Paris (AFP)

The pandemic has not shifted the anniversary: ​​the French electro label FCom, popularized by Laurent Garnier, is celebrating its 25th anniversary and is coming out of boxes to connect generations, in full containment.

It was the French Touch before the appearance of this label, with successes like "Shot in the dark" (Laurent Garnier), "Boulevard" (St Germain), "Flat Beat" (Mr Oizo) or even "Come with me "(Alexkid). Vinyl and digital releases have been taking place since this weekend, until the end of September, with five waves of five mini-albums (5 x 5 = 25) to celebrate this quarter century.

Incongruous in this period? "I asked myself the question, recognizes with AFP Eric Morand, co-founder of the label with Garnier. But there is like an echo. In the early 90s, it was grim in France: to party we went in Germany, the Netherlands, England, Belgium. "

"Today, in this somewhat heavy daily life, there is this same desire to escape from the era, with music," he adds.

"We asked ourselves the question, yes," added AFP Jean-Luc Marre, from the Pias label, who worked with Garnier and Morand to unearth the nuggets. "When we redesigned the FCom site - label on stand-by for more than ten years - we had a lot of comments, then pre-orders, so we kept the date of April 24 to launch the releases".

"There is an interest among fans of the time, but also of the youngest, who will finally have access to a whole section of history," he rejoices.

- "Vade retro Satana!" -

The story is that of the pioneers, including Morand, former artistic director of FCommunications, known as FCom. "In the mid-90s, we came up with the idea of ​​an independent French label that exports abroad: we were taken for madmen. We started from a blank page".

"We were eclectic, it was not just techno. We were told besides + we can't market you + (laughs), he breathes." With + Boulevard + de St Germain, we took full mouth - + jazz, vade retro Satana! + - but we went out what we liked ".

The page is now turned for Morand. Worn out by what has become "a big ocean liner", he flirts with burnout. And change of life. He is now a psychotherapist in Bordeaux. However, keeping in touch and collaborating with his accomplice Laurent Garnier.

For this anniversary, he plunged back "with great joy" into the mysteries of FCom for a year and a half: "I listened to the records, very good, without a wrinkle".

And the rarities, remastered, are now released for fans: "+ French Traxx + (St Germain) never reissued, ScanX on the soundtrack of the video game + Ghost in the Shell +, the project + Dune + by Laurent Garnier", lists Marre .

© 2020 AFP