French house music, or French touch as it is sometimes called, rose to prominence in the 1990s with its raw, lo-fi aesthetic. Although influenced by house music from Detroit and Chicago, the signature sound centered around samples from funk, soul, and disco records, catchy synth basslines, and beats from classic Roland drum machines. As electronic music was still relatively young as a movement, it’s astounding how many artists from this scene became global superstars, solidifying the art form for years to come. Let’s take a journey through this eclectic style in these ten songs.
Playlist
Around the World by Daft Punk (1997)
With the second single from their debut album, Homework, Daft Punk completely redefined the kind of music that could become a hit record, as “Around the World” charted globally. Its genius stems from being one of the most intentionally repetitive songs ever, with a simple structure that foreshadowed the iconic Daft Punk sound we know today.
The robotic talk box vocal loop, understated synth melodies, and a bassline recalling “Good Times” by Chic created a futuristic retro aesthetic. The Homework sound, which would influence many artists to come, was created using a Macintosh-controlled Roland S-760 sampler to map out the various song parts, like a primitive DAW.
Lara by Pépé Bradock (1997)
Widely regarded by house heads as one of the greatest exponents of sample-based house music, Pépé Bradock, aka Julien Auger, masterfully knits together samples and drum patterns to form textured tapestries that you can dance to. As a producer and remixer, he began releasing music in 1997, with his first EP Un Pépé En Or Vol. 1 on Kif Recordings.
As one of his earliest works, Lara stands out immediately with stark, shuffled rhythmic patterns created on the Roland TR-909. The track also contains several samples, including sounds cut from “Starlight and You” by Lonnie Liston Smith & The Cosmic Echoes.
Gym Tonic by Bob Sinclar (1998)
Before the fabulous Bob Sinclar found his formula for radio-friendly house hits, his sound was far more underground, drawing from the energy of his club DJ sets. One of his earliest floor fillers, “Gym Tonic,” was co-produced by Thomas Bangalter and originally featured a 12-minute improvised funk section by James Andrew “Gym” Dakin and a sample from Jane Fonda’s famous arms workout routine.
Although he never cleared the sample for release as a single, Sinclar boldly released a version on his debut album, Paradise, in 1998. As a result, the uncredited sample led to legal action costing Sinclar $75,000. Meanwhile, as the song was never a single, UK duo Spacedust opportunistically re-recorded it, landing them a number one hit.
Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust (1998)
The multiplatinum-selling single “Music Sounds Better With You” was, in fact, a song written as filler content for the fledgling trio’s upcoming show at the famous Rex Club in Paris. Stardust formed as a group after Alain Quême, aka Alan Braxe, signed some of his early tracks to Thomas Bangalter’s Roulé label, with Alain’s childhood friend Ben Cohen, aka Benjamin Diamond, on vocals.
The song’s creative spark came from flipping samples from the Chaka Khan song ” Fate” with an SP-1200 sampler, with a driving Roland TR-909 kick pattern underneath. Over the week it took to make this record, the group simplified the more expansive lyrics, with Bangalter’s minimalistic production edge shining through.
Flat Beat by Mr Oizo (1999)
The success of the rudely infectious electro-house record, “Flat Beat,” is closely linked to the rise of a certain lanky yellow puppet named Stéphane. Quentin Dupieux’s solo electronic project, Mr Ozio, gained tremendous traction when Levi’s took an interest in his filmmaking and asked him to create an advertisement campaign using his visual concepts and music.
Dupieux imagined “Flat Beat” as the music that the furry yellow character enjoyed, and both the puppet, now known as Flat Eric, and Mr Oizo gained cult status in a pre-Internet era viral moment. The song is comprised of a sample from “Put Your Love in My Tender Care” by the Fatback Band, a noxious MS-20 bassline, and some Roland TR-606 drum sounds.
Feeling For You by Cassius (1999)
The journey of pioneering production duo Philippe “Zdar” Cerboneschi and Hubert “Boombass” Blanc-Francard began in the late 1980s, producing beats for the legendary hip-hop artist, MC Solaar. Through the mid-’90s, the duo branched out into a range of electronic sounds as La Funk Mob, before launching the house act, Cassius.
“Feeling For You” was the second single from the debut full-length Cassius album 1999, featuring a sample from “All This Love That I’m Givin'” by Gwen McCrae. The pitched-up vocal becomes an irresistible earworm, and the original bassline has been reshaped to fit the out-of-control feel of the track.
The Man With the Red Face by Laurent Garnier (2000)
As a DJ, artist, and co-founder of the F Communications record label, Laurent Garnier is a pivotal figure in the development of electronic music, both in France and worldwide. He got his first taste of the rave scene at the Haçienda in Manchester, and later developed his sound as a DJ through the legendary Wake Up events he ran at the Rex Club in Paris.
“The Man With the Red Face” was originally a piece performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1998, which later became a focal point of Garnier’s third album. This iconic track features an outrageous performance from saxophonist Philippe Nadaud, as Garnier blurred the lines between techno and avant-garde music.
Lady (Hear Me Tonight) by Modjo (2000)
When producer Romain Tranchart and vocalist Yann Destal signed to Universal, they hadn’t yet come up with the name Modjo. To say things happened too fast would be a gross understatement, as the duo’s debut single skyrocketed to number one all over Europe, and it was one of their earliest efforts in music production.
This timeless disco banger was built around a sample from Chic’s “Soup for One,” with the Nile Rodgers chord progression rephrased to suit the throbbing uptempo feel. Then, after catching lightning in a bottle, Modjo split up in 2003 as a respite from their unintended mainstream success, and continued to pursue solo projects.
Starlight by The Supermen Lovers ft. Mani Hoffman (2001)
Although the name might not suggest it, The Supermen Lovers is the solo project of Guillaume Atlan, inspired by a Johnny Guitar Watson song. “Starlight,” the breakout single, was a collaboration with singer Mani Hoffman, who co-wrote the lyrics, and it also features backing vocals from Onili.
Starlight’s fundamental chord progression forms the backbone of the tune, which is sampled from the late-1970s disco bomb, “The Rock,” from the New York outfit East Coast. Meanwhile, the unique backing vocal countermelody works perfectly around the lead vocal, making “Starlight” a timeless classic.
Breathe by Télépopmusik (2001)
The electronic music outfit, comprised of Fabrice Dumont, Stephan Haeri aka 2Square, and Christophe Hetier aka DJ Antipop, formed Télépopmusik in the mid-1990s, releasing their debut album Genetic World in 2001. With the help of the Grammy-nominated single, “Breathe,” the album charted in both the US and UK.
While most French house relied heavily on samples, “Breathe” featured the delicate vocals of the late Angela McCluskey over a hypnotic bassline and a deep TR-909 kick and hi-hat pattern. Even today, the sound palette oozes sophistication, with influences from downtempo, trip-hop, and electronica.
