is also an hotel ; the HI Hotel in Nice, where we have incorporated sound into the whole interior design.

From new conceptual bedrooms through to the spa and the swimming pool and the HI bar, all the spaces in the hotel designed by Matali Crasset are bathed in a musical selection by FCOM. It?s a completely innovative and experimental approach to the relationship between a hotel and guest.

So what is FCOM? A label? A creative bubble? A human adventure?

A little bit of all of that and more. It?s a sort of incessant, indefinable creative itch.
We?re not fashion victims or bad boys.
We?re not ?fuck the system?, but ?change the system?.
No compromise.
Be yourself.
Respect.
Enjoy
Love.
et
Merci.