Grégory Gouty

Grégory Gouty is the co-owner and co-founder of 180g, an independent record label based in Nantes, France, that specializes in discovering and promoting Japanese music, both contemporary and from past decades.12

Background and Career

After spending 7 years working in Tokyo in record labels and music distribution, Gouty returned to his hometown of Nantes in 2015 to establish 180g.2 He founded the label with his partner Max (Maxime Brottes) with the goal of bringing obscure Japanese music to a wider audience.1

180g Label

The label focuses on two main areas:

1. Contemporary Japanese Artists: 180g releases albums from current Japanese musicians and helps promote them internationally. For example, they work closely with the band Ajate, organizing European tours for them.12

2. Archival Japanese Music: The label is known for its "Wamono" series, which explores and compiles the best of Japanese groove music from the 1960s, 70s, and 80s.12

Notable Projects

• Wamono Series: This compilation series, created in collaboration with Tokyo-based DJs Yoshizawa Dynamite and Chintam, has gained significant attention. It features obscure Japanese funk, dance-pop, and other genres from the post-war era.12

• Jazz-Funk Compilations: 180g has released collections featuring jazz-funk that incorporates traditional Japanese instruments like koto and shakuhachi.1

• WaJazz Collection: The label worked with Japanese jazz expert Yusuke Ogawa to compile this collection.1

Grégory Gouty's work with 180g has been instrumental in bringing lesser-known Japanese music to international audiences, bridging cultural gaps through the universal language of music.