Concord Music was founded in 1973 by Carl Jefferson, who owned an automobile dealership in Concord, California. By day, he sold cars. And by night, he pursued his passion to create a record label to support his love of jazz and a roster of talented yet unsigned music artists. Today, Concord Music has grown into the world’s 5th largest independent music company, expanding to multiple sublabels and music genres.
To accommodate its growth, Concord partnered with Gensler to transform its new 25,000 SF headquarters in Los Angeles into a space that complements and speaks to the identities of their individual music labels: Concord, Fantasy Records, Fearless Records, Loma Vista, and Craft Recording. At Concord’s new offices, each label has its own musical and cultural identity that is expressed in the design of its own ‘suite’ and is celebrated as destinations throughout the space.
To meet Concord’s need for locating its five music labels under one roof, Gensler tailor-designed each suite to capture the labels’ unique brand and character. Concord, the original jazz label, embodies tradition through warm wood flooring, dark leather, and rich velvet accents. Fantasy Records, built on a foundation of American soul, blues and rock music, adopts a whimsical, yet audacious vibe with a ceiling display featuring blown-glass bulbs and green walls. Fearless Records, known for punk rock acts, occupies an edgy, unpretentious space with concrete floors, raw wood, and street art interspersed throughout the space. Loma Vista, a label that values creativity and collaboration, pushes against the traditional with concrete floors, a neutral color palette, and soft accents. Craft Recordings, with its rich and storied music collection, finds its authentic culture reflected through an updated mid-century space rooted in rich colors, and vintage touches.
The project enhances the guest experience by housing artist-tailored spaces that are: reflective of their music genres, comfortable, and easily transformed to meet their various needs—from work stations that double as collaboration hubs to a reception area that serves as a lounge and performance space. Communal areas connect the five separate labels that encourage “creative collisions.” Corridors are imagined as galleries leading to and connecting each label while displaying their prominent artists such as Ray Charles, Isaac Hayes, James Taylor, Dianne Reeves and Paul Simon to name a few. Simple, clean and modern concrete floors, and white walls are accented by warm slatted wooden ceilings—creating uniformity throughout the shared spaces and further emphasizing the synergy of the various labels housed under Concord Music Group.
