Record store in Montpellier for 15 years, DJs and party organizers, the members of Steezywave have had the privilege of living and contributing to the evolution of the underground music scene in their city of adoption between 1997 and 2015. During this period, the city’s musical and commercial landscape has undergone profound changes, influenced by technological developments and economic fluctuations. During these fifteen years, DIY culture has flourished, social networks have transformed the way we share and discover music, and independent music festivals have become essential events. Here is their account of this fascinating period, with a particular focus on the record stores in Montpellierand the significant events such as the Tohu Bohu festival and the concept evenings organized everywhere in the city by their collective at the time, Hunter & Collector.
Through their testimony, let’s dive deeper into the evolution of the music scene and the record store market in Montpellier. By exploring their online store on steezywave.com, you will also be able to discover a carefully chosen selection of pieces, some of which enlivened their evenings, thus offering a real journey to the heart of the musical atmosphere which marked the city during this period.
The golden age of record stores in Montpellier (1997-2005)
At the end of the 90s and beginning of the 2000s, Montpellier had many independent record stores. Each record store in Montpellier had its specialty, creating a unique musical mosaic in the city. We would go to Black Blue to get world music, funk, hip-hop and soul. For more specific genres like trip-hop and dub, we went to Minneapolis. While for techno and house it was more the Pinguins.
The rise of digital technology and the record store crisis in Montpellier (2005-2010)
From 2005, the music industry was disrupted by the arrival of digital technology. Legal download platforms like iTunes began to dominate the market, while online piracy reached new heights. These changes had a devastating impact on physical disc sales.
In Montpellier, as elsewhere, many record stores have had to close their doors, unable to compete with the ease of access and reduced prices of digital downloads. It was a dark time for music fans who had lost their cultural and social bearings.
However, a record store in Montpellier, in particular, has been able to adapt and take advantage of the crisis to reinvent itself, it is the one where a member of us works. The store diversified our offering by offering derivative products and focused on the strong comeback of vinyl, which was beginning to regain popularity among audiophiles.
During this period, Montpellier continued to stand out for its rich cultural life, with numerous evenings and music festivals such as the Radio France Festival with Tohu-Bohu. These events helped to promote musical culture and attract visitors to record shops and record stores in Montpellier.
The beginnings of the DIY scene (2000-2008)
In the early 2000s, the underground music scene in Montpellier was booming. Young musicians and DJs were looking for alternative ways to share their music, often far from traditional circuits. DIY culture emerged as a natural response to this need for independence and creativity.
Collectives and alternative places
Collectives of musicians, DJs and artists have formed to organize concerts, evenings and artistic events. These collectives like Les Cristaux Liquides or our collective Hunter & Collector played a crucial role in providing spaces for the creation and distribution of music.
The impact of social networks and blogs on the music scene and in record stores in Montpellier (2005-2010)
The emergence of social networks like MySpace, Facebook and YouTube radically changed the way musicians and DJs shared their work and interacted with their audiences. For the Montpellier DIY scene, these platforms have opened up new opportunities and made it easier to promote and distribute music.
Promotion and distribution
Social networks allowed artists to promote their concerts and new releases directly to their fans. MySpace, in particular, was an essential platform for discovering new talent and sharing music. Musicians and DJs could create profiles, upload their tracks or mixes and communicate directly with their listeners.
French music blogs like alainfinkielkrautrock.blogspot.com, or on a smaller scale, our blog, petitefume.blogspot.com, have become valuable tools for the distribution of musical videos and musical selections, particularly from record store in Montpellier or Paris, thus increasing the visibility of underground artists.
Evolution of the scene and record store market in Montpellier
With these new technologies, the DIY scene in Montpellier has evolved and diversified. Musical genres have multiplied, ranging from electro to experimental rock, including electronic music and hip hop. This diversity has attracted a varied audience, always looking for new musical experiences.
Thanks to these platforms, eachrecord store in Montpelliercould reach a wider audience and engage directly with their customers.
The Tohu Bohu festival and Hunter& Collector (2008-2015)
The years 2000-2010 saw the rise of independent music festivals in Montpellier, notably the Tohu Bohu festival and the Printemps Rouge at the Villa Rouge and collective evenings such as the Hunter evenings & collector. These events have become essential events for fans of alternative music, providing a platform for local and international artists to perform in front of enthusiastic audiences.
Tohu Bohu Festival
The Tohu Bohu festival, organized as part of the Festival de Radio France and Montpellier, has become a flagship event for the music scene alternative and electronic. This festival allowed many artists to perform, attracting a varied audience curious about new sounds.
Hunter & Collector parties
We started organizing our electro rock evenings in 2008 all over the city, notably at the Mix Koffee or at the Huit. As a long-time DJ and record dealer in Montpellier, we have always had a rich record collection to create captivating mixes, making our musical evenings unforgettable and contributing to our fame. In 2009, our organization Hunter & Collector took charge of the Printemps Rouge season at the Villa Rouge, a famous nightclub in Montpellier. We took care of the flyer, the communication on social networks, selection and production of rock groups, as well as passing sound before the headliners. The success of this season was such that the owner of the nightclub then gave us the keys to organize our own rock and electro evenings in the presence of electro headliners like Paul Karlbrenner, Oxia, or Brodinski.
Underground bands and artists
As a DJ and record seller in Montpellier, we have made numerous contacts which have opened the doors to the local music scene. These relationships allowed us to establish connections with regional groups, thus giving us the opportunity to program them as the opening act of our evenings. Among these groups, here are some who marked our events with their talent and contagious energy:
- The Waterlillies: An alternative rock group, one of whose members later joined Julien Doré’s musicians.
- Pulse: An energetic and innovative power pop rock group, they have made a name for themselves on the local scene.
- The Shakers: Known for their dynamic performances and pop rock funk sound.
- Cyd Jolly Roger: A psychedelic rock band who knew how to captivate the public with his soaring sounds.
- Bad Twins: Electro duo who later organized their own evenings at the Villa Rouge, helping to energize the Montpellier electro scene.
Concept evenings and artistic collaborations
Our evenings weren’t just limited to music. We also organized photo exhibitions and fashion shows by local designers, including Dogcaliente, a designer who would later dress Lio. These interdisciplinary events added an additional artistic dimension to our evenings, attracting a diverse and curious audience.
Conclusion
The years 2000 to 2015 were a period of growth and transformation for the underground and DIY music scene in Montpellier. The impact of social networks, the rise of independent music festivals like Tohu Bohu and Printemps Rouge, and the emergence of new artists have contributed to creating a dynamic and creative community.
These years were a period of turbulence but also of renewal for record stores in Montpellier. Faced with the challenges imposed by digital technology, record stores in Montpellier have demonstrated resilience and innovation. The strong comeback of vinyl and community involvement have allowed these enthusiasts to keep the flame of physical music alive.
