“Quand je vous vois je suis content parce que vous avez un regard qui pétille, et vous êtes mouvement quoi, je n’aimerais pas que la France ralentisse trop…Alors des fois je suis triste mais encore une fois, quand je vous vois je suis content” Reno

Founded in 2012, Bon Entendeur was birthed by 3 friends who turned their knack for playlist curation into a wide-reaching, poised and funky imprint. Their concept is laid-back, tasteful and close to home: words from makers and commentators of French culture superimposed onto groovy mixes, and a theme loosely defining the emotional lines of the compilation. At the heart of the project, similar music tastes that continuously inspire a digging of gems from house, jazz hop, r&b, classics, nu-disco, French variété and more.

The words, whether melancholic, analytical or a bit surreal, come from sampled speeches, film excerpts, direct interviews… They share an evocative quality as they muse over anything from society and politics to desire and childhood anecdotes, with charm and poetic enunciation. Along with the retro visual identity it’s developed, Bon Entendeur manages to finely highlight both spoken word and sound to complement the other with simplicity and reverie. The result is a tasteful selection of lazy – but not sleepy – sunday afternoon beats, the kind that invite space for contemplation in the transient calmness before the week rumbles on.

Sound bites range from the the words of classic titans like Charles Aznavour to actors and political figures, like Oxmo Puccino and Jacques Chirac. The first ever tape, back in 2013, came out in the heat of the Dominique Strauss-Kahn sex scandals and features his remorseful words introducing an indie-dance remix of 50cent, in a surprisingly elegant twist. The groovy offbeat tone is on, simple and effective.

Since then, Bon Entendeur has ridden the wave well, expanding ways in which they share music with people through events, an album this June, and starting this week, an online radio. The album props together many francophone funk and disco edits from the 60s and 70s into relaxed electronic compositions, coupled with words from interviews conducted by the crew. Their radio has been live for a few days, from Red Axes to France Gall, and the first programme has been announced for tomorrow September 12th.

Happy discoveries, ou re-découvertes.

Cover photo Thibaud Courtelier

Article Lola Baraldi