Call it neu-disco, nü-disco, French house, French touch, filter house, or even tekfunk. All of these terms refer to European-style dance-music that features disco loops and relies heavily on filter and phaser sound effects. It's usually high-energy and futuristic.
1. DAFT PUNK
The classic neu-disco group is Daft Punk. French duo Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter became Daft Punk in 1994 and were hugely influential in the French house movement. Their beats are always tight and hard-hitting, their shows are glam and full of lights. Not only did Daft Punk capture the pulse of '90s techno, but influenced most contemporary house.
2. JUS†ICE
This next French duo, Jus†ice, consists of musicians Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay. Jus†ice is an update on Daft Punk, melding heavy metal and rock sounds with the throbbing synth and funky disco loops of neu-disco. Then they add some bass that slaps. They're managed by Pedro Winter, head of French electronic music label Ed Banger Records. Also on this label are (were) French house greats Cassius, Uffie, and the late DJ Mehdi.
DJ and producer Étienne de Crécy (also from France) sonically explores space - the effect is throbbing and robotic, desolate and gritty. The geometric shapes in the video below provide a nice visual to Crécy's angular, zigzagging sound.
4. PYRΔMID
Pyramid (he's French too) is a great example of neu-disco today. His aesthetic is more like early Daft Punk (screwing around with old-school synth and sci-fi noises) than say, Jus†ice (slapping bass and blow-ya-head mentality). Life Above the Stars is Pyramid's third album, and dropped about a week and a half ago. It's a spacey exploration, mechanical and driven enough to go places but gently melodic enough to keep the journey pleasant.
5.
Moustache Machine is another modern neu-disco artist (also French). His sound is less reflective than Pyramid's, definitely post-Jus†ice rather than pre-Jus†ice. That being said, Moustache Machine's sound is chintzy and camp and lots of fun. Last year's EP, Miami 1986, is the perfect soundtrack for a tropical-theme disco in outerspace.
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