French house is a catch-all term for
house music by many French artists, a popular strand of the late 1990s and 2000s
European dance music scene and a form of
Euro disco. The genre has also been referred to as "
neu-disco" (new disco, distinct from the non-house "
nu-disco" revival), "
French touch", "filter house" and "tekfunk" over the years. The defining characteristics of the sound are heavy reliance on
cut-off and
phaser effects both on and alongside samples of late 1970s and early 1980s American or European
disco tracks. Celebrated and successful purveyors of this music include
Daft Punk,
Cassius and
Etienne de Crécy. Most tracks in this vein feature steady
4/4 beats with a tempo range of 110-130
beats per minute.
History and influences
French house is greatly influenced by the lineage of American dance music from the emergence of
disco onwards, maintaining a distinct connection to
Euro disco and the short lived
space disco music style. Space disco was very popular in France, with artists like
Cerrone,
Space and
Sheila B. Devotion during the late 1970s and early 1980s. Additional influences came from
P-Funk, especially the
George Clinton and
Bootsy Collins hits of that era. Due to originating from the same foreign market, P-Funk was played alongside
disco in many French discothèques, especially after the
Disco Demolition Night took place in the United States. The
Jacking aspect of Chicago house...
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