From Paris → London: Rinse FM Takeover

From its origins in the pirate radio era to its position today as one of the defining forces in UK music, Rinse FM has long operated as more than a broadcaster—it’s a cultural lifeline, shaping sounds, scenes and communities that often exist outside the mainstream spotlight. Built on grassroots energy and a deep connection to the dancefloor, its influence now stretches far beyond London, bridging generations and geographies while staying rooted in the same uncompromising ethos. That legacy comes into focus at The Standard, London, where Rinse FM & Rinse France joined forces with Paperboy, turning a polished city setting into something more immediate, collective and alive.

We caught up with Rinse France’s Manaré to talk music culture, Paris, and what connects the two cities right now.

Paperboy and Rinse both sit close to grassroots culture—what made this collaboration feel natural, and why does it make sense to bring it into a space like The Standard right now?

Both the opening of Paper Boy and our office in Paris happened at the same time, a few streets apart from each other. An organic friendship developed quickly between us, which I believe makes this collaboration organic. Music and F&B are human businesses. They rely on your ability to nurture a network and create authentic relationships based on common values. Considering both these pillars sit at the heart of the Standard experience, it only felt natural to invest this space together for a celebration of what we love most. We basically just connected the dots.

Rinse exists in both the UK and France—how does this night reflect the relationship between the London and Paris scenes right now?

As the world becomes more globalised, I don’t think the point is about you where you’re born, to me it’s more about your narrative / your approach. Even though Judah and Ragz are from London, there’s something so French about them and the delicacy they apply to their craft and curatorial approach. It’s a question of perspective more than geography. Once again, it is precisely our ability to nurture organic relationships, that allowed us to put together this beautiful lineup. We're very grateful to have these two for this occasion!

What changes when you take a sound rooted in pirate radio and underground clubs and place it inside The Standard—does the energy shift or evolve?

It’s definitely a challenge to blend these universes that are quite opposite at first glance. However, when you dig deeper, pirate radio and underground clubs have more layers, and the talent forming our community has always had more to say than what they are often boxed into.

Just because you’re able to smash a club at 4am doesn’t mean you don’t have a larger culture, or an obsession for a sound that might just end up fitting perfectly inside a space like The Standard

What does it mean for underground culture to exist in more elevated or institutional spaces—does it open doors, or risk losing something?

Before anything, I think “underground” holds a very different meaning depending on who wields it and we would probably need to (re)define underground to answer this question correctly.

When it comes to Rinse, we’re not actively trying to be underground, we are simply maintaining a certain standard (no pun intended) for quality in everything we do and it so happens that our tastes resonate with this thing that people call underground.

For us, regardless of whether this approach opens doors, the challenge remains the same: maintaining our identity whilst understanding where we're stepping to create a smooth, authentic experience.

This can only happen through observation, understanding the codes, and asking tons of questions.

Ultimately, you must be very intentional and almost pedagogical when approaching such spaces (or any spaces) if you truly intend to bridge the gap between the people you bring and those who already claim the space.