UN DIMANCHE A MONACO
Tako Toki
15 tracks album - Upcoming release on May th 27th 2026 - digital - CD
15 tracks album - Upcoming release on May th 27th 2026 - digital - CD
14 tracks album /2025 / digital / CD - available on our Bandcamp page
"Entre techno indus et samba de carnaval, transe pygmée et bal dans la pampa argentine, leur symphonie acoustique nous fait voyager" - TT - Télérama
"voilà comment le bricolage se transforme en art" Nathalie Piolée - France Musique
"Both Aurèle Gerin and Nicolas Brémaud are exceptional percussionists, while Etienne's mastery of wood (plastic) wind instruments means that over the 14 tracks, there is meditative beauty as well as moments of great fun. Sohisticated yet playful, this is no mere novelty." **** Songlines Magazine
"sortie digne de mention" "a playful commingling of West African grooves, Korean folk melodies, and minimalist electronics, eprformed entirely on homemade instruments" - Bandcamp
"proponiéndonos músicas a veces intrigantes, otras divertidas y siempre atrayentes" Radio 5 RTV (Spain)
"une musique très pure, toujours portée par de superbes mélodies" - Le Grigri
"...músicas a veces intrigantes, otras divertidas y siempre atrayentes". Mundofonias
"Using only 100% homemade instruments, these virtuosos have created an album of playful, meditative and thrilling compositions that evoke the spirits of Steve Reich-ian minimalism, gamelan, world jazz, and traditional West African and Korean music amidst its original beauty". Radio Alhara
"...Avec cet album, Tako Toki prouve que l’on peut faire rimer bricolage avec élégance, et décroissance avec inspiration. Un projet audacieux qui, sous ses airs de fantaisie, porte une vision forte et profondément actuelle. À découvrir sans tarder...." Solénopole
"...allways polychromatic and passionate..." DJ Nova Dorakis !
"..."fantastic""genius musicians" "music is incredible" - Justin Turford - Totally Wired Radio
"...This taps into something we urgently need: collectivity, collaboration, participation, multi-cultural celebration, and an unplugged anti-consumerist aesthetic that welcomes joining in..." Martha Willette Lewis - Rootsworld
Instruments making /Composition : Tako Toki Recording – mix – mastering : Nicolas Brémaud Artwork : 2toon Photo : Ji Yun Music played by : Etienne de la Sayette Nicolas Brémaud Etienne Gaillochet (9) / Frederic Jean (1, 6 ,12 ,13) / Aurèle Gerin (2, 4, 5, 8, 11, 14)
10 tracks album /2016 / digital / CD available on our Bandcamp page
"formidable !!" FRANCE INTER
TELERAMA fff La pop coréenne n'est pas née avec Psy et son Gangnam Style. Dans les années 60, le crooner Bae Ho roucoulait déjà en tête des charts avec sa variété hybride inspirée des grands orchestres populaires occidentaux. Fauché en pleine gloire à 29 ans (1971), il ressuscite dans l'hommage inattendu d'Etienne de la Sayette, saxophoniste dont on connaissait plus les amours « éthiopiques » (le groupe Akalé Wubé) et la sensibilité afro-jazz (témoin le récent Maputo Queens) que le tropisme asiatique. Sa relecture instrumentale, avec piano, guitare, batterie et claviers vintage (Victor Michaud, pour les arrangements), met en valeur les mélodies fabuleuses et les couleurs très cinématographiques de ce répertoire. Il y agrège swing vintage et valse de Chostakovitch, volutes planantes et halo sucré d'un dialogue de soap opera. Résultat : ses climats lyriques distillent un poison mélancolique addictif, façon In the mood for love, mais évoquent aussi l'esprit western-spaghetti d'Ennio Morricone, avec une petite touche délicieusement kitsch. - Anne Berthod
***** SONGLINES (UK) A french quintet offering modern jazz-influenced covers of a Korean crooner ? Even the theoretical infinte monkeys at their typewriters might have struggled to come up with the idea. Led by maverick producer Etienne de la Sayette, Baeshi Bang distil the style of 1960's Korean vocalist Bae Ho and the era he occupied, in wich the lush arrangements were tailored as precisely as the singer's immaculate suits. Retro is skilfully interwoven with modern throughout. On "Taeyangei Jeopyon" a Clavioline electronic keyboard emerges amidst a madcap minimalist orchestration. The us of this unusual instrument, famously emplyed on the Tornadoes "Telstar", subtly recalls an age when it was possible for instrumentals to rule the airwaves. The Korean elements elegantly sidestep the pitfalls of asian kitsch. Electric guitar and gayageum (Zither) riff in tandem on "Hwangpo Todtae", an uplifting slice of surf-soul, wich features teh revelatory French horn playing of Victor Michaud, duetting with de la Sayette's tenor sax on a breezy melody. This atypical album is beguiling, its rich textured arrangements bearing repeat listens. - Liam Isod
"...un groupe aussi délicieux qu'improbable..." FRANCE CULTURE
"... un charme naïf, non dépourvu d’ironie ..." LIBERATION
"... une mélancolie grisante... " TELERAMA
"... un projet énigmatique et enthousiasmant..." TSF JAZZ
"...Baeshi Bang crée une nouvelle école de la K-culture..." LYLO
"...une très belle découverte..." - les Echos
"...arrangements chics et subtils de ce petit bijou hors du temps." Point de Vue
"...the lush arrangements are tailored as precisely as the singer's immaculate suites" **** SONGLINES
"... Totally unique." Paris DJs
Etienne de la Sayette : tenor saxophone, flute, clavioline, kayageum Victor Michaud : french horn, organ Loic Récahard or Giani Caseroto : guitar François Chesnel : piano Stefano Lucchini : drums
Etienne de la Sayette : tenor saxophone, flute, clavioline, kayageum Victor Michaud : french horn, organ Loic Récahard or Giani Caseroto : guitar François Chesnel : piano Stefano Lucchini : drums
Co producer : Buda Musique
10 tracks album / 2008 / digital / CD / available on our Bandcamp page
Nearly fifteen years after its release, Muju Records is reissuing "The Show Was Not Good," the iconic album by Parisian quartet Frix. With its uber-cool grooves, offbeat humor, raging explosions, and modest lyricism, Frix's alchemy hasn't aged a bit !
"...Frix, dernière sensation hexagonale en quartet mené par Etienne de la Sayette, qui cultive l'irrévérence façon Sex Mob, marginaux New-Yorkais cités en référence. The Show Was Not Good est le troisième opus sous le choc des cultures acoustique (deux saxophones, contrebasse, batterie) et électro-bricolo-comico-trashy vintage - avec un sens de l'humour exacerbé, des liaisons licencieuses avec le cinéma et des collages dada qui provoquent des grooves turbulents. Comme ce Sex Toy saturé du dionysiaque tube zepellinien, Whole Lotta Love, ou encore I Want You, largement à côté de la plaque Beatlesiennes, jusu'à ce timbre nasal, culturellement ministérielle sur Fripo. Après des préliminaires en boucles, on attend avec impatience le passage à l'acte live, ce soir à Paris. Dominique Queillé - LIBERATION
...un groove cool, comme les premiers disques des Lounge Lizards, leur humour rappelle Zappa, et Frix est aussi ouvert au Dub-Reggae... Süddeutsche Zeitung - 26 juillet 2008
« NOUVEAU TALENT » JAZZMAN - Février 2008
...groovy et ludique (...) créativité virtuose et sons vintage... LYLO - Fevrier 2008
**** "Séduisant" ... Frix concocte un répertoire un peu barge, gentiment foutoir qui fait penser à Medeski Martin and Wood et à Sex Mob... JAZZMAN # 135
...une des formation les plus sympathiques et toniques de la jeune scène du jazz hexagonal... CULTURE JAZZ - mars 2008
,,,Une perle rare... JAZZ MAGAZINE # 581
...ce que le jazz français peut offrir en matière de métissages réussis... OCTOPUS juillet 2007
Un jazz décomplexé, nourri de différents grooves (funk, drum'n bass, lounge, afro-beat) qui donne le frisson... LYLO # 239
...un quartette joyeux à la rythmique avisée... JAZZ MAGAZINE # 568
...des musiciens accomplis, des compositions originales, une énergie communicative, à voir sur scène... CITIZEN JAZZ
... un univers à la Raymond Queneau, une poésie musicale assez surréaliste... CULTURE JAZZ - juin 2007
Ivan Réchard - double bass David Georgelet : drums Cyrile Méchin : tenor sax, calrinet Etienne de la Sayette : tenor & alto saxs, synths, samplers
Compositions by Etienne de la Sayette & Ivan Réchard
9 tracks album /2020 / digital - CD - vinyl - available on our Bandcamp page
"yeah !" Gilles Peterson - BBC 6 - UK
"une petite merveille" - Radio Nova - France
"a killer LP full of warmth, emotion and playfulness" - Truth & Lies - Justin Turford - UK
"une tuerie" - Couleurs 3 - Joh Erba - Switzerland
" un afrobeat onirique très attachant" - FIP France
"para sonar y bailar" Sonideros RTVE - Spain
"das Album ist wirklich großartig" Radio FM4 - Heinz Reich - Austria
"absolutely beautiful and enormously versatile" - Kristian Davidek - Radio FM4- Austria
"a playful and original stew" - Oli Brunetti - Music Is My Sanctuary - UK
"une grande réappropriation créative très réussie" - Michel Côté - Radio Canada/ICI Première - Canada
"On en rêvait, la Sayette l’a fait" - le Grigri - France
"great tune, I'm glad he did it" Lopa Kothari - BBC 3 - UK
Production / Recording / Compositions / all instruments: Etienne de la Sayette (except 6 composed by Tegenu Balkew) Mixing: Fabien Girard Mastering: Raphael Jonin Artwork : Ben Hito
Guests : Racecar : voice (1, 9) Erik Aliana : voice (4) Lansiné Diabaté : balafon: (1) Stefano Lucchini : drums (3, 5, 7, 9)
11 tracks album / 2025 / digital / CD / available on our Bandcamp page
"...The Wild Horses Orchestra is not a record to be listened to distractedly. It is a shelter. A cabin in the branches of the imagination, where one climbs barefoot, ears open, heart stretched. It is also a snub to the virtual, an ode to the handmade, to the sublimely imperfect, to sonic tenderness..." Solénopole
"As well as the diversity of his instruments and his skill on them, what sets de la Sayette apart from others is the quality and range of his compositions, which all have memorable, structured tunes, reflecting his wide knowledge of styles". Rootsworld
The Wild Horses Orchestra is an imaginary orchestra created by Etienne in 2020 oduring the strict first covid-national lockdown. Etienne, closed in his studio, gave birth to a few self-crafted pieces of music - he plays all the instruments freely, with his real pudgy fingers, without any electronic crutch or assistance from acronyms: no VST, no MAO, no MIDI, no AI, no SNCF, no GAFA...
Little by little, a sepia-toned orpheon takes shape, a kind of wonky circus orchestra , a movingt cabaret whose nostalgic leanings cling, as if by chance, to the branches of lands between East Africa and Far Asia. After previous albums with an electric feel, this time Etienne goes acoustic - clavinets, synths and other vintage organs are discarded. Dusty clarinets, flutes, pianos, double basses are brought out of mothballs and even a little harmonium who became the main character of the story. And because it's not that easy to go it alone, Etienne has invited a few of his friends' horses, pedigree or draught - as the case may be - into his phantom orchestra. Nicolas Brémaud on drums (also an accomplice in the Tako Toki trio) and the singular voices of two tutelary figures: the great Girma Bèyènè for the Ethiopian tribe the Ethiopian tribe, and Madame Kang Kwon Sun, officially a “living national treasure” in Korea, emeritus master of the “Changga” singing, once reserved for the king's court. Modestly recorded at home, the music was upgraded on the grand-luxe mixing desk of long-time accomplice Fabien Girard. And, last but not least, another dear friend, Ben Hito, completes the stable by signing, after the previous “Maputo Queens” and “Kobugi”, the stunning graphic design of this new album. credits
All compositions : Etienne de la Sayette except : (5) composed by Girma Bèyènè, (10) traditional/de la Sayette Recording : Etienne de la Sayette @ Studio Robo Drums recording (1, 2, 3, 6, 7) : Nicolas Brémaud @ Studio Duduc Voice Recording (10): Oh Young Hoon Mix/Mastering : Fabien Girard @ la Mixroom Artwork : Ben Hito Executive production : Muju Records
The horses are : Etienne de la Sayette - all instruments except : Nicolas Brémaud - drums (1, 2, 3, 6, 7) Frédéric Jean - drums (8) Paul Bouclier - percussions (8) Girma Bèyènè - voice (5) Kang Kwon Soon - voice (10)
10 tracks album / 2018 / digital / CD / vinyl / available on our Bandcamp page
"With so much music out every day, sometimes it’s hard to keep up. So when we were introduced to Paris based composer/arranger/producer Etienne de la Sayette’s solo effort Maputo Queens, we knew it would be on repeat here in the studio. His CV is a diverse one: Founder of the Frix and Baeshi Bang groups, co-founder/saxophonist for Parisian Ethio-Jazz band Akalé Wubé, live musician, producer and more. On a whole, Maputo Queens is an afrojazz bouillabaisse of different sounds, the spices from his travels all over the world. The title track is is exactly what you’d expect from a cat in Ethio-Jazz bands. It’s deep, with afro influences from start to finish.
A tribute to a favorite night in Mozambique at Maputo, the sound is very distinct. That organ, along with the flute, pair up with vintage synthesizers, a Univox drum machine, and beats and claps that bring back memories of long, sweaty gigs and the music played at the Afro-Spot by the Black President himself. There are ghosts of his music in here, and from the first beat, his spirit shines through this track. But Etienne de la Sayette and his talented bunch of musicians are not finished here. The driving bass propels the beat and as the organ chops move in and out, delicately around the flute, the psychedelic afro beat is tough as they come. The noodling on the synthesizer further out in the track will keep your head bobbing and your feet dancing until the wee hours. It’s music like this, weaving a narrative tale of African music that speaks volumes to future generations, but also does its best to preserve the rich tradition of the ingredients that go into the sound. Etienne is a talented artist making the world a much better place with tracks like this and an album like Maputo Queens. Our day is much better as well, and you will agree that it will brighten up yours. Have a listen to the track, and stream the whole record below".
Harvey Jamison - Flea Market Funk - NYC
Executive production, compositions, playing & recording : Etienne de la Sayette Mix : Cristian Sotomayor & Fabien Girard Mastering : Fabien Girard Artwork : Ben Hito (c) Muju Records
Guests : Racecar, Afrodyete, Max Weinssenfeldt, Blundetto, Stefano Lucchini, David Georgelet, Arnaud Lechantre, Erwan Loeffel, Loïc Réchard, Philippe George