Why Paris is one of the most exciting locations for dance music today

Mixmag and Budweiser have partnered to bring the world BUDX, a global program that will unite and spotlight outstanding creative minds in music and culture from around the world.

Following the success of BUDX Johannesburg, we are back once again to bring the Lab to Paris in the coming weeks. Kicking off on October 23, Paris will witness the return of the Mixmag x BUDX Lab experience, showcasing the best international and local talent.

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Following on from some incredible BUDX streams from around the world, including sessions from Maceo Plex, Kevin Saunderson, Tiga and Mija and also our Lab Johannesburg sets with Seth Troxler and Lemon & Herb, Paris is the next stop on our worldwide tour.

Paris has long-been a frontrunner of desirable locations for artists, intellectuals and creatives, to find their community and their inspiration in a world often devoid of rich venues for discussion and expression.

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The history of Parisians leading a cultural conversation is flush with context - from the launching of Diderot’s Encyclopédie and “cafe culture” to the attraction of Hemingway’s novel settings, from James Baldwin’s refuge to write American criticism to Thomas Piketty’s opining on the current state of capitalism... But today, within the context of global dance music, there are few places more supportive of the electronic scene, or cities more concentrated with emerging talent, than the French capital.

This reflects the time-honored nature of Paris being an epicenter of progress, influencing the rest of the west with an accepting approach to artistically-broad pluralism. The ever-vociferous voices of Paris issue themselves impassioned and freely, which extends with relative ease to the growth and acceptance of dance music in the city.

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Beginning with Cassius, Daft Punk, and Laurent Garnier to the recent ascension of Gesaffelstein and , Paris has a plethora of examples demonstrating the ripe electronic musicianship of the city and their tangible impacts on the scene at large. Despite experiencing a brief lull of interaction, compared to other European hubs of house and techno, Paris’ burgeoning club scene is easily regarded as world-class caliber. This reprisal is largely attributed to the newcomers, breathing a freshness of sound and sentiments into the city. From the French underground we’ve witnessed the near meteoric rise of DJ Snake and Sébastien Léger, along with a string of new venues along the Seine which boast equal parts intimacy and indulgence.

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Aside from fostering underground talent, such as D.KO Records and Bruits De La Passion, this European hub also attracts many foreigners to help shape the nature of its musical offering. Particularly in the context of those seeking resettlement from Lebanon, Syria, and other regions around Africa and the Middle East, quite a number of up-and-comers have gotten their start in the clubs of Paris.