Jennifer Cardini has accrued a reputation for highlighting diverse sounds that stretch across the musical spectrum. She teams up with acclaimed French visual artist and filmmaker Lou Fauroux to launch Færies Records, a multidisciplinary platform that challenges the scene’s established norms by prioritizing art, experimentation and community.

Let's start with the name of the record label. FÆRIES, Why this name? When and how it was finalized , Take us through this story.

L : A fairy is humanoid, with magical powers and butterfly wings. It’s also a term that has been used for gayness. We felt like the fantasy, mythical dimension attached to it was in phase with our visions for the label, and of course the queer layer. It’s a term that has been used for gays, whether it was negatively we reappropriated it. We switch to Færies, Æ a symbol that acknowledges the variety of genders.

J : Lou has expressed it perfectly; when we were tossing names around, then FÆRIES came up, and we both instantly recognized it as the ideal choice for our label. I appreciated the reappropriation aspect, as Lou explained, along with its political roots. Naturally, we also secretly aspire to be like little faeries, bringing our artists' dreams to fruition.

After 3 decades of bombastic music rendezvous, You have launched FÆRIES RECORDS. What did you underwent i before building and launching this ? How did collaboration with Lou Fauroux happen? I'm curious, Please take us through the initial stage of ideation.

L : Jennifer and I met through a music video I directed, we’ve always been exchanging music.

It started with humor. I was spamming our chats with soundcloud and bandcamp links I was digging ~ to have her release it on her labels. Jennifer told me sarcastically that I should create a label, then.. we did. We realized a whole scene merged from that.

I was always making my own sounds for my films and pieces, then working on my film WhatRemains, Genesis and digging for this project, it started paving the way to FÆRIES’s sound. Alongside this, ideas emerged about a platform that would cross boundaries between ways of releasing and “showing” sound and music. Jennifer’s experience and vision for electronic music.

J: Initially, I was captivated by Lou's work and her artistic vision. Despite our diverse backgrounds, there's a mutual understanding and a genuine connection—we truly see each other. We resonate with the same emotions, particularly when it comes to music. The label is the result of this.

For you, the trans community and their representation has always been an important motive. Tell us about the direction of FÆRIES in this context and direction. What different you are looking forward to undertake through this label and how important it is ever than before?

L : everything is political, so is who you decide to release on your label. Being myself (ourselves) queer and growing up with almost no dyke/queer role models, in various fields but here music, we of course want to empower people that have fewer chances than others. People that have a lot to say, to share. It is a political stand, but it is very natural and organic. Out there, many promoters and labels put up line-ups that are 90% cis male and say things like “we pick people for their music”. We do this too, but ours happen to be 90% queers and minorities music.

J : With FÆRIES, I am accomplishing what I couldn't over the last three decades. For queer women my age, numerous compromises were necessary to achieve the status of a "headliner." When I began my journey as a DJ and label owner, the landscape was considerably more heteronormative. Today, I have the freedom to make choices that resonate with who I am. FÆRIES fulfills what was lacking during my early years as a young queer artist—a home for my community, a space where we see and support each other.The trans community, now more than ever, needs love and support. It's crucial to acknowledge that trans women have consistently been at the forefront of the fight for rights, not only for themselves but for the entire community.

Supporting other artists and providing them a platform, you not only build communities but also a space that empowers modern and progressive society. Is this a response to the current hyper digital ecosystem and the ongoing anthropocene ?

L : this is well put, i think i can say yes. We’re a small team, human scaled platform, trying to empower artists that are local, from our network and abroad when possible.

With the proliferation of music and artists, it's easy for talent to get lost in the noise. By integrating multiple art forms, FÆRIES provides a more diverse experience,trying to create long term partnerships.

J: Indeed, it serves as a response to the hyper-everything culture. Having spent numerous years in this industry, I firmly believe that being small yet strong provides more power than being big. In this way, at least, you are free.

In your views what is the importance of contemporary music landscape and its constant evolution. Why is there a need for such platforms more than ever and how crucial and important a role it plays in artistic expressions ?

L : Music (and the arts in general) is always a mirror to society. Contemporary music reflects cultural, political, and social changes and its constant evolution ensures new voices and new perspectives. With technologic and digital tools evolving quickly, music production has quite changed such as the way to consume it. Music is super tight with technological advancements, it creates new genres, -post, cross, etc, but also distribution and listening experiences.

J: It's essential for us to provide a platform that meets our artists' expectations, enabling them to freely express themselves. In today's artistic landscape, boundaries have dissolved across various mediums such as performances, installations, and fashion—this trend extends beyond counter culture.

Today artists are as comfortable using Ableton, Blender, filmmaking, and even crafting their own clothing. Adhering to a traditional platform wouldn't allow us to fully engage with their vision and support their growth.

What you imagine the universe of FÆRIES to be? What your vision shows you and how you looking forward to making it further more sophisticated and sacred space for emerging artists and such.

J: I believe Lou would be better suited to answer this question, as it's primarily her vision that propels the label. While we engage in discussions and collaboratively select music, the visual universe of FÆRIES is entirely crafted by her.

L : In the future, I imagine it being a bit like a gallery but for sound and music; representing and releasing artists with a strong vision and universes by themselves, put together through FÆRIES. I would like it to be a space where established and emerging artists of various backgrounds cross paths. I would love to one week collaborate on the sound of a performance piece, the other throw on an ambient to hardcore rave, then an harp live..the list goes on.

Jennifer, You launched FÆRIES after having plethora of experiences and learnings about the music and the world of music. Your work has always been magical and hopeful for many. What is it that drives you to do that you do and what message do you have for artists of all kinds? What do you want them to know and would like to say through FÆRIES?

J: Curiosity, I believe, is the driving force behind my work, and I thoroughly enjoy collaborating with others, even when it presents challenges. I find myself intrigued by our artists—their thought processes, creative methods, and even delving into their obsessions. We want everyone to feel warmly welcomed at FÆRIES. While we may be small and young, we are steadily growing, aspiring to be a home for all who join us.

Last but not least, What are your intentions and expectations for the label, and what's coming next, anything we should look forward to and book our dates for ?

J: We've recently released a captivating EP by the talented French artist Inès Cherifi, and we're already immersed in the creation of her second release. If you haven't had the opportunity to experience her work, I strongly encourage you to do so. Additionally, we are set to release music from Talita Otović, promising a powerful and emotionally charged journey.

Community and continuity is important to us, envisioning the evolution of our platform with human connections at its core. While we have a couple of label nights in the pipeline, it's a bit early to provide specific details.

L : Jen mentioned our next exciting releases, we’re also working on collaborative events during the following months, along with collaborations with other labels and platforms..

We’re also hoping that we’ll get to host our first events abroad (out of France), taking the journey to a wider audience and cross-cultural experiences.