Serial Records is one of the oldest Electronic music labels in France. Founded in 1996 by a group of friends in love with House music, the company quickly became one of major players of the French House scene, discovering major artists like Soldiers of Twilight, Didier Sinclair, D’Julz, DJ FEX and Muttonheads. Constantly searching for new talents, the label has managed to ajust its artistic choices over the years to keep pace with an always envolving art, without ever denying its heritage. Here is the story.
HOUSE & DEEP HOUSE DEBUTS
Most of the EPs released in the very first years immediately met a critical success and artists like DJ Bertrand, DJ Rork, Demon Ritchie and D’Julz started gaining recognition and acknowledgment from the Electronic music world. However, Serial Records’ first real commercial achievement would eventually happen in 2000 with Didier Sinclair and his cult-classic track LOVELY FLIGHT.
One year later, SOLDIERS OF TWILIGHT – consisting in the association between Demon Ritchie, DJ Rork and singer Ladybird – release their third single BELIEVE. The track is remixed by Martin Solveig and is played by the big names of the House and Electronic scene : Pete Tong, Roger Sanchez, Franckie Knuckles, Kerri Chandler and DJ Gregory. With LOVELY FLIGHT, BELIEVE remains one of the label’s most popular hits so far.
On the model of the Love Parade in Berlin, Paris has been hosting, since 1998, a cultural event dedicated to Techno music, and more generally speaking, all electronic kinds of music, gathering thousands of music lovers following and dancing around huge parading sound systems. In 2002, DJ FEX offers the Techno Parade its anthem. His track INDIE WALK has ranked the French charts for 12 weeks. It includes a colorful oriental sample which is still engraved in every House lover’s heart.
More artists subsequently joined the roster : Tom Pooks, Carlos Fauvrelle, Sanki Panki… increasing the repertoire and bringing about new collaborations, such as on FUCKING FILTER produced by DJ Bertrand and Ivan Smagghe. An opportunity to gather all the recent efforts in an in-house compilation. The project was born under the name FRENCH DO IT BETTER and was carried out by the then A&R, Mathieu Bouthier.
At that time, Mathieu Bouthier signs a new young producer, deeply inspired by Disco music and the « French Touch » vague which was initiated a few years earlier and popularized by bands like Daft Punk, Cassius and Stardust. His name, Muttonheads, is now one of the biggest names of the French House scene. His first single TO YOU is released in 2004 and is part of the label’s most important successes, as well as many of his upcoming singles. TO YOU is the first release to come with a music video.
Muttonheads will soon join Mathieu Bouthier to produce NEED U under the name of « Serial Crew » in 2006. Once again, the track is played by the greatest international DJs and ranks at the first place of Pete Tong and Judge Jules’ Buzz Chart. NEED U is also the first track to be massively playlisted by French national radios, including Fun Radio, FG Radio and Contact Radio.