A short history of French Touch

Nialler9

Exploring a subset of electronic music made in France from the years 1996 to 2004.

It's the latest episode in the Niall explains a dance music genre to Andrea series.

What is French Touch? For some it means house music of French origin of the '90s and 2000s. For me, it's more defined.

French Touch is more of a subgenre almost exclusively made by French producers - French dance music rooted in samples of old disco records where strings, bass and vocals were rerouted through a Chicago house music 4/4 beat and given a retro futuristic sheen with shiny synthesisers and a compressed cosmic atmosphere. A sense of majique can we say?

It was part of a near 10 year period from the mid 90s to the early-2000s in which French dance music dominated, a time in which Parisian cool, French fashion and influence dripped out of the country’s culture, whether it was Daft Punk’s world domination, Ed Banger Records’ electro cachet on dancefloors worldwide, fashion and record label Kitsune’s coveted Maison compilations or Phillipe Zdar’s influence on music production.

For our short history of French Touch, we will feature music from Alan Braxe, DJ Falcon, Thomas Bangalter, Stardust, Cassius, Together, The Paradise Étienne De Crecy and the omnipresent Daft Punk.

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Show notes

• Songs played on the Nialler9 Podcast Spotify Playlist
• French Touch companion playlist

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