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1. The New French electronica is intriguingly experimental with a high emphasis played on listenability. Dance music is not as formula bound as is the tradition in New York (land of 4 to 4 at 120 bpms) or as is increasingly the case in London, where every record needs a recognizable tag so it can hit its niche market. Instead the French flow with a more lush, more whimsical edge (which is refreshing after all that hardness of the past two years). 2..The New French electronica is brilliantly eclectic. Though a legacy of musical segregation still lingers in the French clubs, the best new productions treat all club music as equal fodder for their aural explorations |
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is this free-form splicing that makes "LaYellow Collection":
a compilation CD by Yellow Productions, so inarguably
cool. It perfectly reflects the new spirit of innovation and experimentation
that makes the new Paris school so compelling. Yellow Productions, is the
label formed by DJ Chris and DJ Yellow, all the way back in
1993, with Yellow fusing his astonishing library of breaks and beats with
the sleek studio work of Chris to create the instant hit re-mix of Dave
Pike's "Mathar". In time they expanded their repertoire of
productions to travel from Latin and Brazilian influences("Quelque
Chose de Jazz" ) to Hip-Hop ("The Mighty Bop"
project)and Acid Jazz ("Psychedelico")never stooping to
get caught up in silly "purist" games of division. Not since the
breakthroughs effected by that perverse 60's genius Serge Gainsbourg have
French music felt so free. Viewing themselves as a holding company dedicated
to "all flavors of club music", Yellow Productions reflect an
ideal of open-mindedness and independence which the NY club scene could
learn a lot from. |
 Which
is not to say that NYW is interested in provoking any sort of international
club war since "La Yellow Collection" is that kind
of late summer record that inevitably becomes a must play in all the
chic Soho spots. Cool, loungy but dizzyingly chic, tracks like
Dimitri From Paris' "Souvenir de Paris"
have the kind of cosmopolitan languor that fashion show DJ's live for.
Lest that sound like a back handed compliment, be assured that Kid
Loco's"Wrong Number" serves as much intricate
keyboard pads and interlocking drum programs as does the best British
trip-hop .La Yellow 357, (the label owners/producers
themselves), rock a track dubbed "Quelle Sensation Bizarre "
which is the best record Dee-Lite never did. Sexy, elegant and suffused
with a sybaritic love of sound "La Yellow Collection"
is just straight up beautiful. But then again that's the least that's
expected of the French, non? |
| LA YELLOW Collection Double CD set on EW (East/West), Yellow Productions - available in major record stores YELLOW PRODUCTIONS Contact: 40, Rue des Blancs Manteaux |
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Dance
music thrives on disjunction and re-interpretation and the fascinating
slippage that occurs between the gaps of Anglo-American and French dance
music has resulted in some exciting variations. It's visible in two primary
ways
