Jean-Charles is a skater who runs Hotel Radio Paris
I used to work as an international banker but after 10 years away from France, I’m back in Paris working on Hotel Radio Paris.
As a kid, I mainly discovered new music from skate videos. Skateboarding is such a large culture you can discover all kinds of music within it, everything from techno to jazz, and as I was skating in the 90’s, hip hop was the biggest sound around me personally.
Hotel Radio Paris shares this same connection. So just like in those old videos, every type of music will be under the same roof. Just like back in the day when skateboarders chose the music for their video parts, I will invite people on the station to play the music that they like too.
My favourite artist ever is Keith Haring, he never skated but he once did a drawing of a skateboarder which always inspires me!
I also follow Brian Lotti on Instagram and love his paintings. On top of being a legend in the skateboard world he’s also a fine painter.
Art and skateboarding don’t have creative boundaries so they can both include so many different types of artists. Filmmakers like Bill Strobeck that film their environment as well as the skating occurring in it inspires me.
Hotel Radio Paris will be reflective of Parisian life but not just for Parisian people but for everyone.
My major inspiration for creating it comes from Know Wave Radio, a New York based skate and lifestyle radio show, created by Aaron Bondaroff.
Jenkem Magazine mixtapes are great, they ask pro skaters for playlists and it surprises me no one did it before!?
They’ve had mixes by Hjalte Halberg, Spanky and even OG New York legend German Nieves. All of those dudes are from different places and their musical tastes are unique to them, I love it, its sick.
Hotel Radio Paris will feature skaters, some well known DJs, students and just about anyone who has something original and important to put on the decks, diversity is the key. That what I love in skateboarding when I was a kid, so that’s the main point of my radio channel.
Also it will have interviews with skaters, artists, musicians and filmmakers discussing their passions and interests.
I think The No Comply Network is needed, the skate world is so powerful now but it seems sometimes the people involved don’t skate or just a small minority are addressed.
There needs to be something in the middle and I see No Comply as that.
I like the promotion work you’ve done with Jeremy Jones. His skating and art is brilliant, its that kind of that diversity I think skating needs right now.