Tags: French House

Review: Daft Punk's defining album comes directly from the horses' mouths, seeing a new vinyl edition in 2022 released via the ex-duo's own Daft Life Ltd. label. With no frills or fluff, every original track on their third album from 2001 appears here in crunching glory, not sounding an inch rougher or time-weathered. Aptly, 'Discovery' was described by the duo as a reflection of their childhood memories, when they listened to music with a more innocent ear; 20 years on, Discovery can certainly be said to have lived up to that original inspiration.

Review: 'Alive 2007' is known as one of the most influential live albums ever, and this new reissue via Daft Punk's parent label Daft Life cements that influence. Performed at the French venue Bercy, we feel much harder, better, faster and stronger as we listen eagerly to the the pair's signature talkboxes, samples and hooks, this time drenched in crowd jeers and natural reverb. In this instance, Daft Punk manipulated their established material, transposing and deconstructing the structures of their studio tracks and paving the way for the future of live electronic music performance.

Review: With each album, Daft Punk threw down something new for their mammoth fanbase to deal with. Never ones to repeat themselves or play it safe, Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo ruffled feathers when they followed up the pop-tastic heights of Discovery with the rock-tinted stylings of Human After All. In hindsight, with the world-beating project brought to an end, the album sounds like Daft Punk through and through, not least on lead single 'Robot Rock', but full credit to them for not taking the easy route to give the fans what they want. As we reflect on the legacy of one of the biggest dance acts of all time, it's a fine time to revisit this album with a sparkling new pressing as part of the Daft Life Ltd series.

Review: Originally released in 2003, Daft Club was the first official compilation of any Daft Punk material, and they chose to gather together some of their most prominent remixes from the likes of The Neptunes, Cosmo Vitelli, Basement Jaxx and Slum Village along with a few other exclusives and obscurities like 'Aerodynamite' and 'Overture'. It's a must for any fan, especially now we know (or at least assume) there won't be any more DP material to come in the future. Repressed to fox the resellers, you can finally grab this one on wax once more, and you don't need to be told it's packed full of bangers.

Review: One of the many songs that defined a distinct, hot, made-for-TV dance-pop era, Martin Solveig and Dragonette's 'Hello' is an energetic electro house rouser, and made waves with its tennis-themed back-and-forth music video, which allegorised the gone-bad relationship narrativised in the song. Now pressed to sporty white vinyl, this is a warm-up song if there ever was one, with its lead two-note piano riff clipped to searing, overdriven proportions. Dragonette's vocals sing of romantic vascular sweats, caused by botched inter-relational backhands, poor get-back-at-you swings, and triple bagel defeats. This version comes with a 2024 'Super Edit', bringing a stuttering progressive house continuation.

Review: While he might not have enjoyed the same global superstardom as Daft Punk or Bob Sinclair, Alan Braxe has more than made his mark as a legend of the French touch movement. As co-creator of monster house anthems 'Music Sounds Better With You' (with Stardust) and 'Intro' (with Fred Falke) he's shown off his skills in crafting an eternal classic. In 2005 The Upper Cuts was released to shine a light on the wider reaches of his impeccable oeuvre - every track a pitch perfect slice of Parisian dancefloor gold. Now it's being reissued in newly remastered form with some bonus belters including Braxe's remix of Britney Spears' 'Anticipating'.

Review: Last year, Kiko Navarro unveiled a regularly updated Spotify playlist, entitled TwentyFour, which he uses to showcase his favourote productions, reworks of other artists, an d remixes if his work. That playlist has now spawned the first of what we believe will be an ongoing series of EPs. The long-serving Spanish artist (and Afroterraneo Music founder) begins by showcasing his fine, pleasingly rolling re-edit of Blaze's hybrid soulful house/Earth Wind & Fire style disco classic, 'Breathe', before treating us to a superb, sample-heavy and piano-rich Tucillo remix of his own 'The First Time'. Over on side B, he serves up some bouncy disco-house action ('Jammin' All Night Long', with its female spoken word vocals, jazzy pianos and killer groove) and an authentic-sounding Afrobeat re-make of 'Isao' by DJ Fudge.

Review: French producer St Germain laid down a pretty untouchable deep house blueprint with his debut album Boulevard, then managed to go one better with Tourist a couple of years later. It had even more instrumental magic and jazz class to it, over the deep, driving yet cuddly house beats with plenty of spoken word tributes to house legends, hummable top lines and iconic flutes that have endured for more than 20 years since its release. The whole thing has been remastered and now arrives on translucent orange vinyl. A true classic that will never go out of fashion and works both at home and in the club equally well.

Review: Best of 1996-2019 is the first-ever Best Of album by Cassius, legendary pioneers of the French touch movement. Housed in a black gatefold sleeve, it includes liner notes by Hubert "Boombass" Blanc-Francard who does a great job of reflecting on the duo's journey and the late Philippe "Zdar" Cerboneschi, who passed away five years ago. The compilation features iconic tracks spanning their career, including hits like 'Cassius 1999,' 'I <3 U So,' 'Feeling For You,' 'Toop Toop,' 'Go Up,' 'The Sound of Violence' and 'Don't Let Me Be.' It is a joyous celebration of Cassius' enduring influence on electronic music.

Review: Super Discount was the hugely influential 1996 debut album by Etienne de Crecy. Several more volumes came and helped to define the French scene of the ear and they remain great inspirations to this day as De Crecy's work very much propagated certain other genres, from scratchy filter-house a la Daft Punk to the jazzier house genre of St Germain. This second volume is packed with plenty of names who helped to define the early French electronic scene such as Alex Gopher & Julien Delfaud, Philippe Zdar and DJ Mehdi. It's raw electro house that fizzes and spits with potent dancefloor scuzziness and energy even now.

Review: It is hard to overstate the impact that Etienne de Crecy had on the global, but specifically French, electronic scene. His debut album in 1996 brought all new sounds and references and set in motion a revolution that spawned everything from classic French touch to jazzy deep house by Saint Germain via what went on to become the Ed Banger-aligned electro house of Justice et al. It all started with the first volume of Super Discount and carried on through further volumes such as this third one which is as searing and vital now as ever.

Review: French label Wagram knows a thing or two about putting out superb compilations that take a widescreen look at a diverse array of genres. For this latest double album release it carries on in its Africanism series with a second volume of house sounds with an Afro undertone. French legend Bob Sinclair appears several times with his lavish house sounds, and countryman Martin Solveig brings the heat with 'Heartbeat', a bright, prickly and vocal jam with plenty of irresistible hooks. It's a great collection of party-ready sounds.

Review: Bob Sinclar's Born in 69 reissue for 2024 presents an album filled with joyousness and infectious energy, showcasing Sinclar's talent for turning cover songs into dancefloor anthems. Collaborating with reggae crossover artists like Shabba Ranks and Kevin Lyttle, Sinclar infuses Caribbean influences throughout the album, evident in tracks like 'Love You No More' and 'New New New.' From the spirited revamp of the lambada in 'Give Me Some More' to the funky reinterpretation of classics like 'Mr. Tambourine Man' and Adrian Gurvitz's 'The Way I Feel,' Sinclar's creative flair shines through. The inclusion of tribal beats, psychedelic sitar and Middle Eastern flair adds depth and variety to the album's sonic landscape. While some tracks may lean heavily on auto-tuned vocals, the overall vibe of Born in '69 is undeniably upbeat and feel-good. It's an album that prioritizes fun above all else, inviting listeners to let loose and enjoy the infectious rhythms. Bob Sinclar proves once again that sometimes, all you need is music that makes you dance and smile.