Customer Reviews

1999

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

The French have a thing for getting together in pairs and creating fun and innovative techno albums. And for having funny names. There was Daft Punk (Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo), who broke in 1997 with their ubiquitous "Da Funk." Then in 1998 we had Air (Nicolas Godin and Jean-Benoit Dunckel; not quite so funny) who were acclaimed as electronica wunderkind even though their debut album Moon Safari prominently featured strings, acoustic guitars, tubas, and nary a dancy club beat. Among the latest batch to emerge from the thriving Paris dance scene are Phillipe Zdar and Hubert "Boom Bass" Blanc-Francart, collectively known as Cassius. A pure-pop house album very much in the vein of Basement Jaxx's synchronous Remedy, Cassius' 1999 gets things cooking right from the start with the title tune, which has a prominent, bouncy bassline, a complex, quasi-Latin percussion track and repeated (and undeniable) declarations that this is "funky music." Feeling for You, which was released as a single, has a more conventional underlying groove - the four-on-the-floor bass drum rhythm that's straight out of the seventies. Cassius is not about to let us forget that house is the nineties' version of disco. That same basic groove reoccurs numerous times throughout the album, but it never gets overly tiresome. Thus we have "La Mouche", in which it becomes the constant element while they have some fun playing bait-and-switch volume games with a piano figure; "Nulife", in which it's augmented by handclaps, some James Brown-esque guitar, and a bit of conga drumming; and the down-tempo "Club Soixante Quinze", which has a kind of shuffly, new-jack thing going on. Probably the album's best cut, however, is the radio remix of "Cassius 1999," which has almost nothing to do with the original version except for the periodic proclamation (in a cute little Gallic accent): "Cassius in the House." The problem with electronica records, in particular those which are specifically geared towards dance, is that producers often get caught up in experimenting and decline (for understandable reasons) to fill the album with nothing but head-bobbing basslines, butt-shaking grooves and catchy hooks - which results in two or three killer dance tracks and a hefty load of interesting but ultimately useless doodling. By the same token, it's difficult to listen straight through to an album that was designed primarily for dancing. Thankfully, the first problem is pretty much avoided here. While not every song is prime dance-floor fodder, there is relatively little bum material, and at least it all sounds different. As for the second, that's easily solved: don't just sit there; get up and dance. With Cassius behind the decks, you hardly need an invitation.

Disco Filter seems to have made a big splash at nightclubs and the dance floors in the past while with such hits like "One More Time", "Music Sounds Better With You", "Astounded" and "Lady". 1999 was one of the albums that started the Disco dance craze all over again. Coming all the way from Paris France emerges a Fresh and original dance music duo known as Cassius. They belong to the "French Touch" style of dance music that all began with St.Germain, and was made popular by the likes of other French electronic artists such as Daft Punk, Dimitri Of Paris, and Air. Cassius happens to be one of the new additions to to this musical family. Cassius owes a lot of their sound to their good friends Daft Punk. The music of Cassius is quite comparable to that of Daft Punk's earlier album "Homework". The music is very beat driven and heavly bass-laden. The one main difference that makes Cassius different is that it relies a lot on disco samplings which gives the music a retro flavour. Disco filter tracks like "Feeling For You" and "Planetz" seem to stretch towards the past and future of dance music. However, Cassius also makes sure to have fun with what they do, which is evident in songs like the whimsical "La Mouche". Full-length dance CD's are always hard to make in that the music tends to lose it's energy when outside of a club or party setting, but this is not totally true with the 1999 album from Cassius. A must have for any serious European cluber-the world over!

Cassius can definitely bring the funk. This one of the more positive feeling albums in recent memory. Even with a slight lack of focus towards the middle of the disc, it is tough to beat "1999"'s party atmosphere. Along with Air, Daft Punk, and Dmitri From Paris, Cassius has contiunued the tremedous output from what seems to be a slamming French scene. Feel these grooves and totally let yourself go.

When it comes to electronica music, France really has breathed new air into one of my favorite genres of music. I love Air, Dimitri From Paris, Rinocerose (well their first album anyways), and Daft Punk (of course). Unfortunately I could not get into Cassius. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get into Cassius's "1999". The songs lacked the funkiness of Daft Punk or the intricate melodies of Air. The group's choice of samples were interesting to say the very least. I don't see very often an artist who would sample from '70s blaxploitation flick "Foxy Brown" like Cassius did on "Foxxy". Unfortunately what didn't really groove with me was the fact that the beats in most of the songs sounded too repetitive. I liked "Feeling For You", "La Mouche", "Foxxy" and "Cassius Remix '99" but otherwise this album didn't leave much of an impression on me, neither bad nor good. And when an album doesn't leave much an impression on me you know that isn't a good sign.

You need not listen to any disses regarding this album on here, its the real deal. Funky house in the highest order and an instant classic upon its release in 99, Cassius' 1999 album was probably the last truely classic French house artist album to be released during the french phenomenon. Alongside Daft's Homework, Etienne De
Crecy's Super Discount album, and Bob Sinclar's Paradise, 1999 will be remembered as a classic. By the way, this album is HOUSE music, not Air, so keep that in mind instead of broadly categorizing all french music.

When I first heard Cassius in the back end of 1998, I knew that they had something in that particular sound that other House artists were lacking at the time (I'm not professing to be a house aficionado, but I think that any tune that gets a WHOLE club dancing must be a teensy weensy bit special!!!).

The effect that "Cassius 99" had on the house club scene, was that of Winks "Higher State.." on the Techno/Hard house back in 93. And it's not often that you get a tune that outstanding!

So maybe it would come as a suprise that the parents of such a crowd pleaser can actually fill a whole album with ones of the same quality - if not better. Well if that's the case 1999 is one hell of a big suprise.

Whereas "Cassius 99" was commercially massive after a stint in the clubs, "Feeling for You" stayed around the clubs gaining anthem respect (and a a few reissues for Gwen McCrae!), and "La Mouche" had more remixes than well, anything really. I could go on to mention all the others but to be honest it'd take too long to sing the praises that loudly.

What I can tell you is that this funky, disco, big beat, hip hop, electroglide of an album never fails to satisfy in the House department. Where other albums have hindered their accessability by trying to stay true to one genre, Cassius have increased theirs by amalgamating various different ones.

And the result is this - A great dance album to be enjoyed by all.

So that'll be two suprises in one then!

Santo Cielo, cómo me hace bailar este pedazo de plástico! La fiesta del siglo es con Cassius, no hay más que hablar.

Seattle ravers know it best. This is a heart pumper that gets you going and keeps you going till the end. This is NOT repetative like Fat Boy Slim rythms but like Slim has different styles from song to song. This will keep you gonig to the unimaginable hours of the morning dancing to the bass and the great styles they throw at you. Ask yourself this, Into hip-hop funk disco dance music? Then you'll EAT IT UP!!!

Cassius is another french dance group, they surely make some nice dance music. Feeling For You, Crazy Legs and
LaMouche are all suberb dance tunes, the best song of the Cd is defenitely "Cassius 99" but actually it was the remix that was the one released on single. Cassius produces Funky-dance music at it's best, unfortunately many songs are fillers and almost sound the same. I think 16 songs are way too much, ok Cd anyway. For the good tunes i mentioned it's defenitely worth buying the Cd.

Cassius '99 having torn like armaggedon through the E-dropping community in Europe makes its mark on US club goers. This is the stuff dreams are made of folks. I personally have danced to this album till Nine o'clock in the morning, ad that was by myself. Is this album really that great or am I just a loser either way I think that you will enjoy the fluidity and hipnotic overtones that this album induces. If your into creamed corn and sit-coms on a friday night DO NOT,I REPEAT, DO NOT BUY THIS ALBUM. But if your into dancing from the pit of your soul until your body cant keep up with your mind's addiction to the throbbing pulses of really, really phat beats, hitchike to the record store if you have to.