Interview: Léman Records
At the heart of Lausanne's thriving music scene, Léman Records shines as a hub for innovative sounds and community-driven creativity. Founded by a passionate collective, the label bridges genres and generations, celebrating the rich spectrum of house music while staying deeply connected to its local roots. Their vision thrives on collaboration, discovery, and an unwavering commitment to uplifting both emerging talents and seasoned artists. Following Sweet Abraham's release on the imprint, we sat down with the crew to explore the story and philosophy behind Léman Records.
Welcome Leo, Pierre, and Victor! Thanks for catching up with us. How are things going? Everything is going well. Thank you for welcoming us and giving us the opportunity to spend some time together and to be featured in Nowadays Magazine. We appreciate the opportunity! Are all of you originally from Lausanne? How has the city shaped your experiences, both musically and personally? Pierre: I’m Pierre and I was born and raised in Paris, but it was in Lausanne—the hometown of Léo and Victor—that our paths finally crossed. Despite being a smaller city, Lausanne has always had a vibrant artistic pulse, and in the 2000s, it was home to a thriving music scene that left a lasting imprint. It's this creative energy that brought us together, shaping the music we make today. Leo: I’m Leo, born and raised in Lausanne, and music has always been a driving force in my life. My journey began early, but before diving into the world of sound, I was a professional tennis player. However, my passion for music ultimately led me to a new path. In 2013, I co-founded the collective Limited Brothers with three of my closest friends, which would later evolve into Léman Records in 2023. Throughout the years, we've thrown countless parties, curating a unique vibe at various residencies in clubs across Lausanne and Switzerland. The energy of these events helped shape the vision for the label, and Lausanne has always been close to my heart—it's where I met some of the most influential figures in my musical journey. I owe a lot to people like Alex Attias, the head of Visions Recordings, and his brother Stéphane. They were instrumental in pushing me to dig deeper into music and gave me the confidence to build Léman Records. Léman Records is the realization of that dream— where music, friendship, and inspiration come together to create something truly special for us three. Victor: Yes, I’m originally from Lausanne, but I’ve lived in places like Berlin, London, Sydney, India, and Nepal for various six-month stays. My introduction to electronic music came through my older brother and his friends, who were throwing incredible parties around 15 years ago, bringing in international DJs like DJ Jus-Ed, Delano Smith, and Rick Wade, and others! At 18, Leo and I started DJing at La Ruche, which was the top underground club in Lausanne at the time. This is also when I started buying vinyl. Many of the ones I purchased 14 years ago are still in my bag today.
How did you all first meet? Was it through music, or did your paths cross in another way that led to the creation of the label? We studied at university together and bonded over the same passion for music, playing every weekend together in clubs or house parties. Where did your musical journeys begin? Was there a particular moment, record, or person that ignited your passion? Pierre: Growing up, I played classic and jazz guitar for many years, which then led me into soul music. I was also into electronic music, only starting to discover garage and soulful house music when I watched the movie EDEN by Mia Hansen-Løve that had just come out, in 2014. The movie had an amazing soundtrack, featuring plenty of great garage and soulful tunes, some classics, and some overlooked tracks: that’s when I truly understood I was in love with that music. What about you Leo? Leo: Music has always been a part of my childhood, even though I never played an instrument myself. Instead, I found my inspiration in the music that surrounded me—particularly through various disco, soul, boogie, and street soul compilations. These genres ignited my passion for the sounds of the '80s and '90s. My mum played a huge role in shaping my musical taste as well. She was deeply into the UK sound of the '90s, constantly listening to artists like Sade, Lisa Stansfield, and Loose Ends, whose smooth, soulful grooves had a lasting influence on me. Do you remember the first album or record that left a lasting impression on you as a kid? Leo: Picture Book by Simply Red was always on the turntable at home and is the record I listened to the most during my childhood. And you, Victor? Victor: I have fond memories of listening to Jamiroquai while driving to Italy with my parents on holiday when I was younger, I love Jamiroquai! Did your love for vinyl start back then, or did that come later on in your musical journey? Pierre: I remember buying my first records when I got my first turntables around the age of 17. We didn’t have any records at home so was never intrigued by it growing up. Leo: Well, I started collecting records when I was around 16 years old, and I think the first albums I got were from my mom: Promise by Sade and Diamond Life.
What inspired you to leap DJing and producing into launching your own label? Was there a defining moment that pushed you towards it? Leo: I can’t think of one specific moment. After collecting and playing records for more than 10 years and organizing our parties, it kind of felt like a natural next step. Victor (Mystic V) had been producing for many years already and started to have quite a lot of material and we thought it would be a good idea to launch a label to release some of his music. We felt legitimate. Victor: I started producing music a few years after I began DJing, around the age of 18. Some close friends had a studio where they were making ambient rock, and watching them create was truly inspiring—it triggered my desire to make my music. I eventually introduced them to electronic music, which led to collaborating with Jolann, the guitarist of the band. Big shoutout to him—he played a big role in getting me started! Later on, I transitioned to producing music on my own. Are there any particular record labels or artists you’ve looked up to throughout your journey? We have always been big fans of US house music: Ron Trent, Glenn Underground, Blaze, and many others have been so inspiring throughout our journey. In more recent years, we have had the chance to meet and become friends with artists from other scenes like Alex Attias, who runs the label Visions Recordings, Volcov, who runs Neroli, Patrick Gibin and his Mother Tongue imprint. They have been huge inspirations for us. Victor: In terms of producers, I’d have to add, Arthur Russell, Gil Scott-Heron, and Larry Heard. they are definitely up there. As for labels, it’s got to be L.I.E.S. Records, Mood Hut, NDATL, Guidance Recordings, and so many more. What’s the story behind the name ‘Léman’? Léman refers to Léman Lake which the city of Lausanne, Switzerland, is built next to. We wanted a short and catchy name that united the three of us; as we met and started this music thing in Lausanne, it seemed pretty straightforward. We decided to call it Léman because that’s where we grew up and where we met. It is one of Europe's largest and most stunning lakes, stretching between Switzerland and France. It isn't just a natural wonder, it's a cultural symbol, inspiring artists, musicians, and writers for centuries. Its tranquil beauty and vibrant surroundings make it a true gem! Where do you draw most of your musical inspiration from? Are there particular genres, scenes, or movements that have shaped your sound? We drew a lot of inspiration from the early 2000s music scene in the UK, which blended elements of broken beat, future jazz, and deep house. At the same time, we’ve always been captivated by the sexy, soulful sounds from the US, which never fail to blow our minds.
You’ve already got two releases under your belt, with a third now out in the world. How do you feel looking back at your first year as a label? We are very happy to see this project come to life. We obviously still have a lot to learn and improve, but it feels good to see we handle things a little better for every release. Running a label is hard work, especially a vinyl label, and we feel proud to continue to support this music! "Miracles" was your second release, and it even featured a remix by Kai Alcé. Could you walk us through how the track came to life, from the initial idea to the final production, and how the collaboration with Kai Alcé came about? For this project, we wanted to create a more club-focused sound and were set on including a vocal track. Peter Jericho was the perfect choice! I first discovered his incredible voice back in 2013 on "The L.O.V.E Song (From Chicago to New York)" by Vick Lavender, and I was immediately hooked. Over a decade later, I decided to reach out to him on social media, and that’s where it all began. We knew Kai would be the ideal artist to remix the track, Peter's vocals inspired him to channel that old-school vibe, bringing back the essence of the classic spiritual house from the ’80s! Your third release has just landed. Can you give us a sneak peek of what to expect? For this 3rd release, we are honored to have Sweet Abraham on board. It’s a 3-track EP, featuring Givin’u, a dynamic, percussive house track with lush synths and chopped-up vocals, and its remix. The other one is called « Walk of Melech », a club-ready, extra-deep groove. Sweet Abraham has a sound of his own and we think his fans will love this EP. Sweet Abraham is a big name, what drew you to him for this release? How did the collaboration unfold? We have always been fans of the label Diaspora Recordings and only heard good things about the producer and the man behind it from his peers. He had not released new music in a while and we thought it would be cool to bring the spotlight back on his amazing work. Jeff is an OG and a true professional so the collaboration was very smooth, at least that’s how we felt on our side! Sweet Abraham doing the mixing and mastering himself made this even easier, and it sounds great! Jeff was kind and patient enough to give plenty of advice for us to improve as label owners and producers so we will benefit from this collaboration in the future. Has Diaspora Recordings influenced the sound or vision of Léman Records? Diaspora Recordings is such a prolific label that it’s hard to describe it in a few words. For us, a classic Diaspora track combines an infectious groove, great drum programming, and deep soulfulness: these are elements we try to include as much as possible in the Léman releases. His last vinyl release was back in 2004. What does it mean to be part of his return to the vinyl scene after 20 years? We feel blessed to be able to tell this story, especially today where House music is not the favorite genre. We hope some DJs and collectors who used to buy his music will pick up the record and be brought back to 2004, with a slightly more modern edge. Do you have favorite spots for digging, either locally or internationally? So many! Obviously Heartbeat and Superfly in Paris. LoveVinyl, Phonica, Sound of the Universe in London. Rush Hour or Red Light Records in Amsterdam. Human Head and A-1 in NYC. There are great spots in every city we go to. What’s on the horizon for Léman Records? Any upcoming projects or dreams you’re excited to share? A 4th EP is already pretty much done and should be released in early summer 2025! We are also working with our graphic designer to create new merch soon, and in the meantime, we will keep inviting DJs to our mix series and look to throw release parties. Do you have any dream collaborations in mind for the future? We have so many dream collaborations in mind, as the music scene is incredibly prolific. While digging, we’ve discovered countless amazing producers who continue to inspire us. We’re especially excited to collaborate on our fourth release with the talented producer Maytra, who has previously released on Visions Recordings. We’re also thrilled to have a special remix for the amazing Italian producer Gary Superfly, with whom we share a close connection. What advice would you give to emerging DJs or those looking to start their independent label? We are too young in this business to be giving advice, but something that we were told at the beginning and really influenced our mindset is: “If you do things with your heart, it will work!” We try to keep that in mind and maintain good, flowing communication with all the different actors in this project. Finishing a project is always challenging, committing to it is the way to go. What a way to end our conversation. Thanks so much for sharing your story! We’re looking forward to the upcoming release. ________ Editor: Levy Duym
