XALO Records Launches to Release the Long-Lost 1964 Recordings of French Singer Jacqi Blanchon

New boutique label debuts with 3,333 numbered editions, from limited-run 45 RPM vinyl to original portraiture and printed works; the first restored recordings arrive this fall

OJAI, Calif., Aug. 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- XALO Records today announced its public launch and the forthcoming release of long-lost orchestral recordings by French singer Jacqi Blanchon, recorded in 1964 and believed lost for six decades before being rediscovered and restored over a ten-year effort by her grandson, the musician and filmmaker Talain. The label's founding collection of 3,333 numbered editions is available for preorder now at xalorecords.com, with the first pressing shipping this fall.

In 1956, Édith Piaf performed in the Grand Cercle room of the Casino de Charbonnières, outside Lyon. A photograph survives from that night, inscribed and dated: a souvenir given to Jacqi Blanchon by Geo Mouquet, the casino's orchestra leader. Eight years later, Jacqi stepped into a studio and recorded a full orchestral album of her own.

It was never released. The tapes disappeared.

The restoration began with a letter from a French record collector, whose discovery set off the search that brought the tapes back.

"I spent ten years chasing her voice," said Talain, founder of XALO Records. "Every family has one: a voice that went unheard. Hers is where this label begins."

The collection is one-time-only: each edition grants a permanent, numbered place in the label's founding archive, three generations of one family's music, rediscovered and restored.

Launch highlights:

• 3,333 editions, one archive: Each numbered edition, from the limited-run 45 RPM vinyl pairing Jacqi's 1964 recordings with new reimaginings with other artists, to original portraiture and printed works, marks a permanent place in the label's founding collection. When they are gone, the collection closes.
• Direct to supporter: All editions are sold exclusively at xalorecords.com, on a platform the label built and owns itself, with no marketplace or third-party dependency.
• A living archive: Supporters can follow the restoration through the XALO Records app, with an interactive 3D viewer for each edition.
• Behind the first release: String arrangements by Rob Moose (Bon Iver, Phoebe Bridgers), mixing by Jon Castelli (Billie Eilish, SZA), and mastering by Dale Becker, built around Jacqi's original 1964 recordings.

The first release from Jacqi's 1964 sessions arrives this fall, with more recordings, films, and live performances to follow. The trailer and archive can be viewed at xalorecords.com.

About XALO Records

XALO Records is an independent record label founded by filmmaker and musician Talain and based in Ojai, California, releasing music, film, and limited editions directly to supporters.

Media Contact

Talain Blanchon
XALO Records
[email protected]
xalorecords.com

SOURCE XALO Records