Darkdancer

The book says that this album is "[f]aux French electronica at its best," which leads me to several questions. Why does faux French electronica exist, and why are we keeping tabs on it? Is this really the exemplar of the genre, and if so, what does bad faux French electronica sound like? Who is the target audience for this? If life is truly meaningless, and the human condition is to ascribe meaning to it, why is the conclusion "Eat, drink, and be merry" also something that an animal can do with no self-reflection? Are animals simply beings who have achieved enlightenment? If nihilism is constructed on paradoxes, is it any less true? What compels an artist to take a decent-sounding track and add a bunch of nonsensical sound effects on top of it? Best track: Damaged People

A rant on death, friendship, and the power of music A big motivator for starting this project with my you my friends was inspired by living through the illness and death of my best friend Keith. During the final days of Keith's life, we spent a lot of time laughing just like we always did. Big belly laughs that led to coughing fits. When he first learned of his cancer, he turned to me one late night in the dark fall of Connecticut and in such earnestness said the biggest thing to process is "when is the last. like when is the last time I'm going to hear Dancing Queen." I think he would have loved this project. As Keith's final days got darker and slower in all earnestness I said "if anyone can come back as a ghost, it's you. If anyone can cross the veil for me, it's you. Let's seriously talk about how I will know. I'm thinking a slight breeze on the lower lobe of my right ear. How's that sound?" We laughed. His response was simply, "you'll know." I was struggling this morning. I drove to the ocean before work. I wanted to swim in the Atlantic and do a bit of a mental cleanse. I put on Les Rythmes Digitales who I never heard of before. This was Keith music. Hard, fierce, funky. We so loved that repetitive beat on the dance floor. Music Makes You Lose Control came on and all I could think of was Keith. I didn't feel the breeze on my ear but boy oh boy did I feel his essence. I laughed, I cried, I walked into the ocean. I was thinking about the song, and I know some people don't like repetitive music but for Keith and I this vibe was hypnotic and thrilling and just joyful. I kept thinking "hypnotic" what a word...what a feeling when music can get a groove going for you. Then the song Hypnotic came on and it all felt a bit otherworldly and connected. I don't really believe the dead physically touch the living but if this intense mental experience spawned through dance music made me feel connected to my friend, I'll take it. It's the only way we have to connect now. Music (good music) always made us lose control. This album was indeed one I had to listen to before I died. I'll be spinning it a lot until that day comes.

This was unlistenable. Naff, artless, annoying, repetitive trash

repetition Repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is repetition is... ... not songwriting. At the risk of sounding all "get off my lawn," come talk to me when you can write a damn song. Until then, get off my lawn.

The scene : cleaning my car in my garage, pretending to be in a Fast & the Furious montage

The album really took a turn for the worse once it started. The production is good, however, that’s mainly where my praise stops. The lyrics are nonsensical and the beats and vocals are annoyingly repetitive. I can’t believe they made an hour of this. If I just had one song, I could see it being a fun song to dance to and in that sense it’s fine, just not for me. 2/5

I... actually LOVE this?!?!

The editor of this book thought this album was more essential than anything by Yo La Tengo or The Cranberries

Listened to it twice!

This was my second favourite album of 1999 at the time (yes, I have a Google doc with 20+ years of end-of-year lists) (number 1 was Blumfeld's Old Nobody). It really takes me back to that time, which is a bit strange because this is quite retro music. Electroclash. Daft Punk. Nik Kershaw. I liked Les Rythmes Digitales because it did both the dancefloor-y stuff and the beautiful pop songs. My relationship with the album is too personal to be able to say if it 'holds up'. Listening to it gives me a nice jolt of nostalgic feelings and Sometimes is still a banger. 8/10

Score: 90 Album art: 70 This album is so incredibly cheesy and dumb, but it's also a lot of fun. Almost every track is a banger. I laughed out loud when the singers voice was paulstretched during the chorus of the first song and it set the tone for the rest of the album. The final track is different, being a more serious dark wave track. There's not a lot of lyrics but damn if they aren't true. Favorite tracks: pretty much every song Least favorite: disco II disco

A pulsating, giddy and infectious album from beginning to end, Darkdancer from Les Rythmes Digitales sees him approach the end of the century with the ethos of a prior decade's dance evolution, with tantalizing collaborations honoring the aesthetics whilst not plundering too much. Overall, Darkdancer is a breeze that will surprisingly reel you back in.

Nice - funky, danceable album - about a decade ahead of it's time - Ed Banger records peak of the mid-noughties seem to have either drawn from this album or it's one hell of a coincidence. Has the same groovy playfulness and thicc-ness of Justice, but with the earnest-ness and innocence of the 90 - the darkness hadn't set in on the dance floor yet I guess back then, although there are hints throughout.

blah

Eh, not for me.

Not my style

Not my thing

Seriously a funk/disco/pop album?

Ugh

This is less terrible than the plethora of other electronic albums on this list...or at I thought... Nope it went right into repetitive boring bullshit once again. I've had enough honestly. How many more do I have to listen to?

Straight booty shaking French electrofunk, disco-y, beat filled fun.

Really enjoyed this, daft punk but more 90s

Awesome. Funktastic. Several stand out tracks.

This is just fucking great.

Listened to The Chemical Brothers yesterday so I’m apparently on a 90s tech bender but this ablum is also awesome—missing several songs on Spotify but none the less still great

This really scratched an itch I didn't know I had

Good old electronicy-house music

I didn’t think I knew anything about this artist until I learned that it is Jacques Lu Cont (Stuart Price) - the man who created the incredible remix of The Killers’ “Mr. Brightside.” Then I read about a pile of other work he did with The Killers and a bunch of other artists. As I was listening I noticed a Nik Kershaw song! I was a big Nik Kershaw fan in high school so that was another pleasant surprise. I enjoy some good dance-pop... this is bright, fun, energetic... makes you want to move! A nice addition to this list.

Awesome sample heavy breakbeat techno dance album. Hadn't heard of them before and appreciated every moment.

I can't believe I haven't heard this one! And the Jacque track made me realize that he and Missy Eliot both sampled the same track. Good stuff!

Really digging these digital beats. It's got a cartoonish vibe, but it still feels mature and articulated.

Very quirky. A fun dance album with that classic repetitive style of the 90’s that we’ve seen on a few other dance albums in this list. Music Make You Lose Control was fun to see as a sample from Missy Elliot. Also Hypnotize sounds like a similar beat to sweet dreams. This album felt like a stepping stone for the jet set radio future soundtrack too which was really fun.

An interesting electronic / dance record. Standout Tracks: From: Disco To: Disco, Brothers, Damaged People

Really catchy, gem I never would've found.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would.

Techno. That hive of scum and villainy that was a bastard child of disco and 80's electronica. I liked it!

Eh.

Not a bad dance album, but it’s pretty forgettable not sure about it’s place on this list.

This music did not interest me.

Is that Andy Samberg? Anyway, pretty meh album. I've never been that big of a fan of this style of electronic music - overly clean production with a thin, wiffly soundscape. None of the rhythms are interesting or compelling, none of the textures are evocative of anything at all to me. This is dance music with all the personality of the paint on the walls of hospital hallway.

This album sucks

Holy Hell, this is my nightmare soundtrack. I think there's a circle of hell devoted to music like Les Rythmes Digitales'.

This was hard to get through. Some tracks start promissing enough but don't ever develop into something enjoyable for me. Guess I know why most electronic music was so repellent to me when I was younger, if this is what was available at the time.

So... we're just letting everyone in now?

Great for a run

Really nice electronic dance album with strong tracks and cool sounds!

Þessi plata er bara algjörlega frábær! Ég tók double take á ártalið þegar ég hlustaði á fyrsta lagið, hélt hún hlyti að vera ca 10 árum eldri. En svo fékk ég svaka mikið Disclosure vibe í mörgum lögum. Hef grun um að þeir hafi samplað talsvert frá þessu bandi! Og nú verð ég bara að hlusta á Disclosure!

So underrated. This was Daft Punk, except it loved 80s pop instead of 70s disco. Even men with hearts of stone will bop to these tracks.

When they finally release GTA 6 this will be the music I'll drive around town to.

Very cool, very dancable

Extraño el internet de antes.

Groovy dance music from top to bottom. A British guy, not a French guy. Works under many nom de plumes including the Thin White Duke (not David Bowie)

Would have been super cool if it had all the songs on it, only had like 6 songs the rest were banned by spotify I guess who knows

Rating: 10/10

cool

Absolutely loved this. The energy, the beat, the sound. Cannot fault it. Made me want to go clubbing all over again and hit the dance floor. Uplifting feelgood stuff. Good mixture of acid house hip hop and electronica. Brilliant

Electronic dance from the end of the 20th century. Had forgotten how good this album is.

Is it possible that my memory of this album was blurred by my having it on in the background while I took a Covid-induced nap? Perhaps. But damn if it wasn't an amazing nap.

4.5 stars. This is close, but the last two songs aren't my favorite. Very nu-disco, synth pop, Daft Punk style electronica. Super danceable. THIS THING IS STRAIGHT BANGERZ. I just wanna dance. Almost every song has at least one part I just love. Last two songs tail off maybe a little but I liked this a lot

Like other electronic albums, I have a difficulty putting this one into context. However, every track is good pop music, if perhaps a little generic (though they may not have been for the time). It seems like sort of a weird choice for this list because I don't see it as being a groundbreaking album, but it's also hard to argue with because it's well-produced 4/5

interesting dance album. Sounds almost 80' in places. Will need another listen i think

Hell yeah. Certified back to back bangers from What's that Sound onward. What a synth lord. Big Sneaky Sound System and Early Calvin Harris styles. From:Disco To:Disco and Take a Little Time are highlights. Five stars if it started and finished stronger

a few great songs on here. flight facilities have used a lot of it in there mixes

Had this in college, but not listened to it in god knows how long. Still love it, dance in your seat stuff. Great beats, disco sound, remembered most of the tunes. Deffo has a 90s/00s kinda sound, a little bit of big-beat. Sampled widely in other stuff too (2manyDjs). Hadn't realised it was a British bloke riding the coattails of french house. Need more dance music in this list, but I guess the album is not as common a format in electronic music.

Dancer only

Yesss so many samples

This is like an 80's-90's masterclass. It's just great and I can see why a lot of artists that want to get that vibe for their songs are still turning to Price. The cover art is plainly hideous though, but I guess that's just the 00's kickin in. Liked: About Funk

A fun, throwback French house jam. A few tracks felt too repetitive for my taste, but I enjoyed the album for the most part.

Perfect timing for my 200th!

Really liked it despite limited experience with electronic stuff. Also cool to hear the missy/Ciara sample

Really nice album for playing in the background while other stuff is going on (like attempting to work). Full of electronic synth stuff, but not so overpowering that you HAVE to pay attention to it. I'm tempted to give it 4 stars, given how scarce my actually enjoying the selections has been lately. Relatively speaking, I like it better than yesterday's 3-star offering, so 4 it is!

I really dig this album!

Nois

cool album. lot of samples must have come from here. heard a lot of familiar things.

Fantastic album and very excited/surprised to see it on this list. I thought I was so cool listening to this in high school, and it still holds up well over 20 years later. 4.5/5

7/10. Kinda fun, not really my thing

Yeah this is some groovy af dance music. Impossible to sit still to. Bass riff in "Music Makes You Lose Control" is amazing (and ah that's where that Missy Elliott sample is from!).

Liked this quite a lot. The thing stopping this from being a 5/5 is just that the vocals are over-repeated without enough other variation to keep it from being grating. Some songs are better than others in this regard. It doesn't bother me much over a single listen, but I know it'd stop me from playing the album on repeat, and thus 4/5 instead of 5/5

Holy shit, this is really good. "Music makes you lose control", that bass hook is rad! Never heard of this before, but I kind of love it, makes you want to shake your ass.

Nothing special, but a pretty fun electronic album.

Funky remixed beats

Electro pop goodness, what's not to like? Would have perhaps been super into it when came out, if I had been aware of it. That said, wouldn't say it's stand out above other electro of the era like Daft Punk or Timo Maas

Feels like a lifetime since I listened to this. Great album that blended French disco with 80s synth pop. I forgot how much I loved this. I have vague memories of seeing him DJ but I may have hallucinationed it. Fun times

Really reminds me of being 18 and monkeyed. Absolute nostalgia

Good electro-pop. Can get a bit repetitive.

A solid dose of dance music 8/10

Bangin

This Daft Punk lite album is a rare cheese ball that is the reason people like practical effects and bad B movies. This is a B movie electronic album, a horrible, messy, bloopy, farty bass masterpiece. This album is fun. Heck, it’s a blast. Easily a reason to dive into the medium to easy listening electro field. Give me more ass shaking bleep bloop please.

Wow! Album van de dag is precies in mijn straatje!! Hier staan wel een paar lekkere tracks op, maar er zijn ook wat eentonige nummers. Mijn favorieten zijn "Hypnotise", "Take a Little Time" en de topper "Sometimes". ****

Nice and good...

liked this more than i expected to, really hyped me up!

I like this one. Very energetic '90s techno/dance stuff, with a variety of influence. Some tracks even veer into hip hop sounding drums. The "music makes you lose control" sample is cool, not sure if that originated here, but it was obviously used again later. And the Buffalo Springfield sample was pretty surprising. Quite a few hits on here for me, I can definitely dig it. Always nice to take a break from the standard rock fare. Favorite tracks: Music Makes You Lose Control, Soft Machine, About Funk, Hypnotise, Jacques Your Body. Album art: Kind of a weird one, almost looks like those new AI generators made this. It's cool hip dude cracking open a Pepsi or something. '90s in all the right ways. 4/5

After seeing the cover I was expecting a radical being from an alternate future to come and take me on a most triumphant voyage through hyperspace. While it didn't quite reach those dizzying highs, I did have a really good head bop and foot tap while he played an array of synthesizers at me. I spent some time in his company. We nodded knowingly at each other during particularly rad beats. We drank way too much sonic-Pepsi. We had fun together.

8/10 there were some pretty good moments here but nothing amazing feels like france had a surplus of electronic artists in the 80s lol while a lot of them were actually super talented, (mainly Daft Punk, who were geniuses at sampling/production) a lot of them are just kinda… fun, and not much else I’m not saying it’s bad, it’s fun but that’s all this album has it doesn’t sound very creative, like it’s reinventing anything still pretty cool

Not bad, as someone with extremely eclectic taste I deffo enjoyed this Saved tracks: Dreamin', Soft Machine, Hypnotise, From: Disco To: Disco, Sometimes, Music Makes You Lose Control - Lrd Remix

I like this album. Not every song goes super hard, but there are a bunch that are a real bop. The songs are great for getting you in a groove, and I was jamming along to the songs. Definitely the best electronica album I've listened to so far. Favorite song: music makes you lose control Worst song: Disco II disco

Rad

Good to see some Electronic coming up in the list every now and then. This was a really decent album with one or two songs I've previously heard (Namely the club mix of "Jacques Your Body"). Some of these tracks are bangers, others fall a bit flat to me. Overall though I really liked this. Favourite: Soft Machine

Slightly surprised to see this come up. Jacques du Cont was doing the whole 80s throwback thing before Calvin Harris made it cool. That said, quite a few tracks on "Darkdancer" seem to be crowd-pleasing late-90s house that don't quite live up to the perfectly executed pastiche of "Hey You" and "Sometimes."

Wasn’t looking forward to this as I really don’t like “electronica” - but this was pretty good. I’m still not a fan of the genre, but this was less repetitive and annoying than almost all the rest of it. And, given the time frame it came out in and the list of artist I see he’s worked with, it’s clear that this was influential in the industry. It’s a 3 for me, but I’ll give it a bump to check my own bias and give it the credit it probably deserves.