It all began in the late 1970s and early 1980s, though it wasn’t popularized until the 1990s and early 2000s. At its birth, musical innovators, including Daft Punk, Etienne de Crecy and several others, paved the way for the genre (and, furthermore electronic music).
A blend of resampled disco tracks, filtered and phased effects, pumping drum machines and chopped up vocals? This is what we now know as French house.
Fast forward 20 years. The tekfunk genre is still alive and well, with a new wave of producers stepping into the music scene. And fortunately enough, we’ve hand-picked a few tracks from those up-and-coming artists, just for you.
Tune in below as Teen Power, Fibre, Moonchild and more dazzle you with disco-funk and satisfy your French house needs.
French House Picks List:
- Fusq – Blush
- Moonchild – Girl
- 92 – Hallways
- Teen Power – I Can’t Dance
- Fibre – Skylight Ballad
- Gilbèrt Dupieux – Some Cats
Blush
Produced by: Fusq
Why you should listen: Now, this isn’t your typical “French house” single. However, one could say that Fusq’s Blush is a modern adaptation of the highly stylized genre. Smashing kits? Check. Lyrical slices? Check. Filtered synths? Check. In our heads, this one fits right in.
Girl
Produced by: Moonchild
Why you should listen: While Fusq’s track was more of a contemporary spin on the genre, Moonchild’s Girl is the quintessential french house cut. It has all of the bumping sounds and artifacts that you’ve grown accustomed to hearing from labels, like Roulé, Crydamoure and Thomorrow, and it breathes upbeat disco. Tune in now:
Click to Stream // Download Available via Soundcloud
Hallways
Produced by: 92
Why you should listen: 92’s Hallways takes Kurtis Blow’s 1980 hit, The Breaks, and quickly ushers it into the new era. One could make a case that Hallways falls under the future funk genre, but nonetheless, it’s the well-crafted, funk-charged single we all want to hear.
I Can’t Dance
Produced by: Teen Power
Why you should listen: More than two years have passed since Teen Power last featured on The French Shuffle, but regardless, this Tokyo-based producer has a lot of talent. In I Can’t Dance, the Japanese artist blends retro disco vibes with swinging soul and 80s grooves, and we love it. Check it out yourself and let us know what you think.
Click to Stream // Download Unavailable
Skylight Ballad
Produced by: Fibre
Why you should listen: Fibre just released Skylight Ballad earlier today and we’ve had it on repeat since then. Out via disco/french house/funk collective, Club Coral, the three-minute song serves up a peculiar Daft-Punk sound, with vocoded vocals, analog synths and guitar licks leading the way.
Some Cats
Produced by: Gilbèrt Dupieux
Why you should listen: While most of us here are familiar with So French Records, some may not be aware of Gilbèrt Dupieux – a fantastic French house talent that released music with the Parisian recording house several years ago. His single, Some Cats, is simply put, magical. Tune in below: