Words: Oscar Burton-Xi
Platonic power couple Souleance, formed of the Parisian scene staples Fulgeance and DJ Soulist return with a hop, skip and a jump of an EP. Bamboule is an eclectic mixed bag of afro funk, boom-bap and spliced tropical tones. For over a decade these two have been chopping and cutting their way to the top of the Paris boogie scene, filling floors with their unique approach to blending global influences, earning that coveted worldwide appeal. Bamboule is being released on the 27th of this month through First Word Records, the prolific beat dealers who currently provide a home for the likes of Eric Lau and Tall Black Guy to name just a few.
Souleance’s tastes evolve and their sound expands. Today we premier a perfect example of that, That Guy ft Von Pea. An ominous, in your face hip hop driven track that drills into you with it’s relentless raw energy, born of a chasmic Brazilian piano sample. Lyrics from Von Pea of Tanya Morgan match this vibe perfectly while the whole thing is brought together by a quirky vocal sample from some retro American roast style stand up comedy.
To honour the release of Bamboule, and in full celebration of EU collaboration and cooperation, we at Bonafide thought it would be nice to get off the beaten path with these beat veterans and get some insider tips on Paris’s hidden gems. While the boys themselves understand that “It’s more the people who live in Paris which influence us [than the city itself]”, they know first hand how inspiring the city can be.
Ignore TimeOut, pre-order Bamboule and tune into Souleance’s personal guided tour of the streets that carry them.
The Neighbourhood Restaurant
Le Petit Keller, a quality mix of Japanese and French food.
The Cocktail Bar
Le Cablar, great cocktails and funny bartenders wearing only shirts, bowties and underpants! Sounds weird right? But this makes a contrast with those trendy and strict cocktail bars. Also, the cocktails are steaming!
(Photo: Vincent Anceaume)
The Live Venue
As a venue, La Maroquinerie is great! Great live acts in many genres.
The Club
For clubs, we are still in love with the legendary Rex Club, but also Djoon which have an eclectic line up and also support Soulist’s party called What The Funk.
The Party
What The Funk parties of course and MERCI party at Badaboum club.
The Crates to Dig
Oh this is hard to choose, but Betino’s and Superfly are the two best spots. (Coming in at number 27 and 5 of the Vinyl Factory’s best record shops in the world.)
The Sanctuary
Le Mellotron, a nice bar with live streaming radio shows, quality beverages and welcoming people who always supported us and makes the Parisian music scene evolve in the eclectic way!
The Must Do’s
We like Hasard Ludique who make some really great world music parties, connecting the neighbourhood with a nice social vision, you feel it from the crowd! We would also advise Le Barboteur, a new venue built on a boat on Paris canal. It’s also open minded and not just about hype. Quality food, great people with some jazz, world music, DJs & jam sessions. You can watch all of this from the dock, it’s also nice to see Paris like that!
