On April 10, the No Format label will celebrate its 15th Anniversary with a party at EartH, London. Three of the label's artists – the Malian Oumou Sangaré, French artist Gerald Toto and Que Vola – will perform in an event that seeks to reflect on the label and its history.
The adventure began in 2004 when No Format was established alongside a characteristically eclectic spirit and a stubborn desire to resist “any kind of formatting.” It was created by Laurent Bizot, who was later joined by Thibaut Mullings in 2007. Together, they continue to deliver on their original slogan: “you can never know what you want in advance.” It’s an editorial line that seeks to always make strong propositions, and to remain on the path of musical discovery.
With a clear world-wide scope, the label hosts artists such as Oumou Sangaré, Ala.Ni, Mélissa Laveaux, Chili Gonzales, Ballaké Sissoko and Vincent Segal. The most recent label-mate is a Cuban-accented project called ¿Que Vola?, led by Trombonist Fidel Fourneyron, who just released their first album on the label in January.
In the spirit of innovation, the label has offered the No Format Pass (a yearly subscription) since 2016. This system of cooperation gives listeners the opportunity to become active partners in the label, as well as generating upstream funding for musical output. In exchange, private concerts are given all year round, products are distributed (vinyl, CD, digital) and many other benefits are offered, the details of which can be found on their site.
Discover all our concerts and documentaries about No Format’s artists here.
Discover No Label’s artists on Qwest TV:
- Oumou Sangaré : Live at Jazz sous les Pommiers
- Ala.ni : Ala.ni & Code Ensemble
- Mélissa Laveaux : Julien Lourau “Groove Retrievers” – Live at Jazz sous les Pommiers
- Vincent Segal : Ana Carla Maza & Vincent Segal at Jazz à Porquerolles
- Que Vola : Que Vola?
