introducing TONAK

to start this journey, we find ourselves amid the hustle and bustle of paris's largest flea market, in the northern part of the city. it's one of your favorite pilgrimage sites. since you can find pretty much everything there, what are you specifically looking for?

the flea markets are a world of their own, like a kingdom within the city. it's as if time stands still there. it's fascinating. i find a mix of all my interests: music, art, fashion and design. i love the idea that here, old objects are preserved, archived, and given a second life. for me, taking the time to wander through the flea market labyrinth is a way to get inspired and educate myself. that's how i build myself, how i move forward.

the dauphine market, a section of the flea market located on the mezzanine of an old hangar, is one of my favorite spots. there, you'll find speakers, phones, jazz magazines, tour t-shirts, and posters. you also run into some pretty interesting characters like momo, a record dealer with a distinctive style. he plays loud music from his stand. i've got a good story about him, actually. one day, while passing through the area, momo started playing a soul-funk song i didn't know. he told me to wait till the bass kicked in, like it was some kind of magic spell. when it finally did, it was like an epiphany for me. the song was "dance with me" by carrie lucas. i was young, and unfortunately, i had no money to buy the record. but years later, i stumbled upon it by chance in a bin in new york. today, i regularly play it in my sets. at the fleas, there's also a growing number of young artists and artisans setting up shop. up the stairs at malassis market, for example, my friend llorca runs a brand with the same name, making work trousers and bags. with his workshop full of fabrics and machines, he's got a real foothold there. like others, he embodies the renewal of this seemingly immortal place.

honestly, one of my dreams is to open a space of my own someday in the area, a spot where i could work and gather all the objects i've collected during my wanderings.

when you step into Exodisc, larry and dominique are not necessarily the warmest people in the world. they observe you with suspicion. but when you show genuine interest in music, they become like endless turbines of conversation. they talk about their favorite discoveries, the stories behind their cherished tracks, arrangements, and progression. while larry stays behind his counter, with his cigarette in the corner of his mouth, dominique picks out records for us as if sharing secrets. when i'm with them, i like to be a kind of student. i listen, i let them infuse me with a culture i don't yet know. i learn. these are rare, precious moments, ones i believe you won't find in any other parisian record shop.

over the course of our conversations, larry and dominique introduced me to a whole bunch of songs i hadn't known before. just recently, thanks to them, i started listening to the french jazz saxophonist and multi-instru-mentalist olivier témime-he just released an album featuring covers of the master freddy hubbard, and he collaborates with the legend of french rap, oxmo puccino.

i even reached a point where i asked larry and dominique if i could work for them. sadly, they don't have the money to hire staff, they can only rely on themselves. i truly hope this shop will stay open, that it will withstand the gentrification slowly creeping through the neighborhood.

why montezuma, then ?

i love the depth of the place, its height and the ceiling, and at the same time, the intimate proximity that it offers. i enjoy natural wines, and they have an impeccable selection, even if i don't drink much. plus, the plates are always generous!

but of course, it's also about the music. underground, there's a space to pass and listen to records that you wouldn't suspect when passing by on the street. places like this are rare in paris. at montezuma, you can play all kinds of music, to breathe beyond the usual club sound we hear everywhere. there are sets of dub or ambient, for example, since there's no wi-fi, you can't use shazam to identify a track you like. instead, you have to go talk to the dj. engage in a little conversation.

i play there from time to time, and every time i try to bring friends-like lena from paris' very own preciouscargo.fm or english artist haseed igbal. usually, we dine together and then head downstairs to dj.

it's a truly shared moment.

speaking of which, what's your signature style behind the turntables?

i've always been open to the unknown. in my sets, i've never wanted to be recognized for a particular style. i can't easily go from deep house to salsa. but there are common threads: the kicks, thebass, the percussion. that's what guides the construction of my mixes. the rest is just a complement. i also don't hesitate to incorporate warm vocals. heat, at the end of the day, that's what primarily defines my music.

the place where we're currently meeting is, once again, connected to music... it's the rinse radio studio. when i was young and listening to it online-whether the uk or paris version-it was like a kind of grail for me. i kept telling myself: "one day, you'll be on air too." in paris, i'd pass by and hesitate to go in because i was so intimidated.

over time, i finally managed to do my first mix on rinse in 2023. as i kept appearing as a guest on various shows, they eventually offered me a monthly residency. i named it "music for the soul." the idea isn't to develop a club-style show but rather a radio show that allows me to showcase what i listen to, what shapes my identity, over time, i've gotten used to inviting dj friends i love or want to introduce. in addition to their selections, we have a discussion about their influences, their current projects. i want to be a conduit of stories and memories. a few months ago, i invited my friend tactic, a producer who brought all his father's records, and the show turned into a real dive into his family's history.

rinse is, for me, a home port. i feel part of a community in the city; i'm more rooted. the radio, with manaré and laurent who curate it, is like family, with the right mix of exchanges and complicities. it's something new for me, and it sparks enthusiasm, inspiration.

to conclude this walk with you, we were supposed to get to la panza, a wine bar on the east side of town. but damn, we've just come to realise it's closed... tonak, you then have to help us picture what this place is really like.

rosane, the owner has been a friend of mine for quite a few years now. thanks to her, i hosted with a bunch of friends my very first fete de la musique party in 2019 at la panza and, later on, our first festival.

this place really embodies everything i'm about: friendship, delicious brazilian food - please order the pao de queijo if you're swinging by - good music and an atmosphere that feels effortlessy designed. I'm talking here about something specifically playful, detailed and full of character. at the end of the day, it's pure basic stuff: at la panza, you just fell at home.