French House

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French House ( colloquially French Touch ) is a style of house music that originated in France in the mid-1990s. The name is based on the original design of the French house productions since then.

French house is one of the most successful styles of electronic dance music. The addition of special effects and filters in particular ensures a very characteristic and powerful sound, which many producers still use today as a guideline. In addition to traditional house, some other genres of electronic music have been influenced by style.

history

France

The starting point was the year 1988. The young Frenchman Laurent Garnier was one of the first to mix classic techno and house , which came to Paris from Detroit and Chicago . Record labels such as Underground (Chicago) and Mo 'Wax (UK), as well as internationally, had a major influence on the beginnings of the French house scene and producers. These included, for example, Étienne de Crécy , Philippe Zdar (motor bass), DJ Grégory and Kid Loco with their mix of rock , hip-hop and jazz . The influences of this generation of artists are also reflected in acid jazz or techno, but also in funk , disco , jazz and soul .

Early beginnings

In 1994, these artists began producing titles that quickly climbed the UK charts shortly after their release. Since then, the French House, which was still in its infancy, has spread more and more among artists such as Air , Dimitri from Paris, La Funk Mob (Philippe Zdar & Boom Bass) or DJ Cam, who have created a very impressive richness of sound through the addition of various effects and filters . During this time Daft Punk began to work on their first singles, which were released again in 1996 on the album Homework . In France the movement was still very small and concentrated only in a few points in the capital as well as in the record shops.

Emergence

1995 was the actual year the French House was born. The trigger was Ludovic Navarre with the album Boulevard under the stage name St. Germain - a record peppered with acid jazz and minimal house was supported by the British press, in particular by New Musical Express or Mixmag . In 1996 the Motorbass duo's tour after their album Pansoul had a worldwide success. At the end of the same year, Daft Punk completed their homework album and initiated a musical movement in the international scene. Spotlessly clean drum sets and a punchy sub-bass in the form of a bass line ascending in tone steps showed an almost new French house in titles such as Burnin or Revolution 909 , which is now often referred to colloquially as Daft Groove .

Many other artists took part in this explosion: Etienne de Crécy with his Superdiscount compilation, Cassius , Alex Gopher, David Guetta , Demon, Dimitri from Paris or Bob Sinclar . Because almost all of the producers came from France, this sound was simply referred to as French House. Many French musicians have inadvertently been labeled with a French touch since then .

In 1997 the first record of the internationally successful record label Crydamoure was released . Under the name Le Knight Club , Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo from Daft Punk and Eric Chedeville specifically produced the French Filter House, which was still in its infancy. Together with Roulé , hardly any other label identified more strongly with this genre.

Climax and turning point

1998 is often seen as the year in which the French House reached its peak by the title Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust , a Roulé production, directed by the Frenchman Thomas Bangalter (of Daft Punk), Benjamin Diamond and Alan Braxe, which should also stand symbolically for this movement - this is where the French Filter House basically had its first great success. More than two million copies have been sold worldwide.

A year later, the French duo Cassius (La Funk Mob) released their first album in 1999 after their single of the same name . This sampled sound is a very characteristic example of the basic idea of ​​the original French house. In the same year the French filmmaker Quentin Dupieux released his single Flat Beat under the stage name Mr. Oizo and it became an international success alongside Cassius , supported by the advertising mascot Flat Eric . The broadcaster MTV reported on the Christmas holidays worldwide of a "French house explosion". Bob Sinclar and Air and Cassius were interviewed and introduced the French House to the mainstream.

The Modjo duo released their single Lady (Hear Me Tonight) in 2000 . Along with One More Time by Daft Punk from the same year and Music Sounds Better With You, it became one of the milestones of the French House. Hardly any other electronic style has so far achieved this worldwide success. Also Sébastien Léger produced in that time his first records on the French label Black Jack , Riviera, cyclik ( Last Resort Production ) and Grand Prix and supported so that together with his DJ friends DJ Nekbath the successful era of French house music.

In March 2001 Daft Punk released their second album Discovery , from which the title One more Time (sung by Romanthony) was released as a single half a year earlier, and set a new standard. Another wave of the French filter sound was sparked and stimulated many new artists, also from other styles. Numerous new record labels were created worldwide during this time (see present).

Daft crew

Through the various projects of the Daft-Punk duo, the different names of those involved have been colloquially summarized under the name Daft Crew . For example, The Buffalo Bunch consisted of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo's brother , Daft Punk and Raw Man, who was important for the Crydamoure label, among other things. At the same time, the other part of Daft Punk, Thomas Bangalter , produced together with Alan Braxe, the cousin of DJ Falcon, who in turn worked with Fred Falke. A big “family” that amazed everyone with a similar sound and together defined French House and made it successful worldwide.

Overview of the most important French artists and record labels of the Daft Crew :

Record labels

present

In the years that followed, many French house producers switched to the electro house music style . The experiences and stylistic devices from French house were combined with some elements from 1980s pop music. Through this combination of techno and house elements, techno, which was a bit stuck at the time, got a new meaning again as electro or tech house . At the same time, the French Filter House was continued by many new artists.

Performers
Record labels
  • 20000st
  • Black jack
  • Cyclic
  • Executive Records
  • Serial records
  • Sismic Music
  • Work it baby
  • Ledge Music
  • Grand Prix
  • House Telecom
  • Subkroniq
  • Lafessé Records
  • Stamina / Dynamic Recordings
  • Bits Music
  • Riviera
  • G-High Records
  • Royal Flush Records
  • Voices Records

German development

In Germany, the French House did not establish itself in the scene clubs until after 1996. The mainstream remained largely unaffected at the time. The hit from Stardust was a hit in the clubs, but was not yet consciously perceived by many as a French house. It wasn't until the 1999 single by Cassius and Modjo's Lady that people spoke of the French sound for the first time. From 2001, after the success of the album Discovery and One More Time by Daft Punk, the French Filter House spread very quickly in the clubs here too. The disco house follows this new music and was given a great status, while numerous new record labels, which were audibly influenced by the French touch , emerged during this time. Many mainstream producers were also enthusiastic about this impressive dynamic and brought many new elements into their music.

Performers

  • 2-4 grooves
  • Adam Chinch
  • Alain Delon
  • Ben Delay
  • Denis Naidanow
  • Mute box
  • Supa Channel
  • DJ Kittles
  • DJ Vou / Raw Shape
  • Dave Kurtis
  • Horny United
  • Manuel Tur (Arcade Mode, Blackbird)
  • Mashtronic
  • Roman Salzger
  • Syke 'n' Sugarstarr
  • Sven Last
  • Patric La Funk
  • Madeon

Record labels

  • Attractive
  • Casa Rosso Recordings
  • Chateau Funk
  • Club star
  • Spar
  • Disco Galaxy
  • Virgin
  • Royal jelly
  • Honolulu United
  • Housesession Records
  • Jeans Recordings
  • Milk & Sugar Recordings
  • Secret Service Records
  • Sugarland Records
  • Superslice records
  • Superstar Recordings
  • Opaque Music
  • Pool boy

international Developement

In the USA , for example, DJ DLG, Dave Armstrong , Hott 22 and Christian Alvarez produced successful music on their labels Eyezcream, Huge Records and Gossip Records using the stylistic means of French house. In the Netherlands , Ian Carey released some productions under the names Soul Providers or Illicit Funk on his labels Elan Records and GFAB Records. In his remixes, too, he cleverly combined the French character with a touch of Latin House . DJ Prom had a very similar style from the same country, but mainly only produced remixes. The Belgians Junior Jack and Kid Creme from Brussels also built many elements into their music.

Swedish House Mafia

A movement of its own has been developing in Sweden since 2003, supported by the Stockholm DJ colleagues Axwell , Steve Angello , Eric Prydz , Sebastian Ingrosso and John Dahlbäck , who together called themselves the Swedish House Mafia . With elements that were also familiar from French House, they created an impressive soundscape and released their productions on in-house record labels such as Joia Records, Nero Recordings, Pryda Recordings, Size Records, Refune Records or Axtone Records. In 2004 Eric Prydz brought out his remake Call On Me and rose to the top of the international charts. Furthermore, similar to Daft Punk, they started different projects under the names General Moders, Mode Hookers, A&P Project or Supermode.

impact

The dynamic and powerful sound of French house was a model for many producers of electronic dance music. The Disco House and the Filter House were particularly affected. In addition, some of the stylistic means, such as sidechain compression, were transferred to other areas of music production. The album Confessions on a Dance Floor by Madonna comparatively shows the influences on the mainstream. To date, many other genres besides house have been influenced by this original movement in France.

The most important main categories are:

features

The meter is in 4/4 time with a tempo of about 118 to 133 BPM , in the same way as the traditional house . Often elements from the disco house productions are mixed with loops and percussion instruments from the 1970s. Artists like Daft Punk stormed the charts with such reissued oldies. One sub-category is the French Filter House , a mix of Disco House and Filter House .

Stylistic devices

As a rule, only several different drum tracks are placed exactly on top of each other, thus increasing the rhythmic effect on the main counting times of a bar . This superposition also makes the bass drum on every quarter note and the snare drum / handclaps a little softer but also more pronounced on every second quarter note. The bass line contributes to this music as an important motif and is therefore usually punchy and melodic, also with elements from funk . The snare drum often has a syncopated beat as the prelude to the last sixteenth note of every first, second, fourth or eighth bar and thus favors a relaxed and lively rhythm.

The motif usually consists of four to eight measures that are repeated in a loop . Like to be this sample , the part from individual short slices were newly reassembled used. Typical funk guitar riffs or jazz chords are also often incorporated.

Short breaks or fills , in which all frequencies gradually run into a low-pass filter or the frequency band is reduced to introduce a new melody, are common here, as is almost everywhere in house.

Disambiguation

The name French House comes from the French artists who first made this characteristic style (see stylistic devices) known. Since this type of house music is now produced worldwide, French house is also known as a French touch , so that there are no misunderstandings about the origin.

French Filter House

French filter House is an intermediate sub-category with a mixture of Disco house and filter House -elements, combined with the side chain - effect and the superficial bass line of the classic French House. The impressive dynamic that is achieved through various stylistic means has an enormous impact on many areas of electronic dance music. Due to the worldwide successes that the French Filter House had not only initially, it is often viewed as the original French House. The title Music Sounds Better With You by Stardust was one of the first internationally successful productions.

features

The melody often consists only of a wide chord sound for can, for example, a vocoder with a rhythm as a trigger signal , outside the beats are emphasized a little more ( offbeat ). This resulting shuffle effect is usually built up or lowered slowly over many bars and thus replaces the conventional melody . Due to the interaction with a soft, deep kick drum and a powerful bass line as a foundation, plus the side chain , the French Filter House develops a very effective dynamic, especially at higher volumes.

The motif often only comprises one to four measures that are repeated as a loop . Samples are often used for this, some of which are reassembled from individual short slices or lengthened with a delay . The change in harmony is usually achieved after a completed filter phase by transposing or another arrangement of the slices in the loop and then lets the filter swell up and down again.

Filters and other stylistic devices

The trick is often just filling up the sound with special effects such as phasers , flangers , choruses or a clever delay . Compressors or limiters with a sidechain function are very popular in order to gain maximum dynamics from the loops used . The use of devices with a vintage character is particularly popular . Stereo imagers also provide an effect-rich effect.

Another stylistic means is to exhaust the frequencies. Since you can already achieve a powerful sound in the lower ranges through the sidechain , you try to give more information in the frequencies above. Since it is possible to amplify the overtones with filter technology or even to mix in new ones, one can generate a crystal-like sound with a chord-like surface sound, for example by one or more sawtooth vibrations. Applied to acoustic instruments such as a guitar, glistening single tones, depending on the dynamics , stop and pitch a little more prominent. To amplify the high sound components, frequency- containing digital noise (stochastic signal) is provided with a high-pass filter and then added to the music. The crackling of a record is just as popular, as is also practiced in Minimal House or in Nu Jazz , whereby the high-frequency areas can also be amplified.

A typical feature is the use of recorded background noise . These often only consist of a speaking voice or a whisper, mostly from a woman, or a large, reverberant metro with lots of ambient noises. A suitable sample is cut from this backdrop, which is later integrated quietly into the melody as a loop so that the nuances can just be heard in harmony.

Disambiguation

Since the French Filter House only added sound-filling effects such as the sidechain, this style embodies more of an acoustic effect, whereas the basic idea of ​​French House stands for the musical character. Many of the stylistic means of this sub-category have been transferred to other genres of electronic music. Disco House and Filter House in particular, but also some electro house productions, often have a French touch , so that they are sometimes very difficult to tell apart.

production

The powerful and dynamic sound that French House has created using special techniques has become a feature of many producers worldwide. The well-known sidechain was rediscovered and has been part of the everyday effect of disco music ever since.

Sidechain (side track)

This interface controls another effects device , often a compressor ( VCA ). As with a vocoder , a signal (trigger) must be fed to the sidechain input . Depending on the volume and rhythm of the supplied signal, the activated effects device reacts accordingly. For example, the bass is often controlled by the kick drum ( ducking ) so that the main counting times keep their presence in rhythm and are not overlaid by the deep bass playing . If the same signal is fed to the sidechain as the one at the input of the compressor, but an equalizer is switched on before the sidechain , the compressor can be controlled to specific frequencies .

Typically for the French filter house, the entire sound is raised and lowered synchronously on the compressor, usually by a 4/4 kick drum as the trigger signal (sidechain compression). With the additional use of reverb , the trigger signal can be extended and thus delayed. This alternating effect (also known as pumping ) creates a lot of dynamics and is particularly effective at higher volumes, as the difference can be heard more clearly there. Very often some disco loops were dynamically polished up in a very simple way with just this effect.

Compression with VCO

The trigger signal for the sidechain compression can often be switched from a Voltage Controlled Amplifier (VCA) to a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO) on a voltage controlled amplifier . An oscillator generates vibrations that are fed to the compressor as a control signal. By synchronizing these oscillations to the tempo by adjusting the voltage at the VCO, an even rhythmic effect is achieved. With this circuit, much larger dynamic results can be achieved.

See also Low Pass Filter (VCF) & VCO

Audio sample

A surface made up of strings, a superficial bass line and two different drum sets, each with a kick drum, snare and hi-hat, serve as a template for reinforcement. The Sidechain Effect (Bypass) .ogg file shows the sound when the sidechain compression is in bypass , i.e. deactivated. If you activate the sidechain , which is triggered by a 4/4 kick drum on the compressor, a dynamic effect is created as can be heard in Sidechain Effekt.ogg . For the sake of clarity, both sound clips begin without a kick drum and thus initially sound almost identical.

Audio file / audio sample Without effect (bypass) ? / i
Audio file / audio sample Sidechain effect ? / i

If the same 4/4 measures are taken from both audio samples, the following can be represented in a waveform:

(Figure 1) Compression without sidechain (bypass)
(Figure 2) Compression with sidechain

You can clearly see that the sidechain shortens and rounds off the peak level values ​​of the kick drum (Figure 2), which favors a powerful reproduction and a clean image on the speakers .

A typical application for the sidechain principle is particularly popular in radio stations as talk over . The music is placed on the input of the compressor and the speaker as a sidechain . Whenever the speaker says something, the compressor turns the music down.

Low Pass Filter (VCF) & VCO

A similar effect as with the sidechain compression is produced by a different combination. A Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF) serves as a control unit and interface on a low-pass filter (LP). The signal for the VCF comes from a Voltage Controlled Oscillator (VCO), a Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO), in which the frequency can be adjusted by changing the voltage. The generated waveform now controls the filter through the VCF. This means that when the oscillation from the VCO has reached its maximum, the signal that is sent through the VCF to the low-pass filter is highest and the filter is most open.

If the signal is now synchronized by modifying the voltage at the VCO to the tempo of the rhythm, a uniform rhythmic effect is created. By shifting the waveform in parallel within a beat , other points are emphasized accordingly. For the typical French House effect, the wave generated at the VCO is offset in such a way that the oscillation has its maximum exactly on the beat and thus the high frequency components are dampened most strongly. The result is that the kick drum and bass can be heard almost completely on the beats and the rest, which is above a certain frequency, is temporarily muffled (colloquially pumping ). The threshold frequency and the strength of the damping can often be modified by the VCF on the device.

Due to the positive property of a waveform, the sidechain- like effect sounds a little softer than the trigger signal of a kick drum, even if it can be improved with a little reverb. The advantage here is that far greater dynamic results can be achieved than is possible with the normal sidechain method through excessive overdriving of the trigger signal.

This effect was integrated into the filter section of the Xone: 92 DJ mixer from Allen & Heath , which is why this device is so popular. Such a synchronizable effect loop can now be created with many music programs and plug-ins without any major technical effort .

Audio sample

The same loop that was used for the sidechain compression (see above) serves as a template . In the first example without effect (bypass) you can hear the sound when all effects are in bypass , i.e. deactivated. If you now activate the low-pass filter, which is controlled by the synchronized VCO, an evenly alternating and dynamic effect is created as can be heard in the low-pass filter (VCF) & VCO . For a better comparison with the sidechain , the effect is shown here a little more strongly than is normally the case and is only activated when the kick drum is used.

Audio file / audio sample Without effect (bypass) ? / i
Audio file / audio sample Low Pass Filter (VCF) & VCO ? / i

Typical examples

Performers

Record labels

  • Black Jack (France)
  • Chateau Funk (Germany)
  • Crydamoure (France)
  • Geleé Royale (Germany)
  • Gossip Records (USA)
  • Grand Prix (France)
  • House Telecom (France)
  • Kitsuné Music (France)
  • Lafessé Records (France)
  • Ledge Music (France)
  • Poolboy (Germany)
  • Riviera (France)
  • Roche Musique (France)
  • Roulé (France)
  • Royal Flush Records (France)
  • Rumpsheyka (Belgium)
  • Secret Service Records (Germany)
  • Sismic Music (France)
  • Sugarland Records (Germany)
  • Superslice Records (Germany)
  • We Rock Music (France)
  • Work it Baby (France)

Tracks

  • Benjamin Diamond - Little Scare (France)
  • Bob Sinclar - I Feel For You (France)
  • Cassius - 1999 (France)
  • Daft Punk - One More Time (France)
  • Denis Naidanow - In Love (Germany)
  • DJ Nekbath - Feel It (France)
  • Elesse - Pretty Young Thing (France)
  • Eric Prydz - Call On Me (Sweden)
  • Galleon - So I Begin (France)
  • Global Deejays - What A Feeling (Flashdance) (Austria)
  • Jess & Crabbe - In your eer (France)
  • Modjo - Lady (Hear Me Tonight) (France)
  • Mr. Oizo - Flat Beat (France)
  • Phoenix - If I Ever Feel Better (Buffalo Bunch Remix) (France)
  • Raw Man - Number 7 (Le Knight Club Remix) (France)
  • Sedat - The Turkish Avenger (France)
  • Sébastien Léger - The Babe Coke (France)
  • Sébastien Léger & Chris Lake - Aqualight (France)
  • Stardust - Music Sounds Better With You (France)
  • Sunset Strippers - Falling Stars (UK)
  • The Buffalo Bunch - Music Box (France)
  • Together - So Much Love To Give (France)
  • Daft Punk - Harder better faster stronger (France)

Press

“ The world mourns the loss of Lady Di, Jan Ullrich wins the Tour France and the big bang rules the charts: About the incredibly casual appearance of the French house artists from Daft Punk […]. The pop year 1997 begins with the best dance record in living memory. [...] You were the inventor of the big bang called "Homework". Her debut turned the drifting hype rumor “French House” into the dominant dance music of the late 90s. "

- Podcast Süddeutsche Zeitung : 50 Years of Pop Music # 1997

“It is not least thanks to Benjamin Diamond that French House became a popular topic in the late 1990s. With a firm voice he sang the deeply senseless lines of the Stardust song "Music Sounds Better With You" and thus gave the title its unmistakable note. The song became a massive hit in the summer of 1998, house from France suddenly became the center of attention. […] The French House was to mark a turning point of historic significance. "

- Harald Peters (Berliner Zeitung) : The great French House Swindle

“ Five years ago it became clear that Filter House, which had decisively shaped the image of music in France in the second half of the nineties, was at a dead end. For many, the climax of La French Touch with Stardust's “Music Sounds Better With You” was reached or exceeded again. But at the same time as French house afterbirths like Cassius, a track from France suddenly topped the European charts, which is still one of the most unusual productions to top the charts and nothing at all with the disco-sampling records of French house stars like Thomas Bangalter, Philippe Zdar and Co. had to do. "

- Heiko Hoffmann (TAZ) : Parisian Maximal House

See also

literature

  • Stéphane Jourdain: French touch . Castor Music, 08/2005; ISBN 2-85920-609-4
  • Laurent Garnier, David Brun-Lambert: Elektroschock - The history of electronic dance music . Hannibal, 2005; ISBN 3-85445-252-7
  • Thomas Sandmann: Effects and Dynamics . PPV Medien GmbH, 05/2007 (6th edition); ISBN 3-932275-57-8

swell

  1. ↑ 50 Years of Pop Music # 1997 ( Memento of the original from September 29, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. Podcast Süddeutsche Zeitung @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / www.earpaper.de
  2. ^ The great French House Swindle Berliner Zeitung Online Archive
  3. ^ Paris Maximum House TAZ Online Archive
  4. ↑ French Touch ( Memento of the original from September 22, 2007 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. on the Castor Music website @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / castormusic.castorastral.com

Web links