Hey everyone - welcome back at the discotheque!
It's been a very long time since I last did a post talking about what's been on rotation for me recently - so seeing as it's Saturday (and quite frankly, I'm in the mood to do a bit of blogging!) - I think it's time for the next installment in the 'What I've Been Listening To' series.
June was a pretty sweet month for me, and I've been spinning a whole bunch of French house and nu-disco from multiple different eras - so I hope that this post serves you well in looking for new tracks to bump!
Let's get started!
Broke One - Go Go Go (2011)
Released towards the end of the 'bloghouse' era on iconic label La Valigetta - this cut up filter house jam from Italian producer Broke One - who's since become one of my main musical inspirations, is an absolutely fantastic track. It's a very club-friendly outing which is extremely raw, yet at the same time effortlessly playful and very, very fun - largely thanks to the fantastic production (or is it the vocal chops?) - melding together the sounds of filter house with his signature 'deep' style with a dash of techno influence to boot, it's easy to see why this got a ton of praise upon release - including plays from former Radio 1 residents Jaymo and Andy George on their 'In New DJs We Trust' show - and official remixes from the likes of Atlanta-based legend Treasure Fingers, Russ Chines and legendary big beat duo Evil Nine.
In short, if you haven't somewhat stumbled upon this in your travels - I highly recommend giving it a spin or buying it to smash out at clubs. Furthermore - be sure to check out Fabio's later work too - which spans a host of disco-influenced house - some of which was signed to Shiny Disco Club and Moda - remixes for Cheap Thrills and BNR, and several full-length cinematic drum and bass / techno / deep house works for the likes of White Forest.
Buy it from Bandcamp now as part of the 'Stop Making Sense' EP.
Strip Steve - Micro Mega (2012)
On a random rainy day at the start of the month, I was on my computer looking for things to listen to, and I realized that I hadn't dug much into the work of French producer and DJ Strip Steve - so I decided to go on a small binge and was very quickly floored. After repeatedly listening to his first two EPs - which were released on BNR - I eventually stumbled upon his debut album Micro Mega, and I can confidently say that it is, without a doubt, one of the finest albums I've ever listened to - for a whole bunch of reasons!
I'd like to mention that this isn't really a typical French house record. Sure, all of the ingredients that make up the genre are there, and they sure do show - but to me, this is an extremely cohesive record that, similar to Daft Punk's debut, chucks in influences of the Chicago house music scene and harder rave, while still remaining unmistakably French, funky and damn epic, if I say so myself.
While I could go on forever about the little details in this amazing record - I'll save that for a full-length review coming this summer, and let's talk about my favourite tracks - which include Money Trouble Funk - a G-funk influenced banger that's full of amazing hooks and squelchy synthesis - it seriously bumps when you're cruising on a hot summer day - the ridiculous filtery jams Radiocheck and Skate Control (I especially love the needle jumping at the start of the latter, it sounds so sweet!) and the incredible Hood - a thumping, heavy club weapon that manages to tread the line between upbeat and dark at the same time!
This album truly is killer. Go and stream it now - or buy a CD!
Munk - Down in LA (Shazam Remix, 2009)
Heading away from French house and going into different territory, I was listening to Treasure Fingers' iconic 'Winter 2008 Mix' a ton this month, and about halfway into the set - he dropped this absolutely awesome cut from Munk and Shazam, which was released on Gamma seventeen years ago. While the original track is a sleazy piece of electro pop which is extremely gritty, strange and funky - Shazam completely flips it to create a glimmering post-disco edit which is extremely elegant, seductive, summery and deeply joyous. There's pulsating 80s synths, analogue warmth, beats that strike and in general, it's just a sugary sweet slice of nu disco that's bound to lift your mood at any given time - as well as provide a great picture of where the indie dance scene was in the late 2000s. We had electro, we had French house - and we also had stuff like this, which ruled!
Buy this remix now from Bandcamp as part of a small remix EP - where on the B-side, Siriusmo takes the reigns on reworking 'The Rat Race' - also from Munk's long-player Cloudbuster.
Sedat The Turkish Avenger - Take Me Ce Soir (2003)
When you enter a conversation with a French house fan about what the greatest tracks of the genre are, the obvious examples will come up pretty quickly - Intro, One More Time, Lady, you get the drill - but I can almost guarantee you that Sedat's name is going to get brought up one way or another, and this month, I've been listening to his magnum opus - the great Take Me (Ce Soir) a ton.
If you, like me - love filter house music - then you love this tune. An anthemic example of how to do it perfectly, this is a truly flawless outing from start to finish - the production is absolutely brilliant, it's so god damn catchy that I'd think you were weird if you didn't like it, and most importantly - the bassline is absolutely ridiculous, and to many, it's known as one of the best in the game. It's perfect for any occasion - beach parties, winter days in the rain, at the club, or just for dancing in your bedroom. Need I say more? I don't think so!
You can listen to Take Me (Ce Soir) in various places - but YouTube is likely your best bet!
Cassius - 20 Years (2002)
This is probably going to be the most random pick on today's post - but I damn well think it deserves its place. The tenth track on Cassius' sophomore record Au Reve - 20 Years serves as the 'original version' of the 2006 classic See Me Now - and boy, do I absolutely love it. It's extremely trippy, yet ridiculously funky - and the unconventional structuring and fuzzy production make this track a very interesting and intriguing listen. It feels extremely spontaneous, organic and playful at so, so many points - and compared to See Me Now - which, while still brilliant, is a lot more tight and formulaic, this feels like the direct opposite - it's wild, free, fun, and very damn crazy. Zdar's vocals, although distorted - are, as always, absolutely brilliant, soaring over the instrumentation with ease at points and being buried back at others - and the hip-hop influence is extremely clear too, making this even more of a hit for those that aren't really into house music.
In short - despite me waffling on - this is bloody great!
Buy it on Bandcamp as part of Au Reve now.
The Director - Fade In (2022)
Released through independent label Uppwind in June 2022 - the opening track on The Director's debut EP 'How To Use a VHS Camera?' is an absolutely stunning piece of filter disco which sounds like it could have ended up being released for a bunch of legendary labels in the late 90s and early 2000s such as Vertigo, Black Jack, Fiat Lux or Crydamoure - and for damn good reason. Recorded in his studio with entirely analogue equipment - this EP, and in particular this track - helped to establish him as one of the hottest new producers in the game upon release - a status which he still effortlessly holds four years later. It's a super, super sweet outing - it's got that distinct lo-fi charm that was present everywhere back in the 90s, the beats are slamming and, as per usual - the sampling is absolutely one of a kind - mirroring the work of legends such as Bangalter, early Leger and Supa Channel. If you love your house music old-school and served with a side of that low quality crunch - then go and spin this absolutely legendary cut.
Buy Fade In now as part of the How To Use a VHS Camera? EP on Bandcamp.
VA - Discotexas Forbidden Cuts Vol. I (2010)
Going back to the blog-era of French touch music (woohoo!) - the first major compilation release from Lisbon-based label Discotexas has been one of my personal favourites for around a year now, but I've been playing it a bunch this month - largely because of how bright, glitzy and sunny all three tracks sound on this epic EP. Featuring label bosses Moullinex and Xinobi alongside underrated legend Rockets - this release opens with the iconic, yet deeply chilled Lover In Me - an optimistic, yet slightly romantic post-disco jam which shot to fame for its upbeat nature, fantastic sample finesse (I could have never guessed the Sugarhill Gang sample) and laid-back vibes.
On the flipside, Xinobi came in hot with the incredible Valsa in NJ, which is my personal favourite on this EP - a thumping, yet dangerous club weapon that reminds me heavily of the work of Treasure Fingers (but that could just be the drums talking, even if they are hard as hell!) - before Rockets ends the compilation out with the quirky, yet extremely infectious nu disco jam Running To You - which did the rounds on blogs back in the late 2000s for damn good reason - the synths are awesome in particular, and to add - I think he may have used a James Brown sample on it, making it a perfect closer to such an awesome little bundle of bangers.
Buy it from Bandcamp now - it's fantastic!
There you have it, everyone!
I hope that you've enjoyed reading today's post - it's been super fun talking about all of the stuff that's been rotating around in my head this month, and I hope to do the same for July!
As per usual, you can find a full playlist below!
As always, keep enjoying your stay at the discotheque.
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