New York Bars Serve Cosmopolitans

Everyone complains about record labels, calling them out-of-touch money pits that can’t innovate fast enough to compete in the 21st century marketplace. But maybe the real problem is that they don’t know how to pour a drink. Two New York companies—Barbès, in Brooklyn, and Nublu, in Manhattan—are giving this formula a shot, so to speak, serving both as neighborhood bars and storefronts for the performance and production of eclectic, multicultural music.

“Having a physical space is amazing—I don’t think the label could exist without it,” says Barbès owner Olivier Conan. “It’s a rehearsal space during the day, it’s a meeting place where we can all go have a drink, it’s multipurpose, it all feeds each other.” Here’s what you need to know in case you decide to visit—or buy their stuff.

Nublu
The space:  Lit by a single blue light bulb in the middle of its ceiling, the place casts a dark and sexy vibe for well over 100 patrons.
The sound: Brazilian forro, Turkish dub and jazztronica.
The business model: Nublu fosters projects with overlapping members, and
releases them on CDs and vinyl. Using these musical calling cards and social networking, owner Ilhan Ersahin promotes the bar/label at parties in Brazil, France and Turkey, creating international grassroots awareness of the brand.
The word: “City people—whether in New York, Istanbul or Sao Paolo—listen to all different kinds of music,” Ersahin says. “They are so much more aware of everything. There was a hole I felt was needed to be filled in New York for the music we were doing, the music of now.”  
The details: (212) 979-9925, 62 Avenue C, Manhattan. Nublu.net

Barbès
The space: Intimate and candlelit. Barbès fits only 60 people, and tends toward quieter multicultural fusions that don’t strain its modest sound system.
The sound: Psychedelic Peruvian pop, Slavic soul, Gallic experimentation.
The business model: Like Nublu, it’s a home base for bands that share members and develop new material during weekly residencies. Barbès is more attuned to traditional CD retail; its output has been rapturously received by world-music outlets.
The word: “We have classical, world music, avant-garde, but I think it’s all driven by the same approach to music in general” Conan says. “It’s a strong sense of wanting to use traditions in a non-traditional way. It’s a matter of building a community and an aesthetic.”
The details: (718) 965-9177, 376 9th St., Brooklyn. BarbesBrooklyn.com