There’s something about house music that transcends geography— sound that speaks without words, vibrations that connect strangers on a dance floor. But how you first hear it, and where you grow up hearing it, can shape everything. In this conversation, I sat down with Sanouyer —three DJs born from the Parisian underground now finding their voice in New York City—to explore how house music is lived, loved, and understood differently across the world. We discuss culture, curiosity, and what happens when you swap song requests for real music.

Tune in: GrooveTheory; Live Mix by Sanouyer

T: You grew up in Paris, where electronic music was a huge part of your early concert and nightlife experiences. Do you think that shaped how you see house music compared to someone who grew up in the U.S.?

Hugo: Yes 100%. People in Paris grow up with electronic music. My first live music experience was seeing Justice perform when I was 13 and I realize how lucky we are to have grown up in such a musical bubble. It definitely shapes our ear and our tastes in a certain way

Miki: Paris and really Europe shaped my taste through club culture and the DJs I followed. The first time I went to Ibiza, I understood what music was really about. That kind of exposure just hits different - it stays with you.

Louis: There is definitely a more established and adopted underground scene in Paris. Cool clubs play underground music. So in some ways you’re a little forced to listen to this type of music going out. It’s an acquired taste.

T: Why do you think house music isn’t as mainstream here as it is in Europe? What is it about Manhattan’s music culture that makes it different?

Hugo: The US is very rich musically. You have hip hop, country, pop, …. US artists dominate the world in those genres and I think it’s normal that people primarily listen to that kind of music. France is way smaller and musically the only spot where we can rival with the US and other countries is electronic music. Daft Punk, Air, Justice, all the French Touch movement: those are our biggest successes musically on the international stage and that’s inspired generations of both really good producers and very picky listeners. And you can see that difference going out in the US vs going out in Europe or France.

Miki: I think house isn’t as mainstream here because the U.S. has always had different musical priorities hip hop, rock, pop. Meanwhile in Europe, house is just part of how people go out—it’s in the culture. That said, the U.S. is still where house was born Todd Terry, Marshall Jefferson, Larry Heard, Frankie Knuckles so it’s in the roots. In Manhattan though, a lot of the scene chases what’s trendy. People go where the hype is, not always for the music. And house has never been about hype, it's about the feeling. That said, places like Detroit, Chicago, and Brooklyn definitely know what they’re doing. The culture runs deep there.

Louis: There is too little place for curiosity and exploration, especially if you keep giving people what they ask for

T: Have you come across any unexpected spots or crowds in NYC that give you the same feeling as the scene back home?

Hugo: OuterHeaven for sure. It’s the most music-forward place in Downtown Manhattan in my opinion. In Brooklyn I think Public Records and Nightmoves have the same approach to music than some places in Paris

Miki: For me, those are the spots that feel closest to the scene back home: Good Room, Outer Heaven, Nightmoves, Public Records, Resolute, Gabriela. They all have that no-ego, all-vibe energy. The kind of nights where you just let go and dance.

Louis: To me there is nothing similar, really. European/French house has its scene, its people, its vibes, its aesthetic. I think NYC offers something different, especially in the rave scene.

T: When you're curating a set, how do you introduce people to “really, really good house music” if they’re not familiar with it?

Hugo: We try to keep it approachable. Not by playing songs that people know or singalongs, but by making sure the music is great, makes people dance even if they don’t know the song and by creating a progression where they’ll start the night with house tracks with disco accents and end up dancing at 145bpm on a super housey track. My personal biggest pride is when I see people use Shazam during our sets.

Miki: When we are curating a set, it’s really about reading the room in real time. We go in with a rough plan, but the goal is to guide people, mixing what the crowd needs with what makes us happy. I love throwing in rare house gems and watching someone react to a track they didn’t see coming. It’s not about dropping hits - it’s about building a vibe, earning trust, and maybe even initiating them into a higher BPM journey… eheh.

Louis: I guess it starts with playing something that sounds mainstream but is quite unknown. Once you get the crowd then you definitely get more freedom to play what you want

T: What’s been the biggest challenge in bringing your vision for house music to Manhattan?

Hugo: Honestly, the biggest challenge has been with clubs. Most Manhattan clubs don’t care about the music, they just care about getting people to spend money at the bar. I can’t really blame them, it’s their business but I think that makes all those clubs interchangeable - and honestly not very cool. People just flock to wherever is new, or where the people are hotter. If these clubs had a clear sound identity and were constantly playing music, I think they’d be more successful at retaining a tasteful, eclectic audience. I think Nightmoves is doing that very well in Brooklyn.

Miki: For me, the hardest part has been finding spaces that actually care about the music. A lot of Manhattan clubs feel copy-paste, same crowd, same vibe, no real identity. We’ve been asked to play super commercial stuff before, and that’s just not us. I get that clubs need to make money, but when music becomes background noise, it kills the energy. What we’re trying to build is the opposite - something with intention, where the sound leads the night, not the other way around.

T: Have you ever had a moment where you saw someone completely change their mind about house music—like they walked in skeptical and left converted?

Hugo: yes it happened the other day with the owner of a club we played at. He was very specific about us playing commercial tunes, instead we did our thing and he was super happy. The crowd loved it too.

Miki: For sure. It’s the person who had no idea who we were, stayed till the end, and came up just to say thank you. Or the owner who gave us a shot and ended up dancing in the booth. Even the girl who asked for Drake and ended up going off to a pure house track—those are the moments that remind us why we do this.

T: If you could design your ideal house music night in Manhattan, what would it be like?

Hugo: just friends, music and vibes

Miki: I’d start the night in a hi-fi bar somewhere in Brooklyn with a great sound system, warm lighting, and space to really listen. Then you’d slip into a back room—darker, more clubby, just a proper dance floor running on vinyl. No phones, no flashy lights, just good music and people who came to move.

Louis: steamy night going from one place to the other, distortion of the light because of the mushrooms

T: What is Sanouyer?

Hugo: Sanouyer is the name of our DJ group. Historically it’s also been the name of our parties because when we started DJing, we had to throw our own events because no one would book us on a line up - but now that’s changed.

Miki: Sanouyer is just the three of us - friends with different styles, but the same love for house music. We didn’t overthink it, we just started playing together and realized something special happens when we do.

T: Beyond just throwing events, are you thinking about building something bigger—a community, a movement, something more long-term?

Hugo: Yes 100%. We’re big on making sure we build a community of people who come and have fun at our parties. Great people and great music, that’s the combo.

Miki: It’s definitely in the works. We’ve seen our community grow with us, and it’s been really special. Seeing familiar faces come back to our parties—it means we’re doing something right. It’s more than just events now, it’s starting to feel like a real movement.

Louis: Continue on a music journey. That’s what it’s always been about. Play the tracks we discover and love. Evolve in our respective genres.

T: Who are some DJs, producers, or collectives that inspire the way you’re shaping this project?

Hugo: Musically we all have our different styles and I think that’s one of the things that make us unique and that people like. Being able to build a set that makes sense musically from our three different styles is what makes it interesting and we’re always looking at people that manage to do it consistently (whether 2 or 3 DJs).

Miki: We all bring different influences—maybe a Paris local DJ, an ’80s disco track, some Brazilian house, or something completely random. We don’t just stick to house—we’re always digging through different sounds. We spend a lot of time just hanging out and sharing music with each other. What inspires us most are certain labels, duos, trios, and individual artists who have their own sound and keep things fresh. ex: Kolter, Demi Riquisimo, M-High, Luis Radio, Kx9000

Louis: Felipe Gordon, Leo Pol, Kevin Yost…

T: What’s one thing you wish more people in Manhattan understood about house music?

Hugo: It’s not that complicated, just come dance, have fun and discover

Miki: House isn’t just boom boom - it’s a vibe, a journey. If you see our name, just know you’re in for something real.

Louis: Take a moment, be patient and listen

Coco’s Corner:

Coco: If your sets had a dress code, what would it be?
Hugo: Sanouyer Hats and T Shirts! We did a few drops last year

Coco: What’s your unofficial band motto or inside joke that somehow always follows you into the booth?
Sanouyer: 🍄

Coco: What’s the most ridiculous song request you’ve ever gotten mid-set?
Hugo: We got asked to play Oasis at 2am in the middle of a house set

Sanouyer - Dance Like Paris

Coco’s Corner:

Why This Residency Feels Different: N/UM