Brighton rocks to FIP
The music policy in the eMusic Europe office is usually dictated by whoever gets to the stereo first (and it’s right by my chair, so I have a natural advantage here) but when we can’t agree on anything we listen to FIP.
FIP is a French radio station, based in Paris (the initials stand for France Inter Paris.) Their music policy is eclectic, veering from fado to Ornette Coleman to Yma Sumac in a ten minute period. But interestingly it’s developed a small cult following in the UK, specifically in the seaside town of Brighton*. FIP is as much the sound of Brighton as the arcade machines on the pier or the gulls overhead. There’s even a local appreciation society called Vive La Fip. So why did the home of sugary pink rock fall for French radio?
For around ten years a mysterious Brighton resident has been relaying the FIP signal to transmitters in two areas of the town. FIP in Brighton is actually a very upmarket form of pirate radio. And it caught on, possibly because the station’s mix of music and lack of adverts mirrors the town’s view of itself, hip yet laid-back, against commercialism, non-conformist without giving up any creature comforts.
FIP also has an added bonus. The presenter may well be reading a Parisian traffic update, but most British listeners are none the wiser.
* I know I’m supposed to say Brighton is a city, not a town, now, but it’s just not. It’s NOT, okay?
Thanks for the recommendation. I love stuff like this.
The url if anyone wants to listen through Itunes is http://213.205.96.91:9903
I was listening to it and the Serge Gainbourg song covered by Okkervil River came on within 10 minutes. That’s a bit like winning Keno on your first try.
I’m French and I’ve never listened to FIP (I always thought their playlist was mainly classical), it’s funny that it’s on a UK website I found this kind of recommendation.
I couldn’t help but check the url and the station’s music is a little strange for me, sure I started to imagine the dinamics that lead to choosing this station and it seems all very strange and different but nice.