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Maison Close has spent the last five years making a serious impact on the techno scene, carving out its own unique space with an eclectic catalog and a growing, dedicated following. Founded in 2019 by Lacchesi and Jakob, the label quickly became known for its fearless approach to electronic music, dipping into everything from techno and IDM to trance and hardtrance. As Maison Close hits its five-year mark, I sat down with Lacchesi to dig into how the label has evolved, the challenges they’ve faced, and what’s next on the horizon.
In this exclusive interview, Lacchesi opens up about the balancing act of running an independent label while keeping his own artist career on track. He gives us a behind-the-scenes look at curating events in cities like Paris and Berlin—two places with radically different vibes—and shares how Maison Close stays true to its mission of pushing boundaries and keeping a close-knit relationship with its artists and audiences. Lacchesi’s hands-on approach has been key to defining the label’s identity, making sure every release and event is a reflection of that relentless drive to evolve and collaborate.
This interview is part of a deeper dive into Maison Close’s story as the label hits a pivotal milestone. Lacchesi and Jakob have set some ambitious goals for the next five years, from ramping up their release schedule to expanding their event footprint in new cities. With exciting projects like a return to RSO Berlin and a new EP on the way, Maison Close is gearing up to make even bigger waves in the global electronic music scene. This spotlight gives you a front-row seat to where they’ve been, where they’re headed, and how they’re planning to keep shaking things up.
1 – Can you tell us about the journey of Maison Close over the past five years? How has the label evolved since its inception?
We started the label Maison Close with my partner Jakob in 2019, the year we both dived into this industry seriously. The goal was to highlight the local scene and upcoming producers, regardless of the genre. Therefore Maison Close catalogue is filled with mostly techno but we have also released EBM, IDM, Trance & Hardtrance, hypnotic cuts and fast paced tracks. What we are looking for in release is the relationship with the artist and a particular sound – we are very attracted to hybrid productions, when 2 different genres collide – that lead to releases that were very appreciated but others that did not work obviously, but we have no regrets and will keep on working this way.
I personally love giving a chance to new artists and the reward of seeing their music played and therefore being a witness of the artist’s evolution.
Being also a producer myself, the artistic direction is obviously influenced by my current moods, but I believe sticking to only one genre and refusing to participate in tomorrow’s music progression will kill your project quickly. Constant evolution is key.
2 – Maison Close has hosted events in iconic venues like La Machine du Moulin Rouge and RSO Berlin. How do you approach curating line-ups for such diverse audiences?
Those two cities are so different in term of event production & curation. It’s an honour to be able to promote Maison Close abroad and especially in RSO which is definitely one of my favorite clubs – yet when we have a party there, our ultimate goal is to promote Maison Close artists but we gotta be careful to showcase artists that can get some leverage.
So abroad we need to find a good mix between local talents and confirmed DJ’s. While In Paris having a headliner (or a couple) is very important and you never really know what to expect when it comes to affluence and what the crowd will be like. Event production is still something I am personally learning, it’s a tough and stressful business, especially when the most of your activity is music production.
3 – You’ve been a significant part of the Paris and Berlin techno scenes. How do you see these scenes evolving, and where do you see your role within them?
As I said before, those cities are so different on so many levels. No need to remind that Paris does not have as many and diverse locations than Berlin yet since covid the whole scene has a better image and is gaining interest again. I feel like the new generations are more and more curious about discovering new artists and trying out new locations & events. That added to the countless talents emerging in France, all genres included, it’s safe to say we’re headed the right way. I’m dedicated to this city and being part of its evolution, for ever I hope.
Whereas in Berlin as a foreigner promoter, you know you’re entering a very established environment, eventhough I’ve been playing there for some years now, I keep being a little captivated by it. We’re very excited to be part of it and I really hope it will last.
4 – What challenges have you faced in running an independent label like Maison Close, and how have you overcome them?
Considering the way we work and select the artists, we constantly face challenge, and deceptions or surprises, but we learn big time by just pushing the line with ambitious projects and dream bigger. It’s a constant hustle but I consider if you say no to yourself, your team or an artist you’re not sending the right message. It’s a marginalized field and being a small independent label in a fragile industry is very difficult, but doing your best makes the next generations want to try their luck and that’s how sustainable industry gets created.
Yet we are quite amazed by the constant support the public is giving to our releases and events, and very grateful obviously.
6 – As a co-founder and artist, how do you balance the creative and business aspects of running a label?
To be honest I do everything my guts tell me … It doesn’t always work out for sure but then I’m certain that I never take bitter decisions and move forward trustfully towards me and the people I encounter and/or work with.
This applies completely to being an artist and/or a label manager. If you’re an opportunity taker you gotta be an opportunity giver. I believe sustainability is gained by consistent work of course but also often by the relationships you’ve built over the years.
7 – With Maison Close reaching its five-year milestone, what are your goals for the next five years?
We are now decided to have a richer and more regular release process. And want to have every release coming with its physical support but aiming for 8-9 releases digital and physical releases a year requires a very stable financial situation and that is a very hard goal to reach for independent labels in this era. Especially because Jakob and myself are quite busy with our own careers so having this goal means we need to extend the team and a lot of organization and rigor, but we want to get there.
Also we believe it’s time to extend our event offer to more cities to be able to showcase every artist we release, but that will get the time it needs !
8 – What upcoming projects or events are you most excited about, both for yourself and for Maison Close?
We’re very excited to be back at RSO this month and I am so excited about the line up. Bringing friends and local talents Kuss and Bours? with the great Estella Boersma to Robus is very promising, and we’re going to play an extended back to back with my dear friend Mac Declos for the first time in Berlin to close the night. I’m counting the days !
Regarding Paris we’re also eager to start working on Sunday events in this new location called FVTVR, more on that to come soon.
9 – Looking back on your career so far, what are some lessons you’ve learned that have had a significant impact on your artistic and professional development?
The thing that I’ve learned over the last couple years is that inspiration and opportunities always comes from others. It’s very important to always take the time to have a proper look and listen at what’s fresh and where the scene is heading towards, regardless of what your opinion is about it. In the end your job is crafted for the people by the people and it’s all a never ending learning process.
The post Label Spotlight: Maison Close’s Founder, Lacchesi Talks Past, Present, And Future Of The Imprint appeared first on Magnetic Magazine.