Sam GreenwoodEd Banger is an institution when it comes to electronic music. The French label is one of the driving forces behind electro and has been for a long time, championing the talented likes of Justice, SebastiAn, Mr. Oizo and a long list of other artists. Daft Punk’s former manager Pedro Winter AKA Busy P is the mastermind behind the lot, and has made the record collection of the late and legendary DJ Mehdi open to the public in Paris, as part of the label’s 15th birthday celebrations.
Mehdi was an instrumental part of the label’s initial success and a close friend of Winter’s, they compiled the label’s impressive ‘Let The Children Techno’ mix CD together in 2011 and the producer sadly died months later when he fell through a roof at a party in Paris.
With all that taken into account, it’s also clear from his productions that his styles and influences were endless. From making some of the most distinctive house tracks in ‘Signatune’ to showing a true love for hip hop with the piano infused ‘TragicoMehdi’ and a whole host of other tracks.
Given that it’s the 15th year of the iconic label, Busy P has taken to hosting two months of diverse parties and exhibitions within the Paris-based venue Galaries Lafayette Haussman, which have been running from the middle of April and will continue to until mid-June.
The middle floor of the building has been dubbed the Music Factory and features over 1,500 of Mehdi’s records, taken directly by Winter from his collection. Given his eclectic productions and mixes, everything from early disco, jazz, hip hop, house, electro and techno can be found there for what is most definitely one of the most unique and legendary exhibitions of music on the planet.
Check out our list of the top 10 electro tracks of all time which includes some of Ed Banger’s finest.