Isle of Jura presentsArchipelago Cosmic Fusion Gems from France (19781988), a deep dive into overlooked corners of the French musical landscape, compiled by French digger and DJ Arnaud Simetire aka Switch Groove.

Drawn from years of early-morning flea market hunts and second-hand record store hauls, Archipelago unearths a hidden layer of French music that maps an alternate France including music from Francis Bebey, Ccilia Angeles, Carla Music Orchestra and a Dub remix from Dennis Bovell.

From the French Caribbean to the outer suburbs of Paris during the Sono Mondiale era, these tracks capture a time when musicians embraced new freedoms and electronic toolssynthesizers, drum machines, home studiosto create boundary-blurring, genre-defying music. The result is a cosmic, hybrid sound thats both distinctly French and radically global.

These records shaped a new map of French music for me, explains Switch Groove. Theyre treasures that emerged not from the mainstream, but from the crateslost in plain sight, waiting to be found. Archipelago is an invitation to explore that map: a crate-diggers dreamscape of fusion, funk, and far-out frequencies from 1978 to 1988. The album also includes two Ambient soundscape tools.

Production and Co-licensing by Kevin Griffiths. Pressed on 180g Heavyweight Vinyl with full sleeve jacket design by Bradley Pinkerton. (via Label)

Label: Isle Of Jura
Format: Vinyl, LP, Compilation, Stereo
Released: 2025
Genre: Electronic, Jazz, Reggae, Latin

File under:
Electronic // House/Electro/Techno