9 minute read
CAMION BAZAR - NEVER NORMAL
https://linktr.ee/camionbazar
info & tickets
In May 2023, just as the duo were about to take part in the famous Nuit Sonores, whose 20th anniversary they were celebrating with Alteration, an ambitious live audio/ video show, Camion Bazar found themselves featured in Libération by Brice Miclet, a recognized specialist in radical music who also works for no less than Trax,Tsugi and Les Inrockuptibles.
The article begins as follows:
« In 2015, a pair of hardcore partygoers took over the French capital’s techno nights. A revival of electronic music and its audience was taking place in a mix of frenzy and cold seriousness, cut from the dark, frankly plan-plan. “It wasn’t so much the music that was problematic as the state of mind,” recalls Benedetta.
“Paris was pretty uptight, we weren’t having too much fun. The night was cold.” In the face of boredom, they created Camion Bazar (Bazaar Truck). A kind of lighthouse in the middle of the darkness, an oasis, a real truck, completely crazy, planted outside the hangars, out of reach of the boom-boom. Romain Play started mixing there alone, before being joined by his partner. “I played every genre, every aesthetic,” he adds. “Some clubs didn’t want me because I was too crazy.” For partygoers, seeing this mix of red, pink and yellow, this noisy fry shack, was like breathing. It was not uncommon to see them dancing on the roof of the vehicle. “It was, above all, a place for the expression of more cheerful music, from house to French Top 40, from Caribbean to Funk. It was great.”»
At Nuits sonores, with its demanding program, Camion Bazar has been able to do it all. Since 2016, Romain and Benedetta have performed there, first in their famous truck for the Days, then in the heart of the Fagor-Brandt factories for the Night, in the middle of Lyon for the Extra! format, and again at a now-legendary Boiler Room, which has contributed greatly to the combo’s growing success. With a hybrid set, mixing digital turntables and vinyl, the electronic percussion Romain carries around with him and the intervention of an unbridled saxophonist, they showed the extent of their talent and their repertoire, moving unabashedly from Funk to Techno and even daring to drop an unexpected Pink Floyd’s Sheep, well felt and blending cheekily into Drum & Bass. Back on the Lyon program in 2023, on the main stage of La Sucrière, Camion Bazar have come a long way, from their first raves to the prestigious Monnaie de Paris, where they presented a 360° version of their show in June, in collaboration with Fip and Dure Vie.
“In fact, Camion Bazar is a real disco ball,” says Benedetta, “It’s a project that was born by chance 10 years ago, from a love affair between us, Romain and Benedetta, then from a love of partying and music, and which has evolved with the same guiding principle: the desire to spread the good values of the night and to share our passion with generosity. Originally, we bought a truck to tour festivals and have our own stage, then it became a kind of traveling mess with an ever-growing community.
Then we put the truck aside for a while and decided to concentrate on our duo: we produced EPs, set up a label, toured more clubs offering our DJ sets, then our live project was born... It’s quite a story! We get bored pretty quickly, and like it when things change. We need to feel evolution in the way we approach music, even if we retain the same values of respect, sharing, fun, openness to others and benevolence.”
Fruits Of The Boom
In 2019, Camion Bazar attracted particular attention in Thailand at the Wonderfruit festival, with two highlights that left a lasting impression on the event’s international audience: as a duo on the Omelette stage and, above all, at the now-mythical finale on the iconic Solar Stage with their accomplices from La Mamie’s.
Camion Bazar returns to Thailand for the first time after the Covid hiatus, with a one-off DJ set on Friday October 27 at Never Normal, Bangkok. That same weekend, the two travellers will play the Retreat festival in Hanoi on Saturday, then join their La Mamie’s pals at the Shi Fu Miz festival in Hong Kong on Sunday! A short but intense tour, which will also take in Bali and Ho Chi Minh City, where the Café des Stagiaires Saïgon will welcome them on October 20.
Amid the luggage, cables and crates of records, and under the watchful eye of their cute dogs, Latitudes asked them a few questions about this new adventure.
We met in the enthusiastic madness of Wonderfruit 2019, what memories do you keep of those moments?
It’s been an incredible experience. Being in Asia, in 30-degree heat in the middle of December, is a real change of scenery and makes you happy. Add to that the great welcome, the reunion with La Mamie’s in Pattaya and the arrival at the festival, where you go from the city to the desert, and it’s a real slap in the face to discover so many stages, each with its own unique, meticulously crafted scenography. I particularly liked the Thai pop scene, where the atmosphere was one of fun and good humor, and the Thai rock scene, where bands played on a bus.There were also conscious talks, great international and local artists (a little thought for Craig Richards’ Quarry scene, our spirit stayed there) and then everywhere a crazy, costumed world, like in a movie. Special mention must also go to the Rainbow disco club takeover on the Forbidden Fruit stage (from memory), which set the mood. Add to that the fact that we mixed there twice, and we were ecstatic. We had done a great performance at Omelette, which Resident Advisor had mentioned, and then there was the festival closing: a 5-hour set with La Mamie’s to accompany the sunrise, with the sun’s rays bringing out of the shade a huge pyramid-shaped structure in front of the booth, where people climbed, hung on and danced. It was a unique Monday morning after-party, the whole festival was there, it’s unforgettable. Thanks again to Wonderfruit!
You recently worked on a 360° sound format. Did you propose it to Wonderfruit for the Polygon stage? Was it a one-shot deal or something you wanted to explore?
Ah no, we didn’t propose it to Wonderfruit, it’s a great idea, you should be a manager! So yes, Wonderfruit, if you’re reading this, could be quite an experience. Generally speaking, coming back to Wonderfruit as a dj set or with the live show would be great. And we’re interested in the 360° format, yes, we’re interested in any kind of sonic and sensory experience.
What does Thailand mean to you?
A bit like for many of us Europeans,Thailand is synonymous with vacations, excellent cuisine and lovely people.We know it from Wonderfruit, but also from previous trips to the islands. But our favorite is Bangkok, with its history, its monuments, its markets, its grandeur, its hustle and bustle, its lights and its corridors where you get lost. We can’t wait to go back.
After a few months on the road with your live show, how does it feel to be back in DJ format?
Actually, we never stopped djing with the Alteration tour.We alternate between live performances and dj sets. In general, we do one or the other every other weekend, so we’re ready for any situation, armed to the teeth with sound, on fire and full of energy, with the desire to get people dancing and share our soul!
You always have the Bazar, but don’t you miss the Camion (truck, in French)?
Ahah, our little baby. No, it’s okay, it’s still there, but in other forms.Well, we say that, but he’s going to be 10 in 2024, so we’re going to throw him a big party that’s going to last for months...
What do the dogs do when you’re away?
They listen to the radio, France Culture to be exact (it’s true, it keeps them company 24 hours a day), and I imagine they watch our stories too. And they stay with a lovely couple who take good care of them, along with other dogs. It’s a bit of a party for them too. But we miss them every day. Between the carbon footprint and the dogs, we avoid going too often far away. We do make a few well-chosen exceptions, but we give it a lot of thought beforehand and decide whether it’s really necessary and important.
In Bangkok on 27/10, you’ll be playing Never Normal. Have you heard of the club? Does the club’s name inspire you?
We’re proud and honored to be playing there, it sounds incredible, super beautiful and it’s the kind of club we appreciate, because it gets things moving and raises people’s awareness, with sound workshop initiatives, talks and so on. It’s beyond clubbing, and that’s very important.
https://linktr.ee/camionbazar
info & tickets
