WEWANTSOUNDS

Nestled in the heart of Paris, WewantSounds is a record label with a global soul. The label has gained a reputation for reissuing some of the most sought-after vinyl releases from around the world. With a sharp focus on quality, Wewantsounds breathes new life into rare and hard-to-find gems from Japan, the U.S., France, the Middle East, and beyond.

Whether it’s the futuristic electronic sounds of Ryuichi Sakamoto and Logic System, earthy Egyptian funk grooves, or the boundary-pushing works of Don Cherry and Brion Gysin, Wewantsounds ensures that each release is a curated experience. The label is committed to excellence, with all audio remastered for vinyl and complemented by original artwork, liner notes, and often lavish gatefold sleeves.

In a market saturated with reissues, Wewantsounds stands out by offering more than just music: it offers context, history, and a deeply immersive listening experience. From the sweeping orchestral works of Ennio Morricone to the smoky jazz of Michel Legrand, each release tells a story, handpicked with care and precision.

WeWantSounds Links: IG / FB / Website / Bandcamp

What inspired you to start Wewantsounds, and how did your background influence its

creation?

We started the label out of a desire to share albums and music we like and that may not be well

known by a larger audience. It’s always fun to get people to discover new music and there’s so many

artists and albums who were overlooked. It’s great to be able to spread the buzz to more people

than just your inner circle. More than that, we are interested in the wider picture culturally speaking

- behind a certain artist or album. We always like to connect the dots between artists and trends and

show threads between them that may not be visible. For instance William Burroughs was a huge

influence on many artists such as David Bowie, Lou Reed, Patty Smith, but Brion Gysin, whose avant

funk album we reissued produced in France by French musician Ramuntcho Matta, is even more

influential as he actually influenced Burroughs himself.

Wewantsounds doesn’t focus on a particular genre but spans continents and decades. How

do you decide which records to reissue?

We are very eclectic in our tastes and listen to lots of different types of music so that leaves an

imprint on the output of the label of course. We like to go in many different directions

simultaneously. When it comes to select what albums we will reissue it’s pretty organic. We try to

keep a balance in the versatility so people keep getting surprised. We have built privileged

partnerships with a few licensors over the years and have a few series going: like reissuing the

original albums of Japanese singer Akiko Yano, Ryuichi Sakamoto or Fairuz. We also work with DJ

Notoya in Japan who comes with great Japanese music selections or with Ramuntcho who made a

lot of great music in the 80s and opened his vaults for us. It’s a bit like a big family of likeminded

people who share the same eclectic tastes somehow.

Can you walk us through your process of identifying and acquiring the rights for these rare

and often obscure records?

The process really varies but we tend to deal with established indie labels most of the time like

Nippon Columbia or King in Japan, Relaxin in Lebanon or Mainstream Records in the US. We

sometimes license from Major labels for specific projects like recently with Warner for the French

soundtrack “Clara et les Chics Types” but it’s not so frequent. We also deal with the French radio

archive body INA who have great recordings by a large array of musicians. Sometimes we dig into

really obscure albums and try to contact the artists when rights are in limbo but not so often as it’s a

lot of work and the return is usually not very high. We made a deal with Robert Cotter who did an

amazing funk album in 1976 which is actually Chic’s first recording (on two tracks) as Robert was

their singer when they were still called The Big Apple Band…

Your releases feature meticulous remastering and gatefold sleeves with liner notes. Why is it

important for you to go beyond just the music in your reissues?

This comes back to why we started the label. We like to tell stories and there’s always great ones

behind each album or artists. Reissuing the albums by Japanese actress and singer Meiko Kaji was an

opportunity to talk about the early 70s Japanese exploitation films she starred in and which were

hugely influential to Quentin Tarantino for instance – “Kill Bill” is directly inspired by Meiko Kaji’s

1973 film “Lady Snowblood.” Releasing an unissued 1972 concert recorded in Paris by The Black

Artist Group is an opportunity to tell the stong history between Free Jazz and the French capital and

also a chance to release only the group’s second official album in fifty years. Reissuing albums by

Fairuz or her son Ziad Rahbani is a great way to talk about Lebanese music and culture.

Your releases include music from diverse regions like the Middle East and Downtown New

York. What role do you think these reissues play in preserving or revitalizing cultural heritage?

Hopefully it sheds light on the artist or a musical style that may not be so well known. A lot of music

from around the globe was released locally at the time so unless you belonged to the diaspora or

had a special interest in music from this country, you wouldn’t have necessarily heard about these

artists. Warda is hugely famous in the Middle East but major labels in the West wouldn’t release her

records outside of the Middle East. Same for Akiko Yano or Yukihiro Takahashi who were very

famous in Japan and were part of YMO but their albums were aimed at the Japanese audience. So

it’s great to be able to now release these albums in the rest of the world, it’s like giving them a

second life with a worldwide release 40 or 50 years on. Digital is great but there’s not real promotion

around digital releases. A physical LP helps bring attention to these albums and create a buzz that

will spread the word.

What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in running a boutique label focused

on quality reissues?  What’s been your greatest success? If you had to pick one record from your

catalog that holds a special place in your heart, which would it be and why?

The biggest challenge is to keep coming with release with the highest quality in terms of repertoire

and keep surprising people which can be challenging on the licensing side. You have to keep looking

and finding new interesting ideas and make sure access to the album is possible.

In terms of success, our greatest one is to present important artists like Akiko Yano or Ziad Rahbani

to the rest of the world – these artists are a real discovery for a lot of people.

One record which is really special to us is Saravah by Yukihiro Takahashi – it’s a great album and

encapsulate the spirit and versatility of the label as it’s an homage to French music and Pierre

Barouh with his Saravah label. Pierre Barouh helped popularise Brazilian music in France and

produced such artists as Brigitte Fontaine, Steve Lacy or Nana Vasconcelos. The cover photo of

Takahashi’s album was shot in Paris and the album was recorded in 1978 just before YMO took off

and it mixes lots of influences – Brazilian, French, Italian, Disco, Funk. So it’s really interesting to see

where Takahashi was at just before YMO started and what he brought to the mix.

Is there a “holy grail” record that you dream of reissuing someday?

There’s an amazing live recording by James Brown at the Newport festival in 1969 that is one of his

best live concerts. It’s on youtube but was never released - I wish we could do it but probably out of

reach for legal reasons.

 For those who might just be discovering your label, which record would you recommend as

a starting point?

It’s a hard choice – maybe the Alice Clark album from 1972 on Mainstream Records. It’s a cult album

and mixes Jazz and soul in a unique way. it’s Clark’s only LP. It didn’t sell so she quit music shortly

after to concentrate on raising her family. We found her grandson who is a rapper and he wrote liner

notes for the reissue. We also found many unissued photos and managed to reconstruct the line up

which is not included in the original LP.

How do you see Wewantsounds evolving in the coming years? Are there any upcoming

projects or releases you’re especially excited about?

Our objective is to keep releasing good music and get people to discover more stuff. We don’t really

have a set plan and we like the idea of growing naturally. We’ve recently released albums but new

artists (Al-qasar and Biensüre two very interesting multicultural groups) so let’s see where it will lead

us, maybe we’ll do more artist development in the future!

SECRETS OF SOUND

An underground force with a penchant for the bespoke, Secrets of Sound is the brainchild of Australian graphic artist Kane Banner. Now operating out of Portugal, Secrets of Sound curates thematic compilations that straddle the line between art and sonic exploration. The series, "Exotic Origins," pushes the boundaries of genre music with carefully crafted releases that immerse listeners in vivid worlds.

Secrets of Sound’s first vinyl compilation, The Last Resort: Balearic at the End of Time, serves as both a tribute to and evolution of the Balearic sound, setting the sun on a paradise lost in time. The follow-up, Cosmosis: Journeys into the Infinite, dives into the edges of space and imagination, featuring standout contributions from underground luminaries like Johnny Jewel of ItaliansDoItBetter, Dean Hurley, RAMZI, Legowelt, and Lord of the Isles. Always innovating, Secrets of Sound enhances its releases with exclusive digital content, keeping its collectors engaged and inspired. A noir Giallo comp from the label is due for release next year.  

Blending Banner's artistic vision with the contributions of underground producers, Secrets of Sound seamlessly blends the craft of music and design. 

Bad Lieutenant Interview w/Label Head Kane Banner

What sparked the idea of a record label focused on thematic releases?  How did the Secrets of Sound project begin?

The idea came from the Osborne books in the library in the early 80s that were different themed mysteries, there was a ghost one, vampires, ufos etc, I like the idea of an anthology, a larger body of work that like a gestalt is greater than its parts. I like the idea of someone being into one genre but then checking out the next release that will be totally different and introducing them to new genres. I guess it began when I was paid back some money I was owed over covid and quickly was put to use before I blew it on bath salts and beyblades.

You’re an Aussie ex-pat. Has your experience with the local culture and environment of Portugal influenced your approach to running the label?

It's only influenced me in that now I have a newfound appreciation for Australia Post, Portugal has pages of online paperwork, seizure by customs, 27 percent tax on top and beyond slow sending times, my test pressings were torn apart and coffee spilled on them, getting anything done here is extremely challenging. Luckily Juno offered distribution so it made my job a bit easier. I'd love to do a separate compilation outside of the EO series that is Portuguese artists, There are some great street jazz performers around Castillo St George that would make a great project too.

Your compilations feature a stellar lineup of underground talent. Johnny Jewel. RAMZI. Legowelt. And many others. How do you go about discovering and connecting with these artists to bring your vision to life?

I have done artwork for a lot of them and some tracks are sort of through that, also if you get one bigger name, that's sort of how you attract the rest, sort of like the Costanza "hot girl theory" you just need to be seen with one and they think that's your standard. Patience is also key, some take 14 emails before you even get a reply so persistence is key, they can only say no, so you may as well swing for the rafters. Its also important to put people on there that are not known to give them a platform and an opportunity to be showcased.

You’re a graphic artist as well as a label director. How does your visual aesthetic inform the identity of Secrets of Sound, and how do you balance these two creative roles?

It informs it in the sense its like a reverse soundtrack job, I am storyboarding a score, rather than making music for a film. It was a deliberate move to make the sleeves look like a text book or something that was utilitarian, almost like a manual of the subject matter, a guide to the listening experience. I also know exactly who and what I want and how it should sound, the ideas and album names have been with me for years. There isn't really a "feeling out " process, it's just a matter of executing the images in my head as best as I can. I get concepts, colours and names in my head all at once, creatively I always see things completed and have to scramble to assemble it before it's lost in the ether.

Vinyl seems to be an integral part of the label’s ethos. Why does vinyl resonate with music consumers today, and how do you approach the design of your records to elevate that experience?

I like the idea of having something tactile, something you can hold, I told myself if I was going to do vinyl it would be based on the idea of the insert card from collecting trading cards as a kid. I'd do a base colour and then randomly insert a rarer colourway to make it a "lucky dip". There are also QR codes on the label that lead to a secret track that you can only get from purchasing the vinyl, It also ships with a themed incense stick and sticker. Gimmickry only works if the music is good, otherwise it's sort of trying to just draw your attention away from the actual product. I just wanted to make it a fully crammed dynamic experience and have a memorable point of difference. I'll never make a black record, there's already a billion of those.

What’s next for SOS?

Next is a dark Italo compilation with some amazing artists, Simple Symmetry, Prefuse 73, Emil Amos, Umberto and more, then a New Age comp with Steve Roach etc, then an erotica one, library music, ancient Egypt, Japanese Environmental music then a few sequels. After ten volumes hopefully a re-press and boxed set. Aside from this a very cool trilogy of comps from the selections of J.A.Z called "Forbidden Fruit" which will be a long but very rewarding process. I'd also like to do some edits if I have time. Stay tuned!

Only 3 Cosmosis records left on bandcamp, so pick up it up while its still available!