Lovebox

Kitsuné Maison (VIP ONLY)

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Kitsuné Maison are hosting the VIP on Friday

In a few short years Kitsuné - the Franco-Japanese company that’s breaking all the rules - has firmly established itself as a force to reckon with. Cleverly bridging music, fashion and design, this young and unique brand is the brainchild of Gildas Loaec & Masaya Kuroki . Gildas who not content with merely directing the operations is also a djs – an activity that’s proven essential to run what is arguably the most exciting record label in the world today.
 
The association of Loaec, Daft Punk’s art-director/manager, and Kuroki, an architecture student who switched to fashion design when he started to conceive Kitsuné’s clothing range might not initially seem an obvious one. The first, a young dynamic entrepreneur from Brittany, who originally moved to Paris to open a record shop selling house music at a time when the scene in France was in its infancy, soon got asked by regular customers Daft Punk (then a newly formed act) to help with the band’s general matters, the rest is history as they say. The second was born in Japan and followed his mother to France at the age of 12 when his parents split up. It wasn’t an easy move to start with, not speaking a word of French the communication on Parisian school playgrounds was often limited to fistfights. It was during a Japanese trip to oversee the production of Daft Punk’s cartoon ‘Interstella 5555’ where Masaya was drafted in to ease the coordination that the pair foresaw the possibility of creating a structure that would combine all the things they were into, clothes, image and music of course.
 
Gildas & Masaya soon developed a partnership that proved fruitful, in the office getting ready to conquer the world with their exciting new venture fast shaping up as well as behind the decks – a union that came naturally for these two passionate music lovers. Deejaying as a unit seemed more fun… and more lethal too of course. With not just one dj at the controls but two, everything happens twice as fast, like a breathtaking rollercoaster ride… No wonder there are other illustrious dj partnerships about. Combining an unrivalled instinct for l’air du temps – what’s in the air – with impressive hard-working abilities and a good sharpened set of ears, from then on there was no stopping the two pals always on the look out for the next (big) thing.
 
But why is Kitsuné the record label so vital today? For most it’ll be because Kitsuné’s not about one genre or style, it’s about all of them, the sky’s the limit… Great music. Period. Check their famous ‘Maison’ series that regularly gathers the hottest new talents. And the same applies to the pair’s deejaying. Why in 2008 would you limit yourself to one sound when there’s much diversity around to play with? Whereas many A&Rs sit in their office deciding what the public will be into next year, the Kitsuné boys never lose touch with the reality of the dancefloor, constantly road-testing new tracks and demos wherever they are.
 
Remember this is one record label that aims to break ground, having pretty much introduced to the world Digitalism, Klaxons, Simian Mobile Disco, Hot Chip, La Roux, Two Door Cinema Club… one could claim it has hit its target. Indeed more and more musicians can thank Kitsuné for having taken a risk on them at a time when hardly anyone was paying attention… a fact that sure makes the pair proud.
 
Now who said you had to deal with terrible music to be successful? It’s a known fact that what is underground today will be mainstream tomorrow. Kitsuné is here to prove it. At a time when so many record labels are closing down, Kitsuné’s turnover keeps growing and with no concessions to commerciality. As Gildas points out: “The idea was always to reach as many people as possible with our open-minded conception of pop music and some original yet attractive sounds. We have no qualms about merging the worlds of electronic & rock. This is about music, all kind of music, whether made with guitars or machines, it’s about attitude, personality and character.”