Arguably the driving force on Versatile Records, the Parisian French house producer team Gilbert Cohen (Gilb’r)and Nicolas Chaix (I:Cube) have been an integral part of the Paris underground dance scene for almost 30 years. 

While they have released numerous solo releases and remixes as individuals, it is as Chateau Flight that they have released one of our favourite house albums “Puzzle”, their debut album released in 2000. Gilb’r met Nicolas in 1996, the same year that Versatile Records was founded. He was offered a remix by Pierre Henry and proposed that Nicolas join him on production duties. 

One of the longest running record labels, Versatile Records touches on house, techno, future jazz, dub, trip-hop, and ambient music. Their first release was I:Cube’s “Disco Cubizm” (Remixed by Daft Punk) as well as Venus’ “Cheek (Sunshine People)”, arguably two of the biggest dance floor smashes of all time. 

As Chateau Flight, inspiration comes from sounds that inspire them, whether it’s a sample of a record or something that emerges from countless hours of jamming: “During the making of a track or a remix, we go through a lot of different phases to reach the final version, each very different from each others in terms of tempo, mood etc.” 

“As a matter of fact we never sit down and say ‘well, let’s do a House track or a Techno track’, we try to let it go and when we feel something is there, then we dig it”. 

Despite their years of success, they remain grounded and always put music first. When asked what pieces of advise they would share with emerging artists, they suggest to “work to go to the end of idea, always be open towards luck” and to “take your time to listen to a lot of records and learn your history”.