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.
Laurent Garnier
Eric
Morand
Three years later, they decided to write a new chapter in French electronic music culture by launching F Communications in April 1994 which, at the begining, housed the artists that made FNAC MUSIC's reputation:
Laurent GARNIER, Ludovic NAVARRE, SHAZZ and SCAN X.
27th May 1994 in Brussels, 1st FCOM party
From left to right: Shazz, Kenny Gates from [PIAS], Laurent Garnier, Christophe (FCOM export manager) & Ludovic Navarre
F Communications 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 those two albums established FCOM as an innovative label. A new wave of talent came to open the label up to different sounds and styles. MR OIZO in 1999 with his « Flat beat » , LLORCA’s with his « Newcomer » album in 2002, ALEXKID’s with « Come with me », just to mention a few.
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 influence of the label became global. With 70% of record sales and concert/DJ gigs outside of France, FCOM established itself as the number one French electro music imprint!
F014
Laurent Garnier
'Shot in the Dark'
10/1994
F018-F022
St Germain
'Boulevard'
02/1995
F104
Mr. Oizo
'Flat Beat'
03/1995
F185
Alexkid
'Come With Me'
06/2003
But FCOM is more than just the sum of its record sales. Its success is due both to it's longevity and to it's reputation as a breeding ground of quality. Unclassifiable, unpredictable.
FCOM club nights, artist concerts and DJ sets have in many peoples eyes contributed to the label's reputation. Whether it is in a club, at a festival ((Montreux Jazz, les Vielles Charrues..etc), FCOM events is always a bonding moment between FCOM artists and fans.
It's also impossible to speak about FCOM without mentionning the visual legacy of the label which embellished it's record sleeves and merchandise with the talents of graphic designers Geneviève Gauckler (1994 to 1998), Seb Jarnot (1998 til 2002) or HotSpot Design. Same thing for it's 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, at the HI Hotel in Nice, or with Matali Crasset.
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 rather 'change the system'.
No compromise.
Be yourself.
Respect.
Enjoy
Love.
et
Merci.
During the celebration of F Communications 7th anniversary, the logo has developed into a budding tree with multiple branches and buds.
Ahead of its time, the label had explored the diversity of electronic music and an open vision (360 ° before the hour) of the label role.
7 years later the label has lost leaves. The fall came gradually. The label has entered a slow hibernation after dragging for 14 years and wrote the first pages of the history of electronic music labels in France.
We owe this clarification to all fans of the label, which have constantly expressed their support, especially in recent months. For now, we have no new releases planned for F Communications. We are taking care of the tree in it's integrity, ensuring that the broad catalog of F Communications remains available both in shops and online.
But we keep in mind these thought : when a tree must face the winter, it drops its leaves and dead branches. The tree itself is not dead. The sap is still in its trunk and strongest branches. A warmer day, a ray of sun, a new force and you could see new buds break.
The decision of this sleep was taken by Eric Morand that share here a few words :
"After 15 years as head of Fcom and 18 years producing music, I think I did what I had to do. In recent years I did open myself to other worlds. I enjoy now a different view on music and it's challenges. The music is and remains an essential component of my daily;
The role of producer and artistic director of a label has become too narrow, too restrictive for me. I am more than 40 now, and my expectation is necessarily different from the one I had at 20. " "I remain alongside Laurent Garnier since working with him is a permanent excitement with new challenges." "Laurent and I have never been nostalgic. We are proud of what has been. We can say what is today. Tomorrow has yet to be invented. "
We are proud of what label artists have done since 1994 or since 1991 with FNAC Music.
We, all together, tried to give hope to all music lovers. And, it was good for Music!