“Creating this label gives me more freedom” – a conversation with Neida

“I haven’t released a lot of stuff, but the timing felt right for me. I used the opportunity to test the water and figure out how to create something new. What really struck me is how long it takes for something to be recognised, to stick in people’s minds. The first release came out in July, so it’s been almost a year. Even though it takes time, I already had a bit of an audience from my solo project, so it still resonated a little.

For me, it was a real leap into the unknown. It’s hard to give a proper assessment, but I did it, and that’s cool.”

What challenges have you faced running the label?

The hardest part was defining the label’s identity, especially visually. I don’t have a background in graphic design or much visual arts culture beyond music-related stuff. So I was diving into the unknown a bit. Luckily, I worked with some graphic designer friends. We brainstormed ideas, and they created some visuals, that helped a lot.

For the first release, I did everything myself except the mastering (a friend helped), and the visuals were also done by a mate. So it was easy to manage.

The two other releases, with Le Motel and Delay Grounds, came together naturally. The communication was direct, no real obstacles. The biggest challenge is probably promotion. The label’s not really structured yet, so I go with the flow.”

You just dropped NDA’s third release, Dystop. Was this the pace (3 a year) you envisaged when you launched the project?

“At first, I was aiming for one release every two months, maybe even monthly, like two-track singles. But in reality, it didn’t go that way at all.

I didn’t put any pressure on myself either. I followed my instincts. I had that pace in mind, but it didn’t happen. I’d rather release three projects that I truly love and am proud of, than a bunch of rushed releases. I’m happy with these three.”

What were your reasons for creating NDA? Looking back, did the project match your expectations?

“I created this label—even if, once again, it’s a label in name only—without any real structure behind it. I haven’t even created an association yet. The idea was to have an entity that wasn’t just my solo project. I could’ve easily dropped stuff on Bandcamp as Neida.

But creating the label gave me more flexibility and maybe, down the line, I could release music from other people too. For now, it’s just my music, even if there are remixes by other artists. But it gives me the freedom to potentially release original tracks by others in the future. And if that happens, I’ll have to build a proper structure.

With NDA, I wanted to step back a little from the Neida project and start building a home.”

What would guide your choice when signing an artist?

“It’s not really about genre, I don’t want to limit myself to one sound. I think a lot of label founders would say the same. If the music speaks to me, resonates with me, if it moves me, I’ll want to release it. Simple as that.

I’m also interested in working with emerging artists, or even first releases. It would give me great pleasure to be part of a producer’s career at that stage.”

Are there any artists or labels you follow closely or that inspire your musical practice?

“Absolutely. There are some labels I consider true benchmarks like Timedance or Hessle Audio. Heavy hitters in the scene. On a smaller scale, Pressure Dome is also a huge reference point for me.

There are plenty of artists out there. But it would be interesting for me to do some real research, to dig a bit to discover artists who are still little known, or even emerging. I haven’t really done that yet, the label’s not quite structured enough for that. But it’s definitely something I want to develop.”

People often say Bordeaux lacks labels. How do you see the local electronic scene? Has it changed since you started making music?

“Yeah, there aren’t that many. There’s Thomas’s label (Sevenbeatz), Le Ciel, as well as Djedjotronic’s Superwave. Amour Social Club, a Bordeaux collective, also just launched a label and dropped their first vinyl. But overall, it’s still quite limited.

Outside of electronic music, more in rock, there are a few, maybe two or three. Historically, Bordeaux has been dominated by rock-oriented labels.

Electronic music here is slowly evolving. When I started DJing, there was almost nothing. Though to be fair, I was a total rookie, so I didn’t know much when I first got into it.”

Did starting out away from the Paris scene make things harder—or did it give you more creative freedom being rooted in a local scene?

“I was just doing my own thing in Bordeaux, with friends I was already making music with, especially when I started SUPER Daronne.

I’d say we maybe had more space to create. Paris is more crowded, obviously. I’ve never really lived the Paris scene long-term, so I can’t fully compare. But logically: more people, less space… Even if, in reality, more people also means more music.

Bordeaux has always had tons of DJs and artists. The real issue is the venues. I might’ve been able to play as much in Paris as in Bordeaux, the problem is that there just aren’t enough places to play in Bordeaux.

When I started, there were more: Bootleg, L’Heretic… Now, almost none are left.”

What’s next for NDA?

“Right now, I’m figuring things out, not exactly sure where I’m heading. It wasn’t super clear at the beginning either, even with the goals I’d set (which I didn’t really follow, in the end). But I want to keep releasing music, maybe start doing themed releases.

I’m going back to the studio, working on stuff, and we’ll see what comes out. Maybe I’ll do a series of tracks, mini two-track EPs with a specific theme, rather than full albums right away. Taking the time to do smaller releases feels like a good move. That format resonates with people, and it’s a great way to reach an audience.

Personally, when I’m digging or looking for new music, I like those kinds of releases too. And maybe, eventually, an album, and releasing it on my label, because that would truly represent me. But that’s for later.”