Cassius
1999

LA RECENSIONE

Philippe Zdar and Hubert Blanc (aka Bombass), known as Cassius, are two of the most notable exponents of the so-called "French Touch", a fully European trend inaugurated by the masters Daft Punk, undisputed pioneers of that unmistakable and influential French style characterized by minimalism, cool rhythms, and references to the recent musical past of the '70s and '80s, which soon would generate clones and imitators all over the globe. Pleasantly surprised by the enormous success of the explosive Radio Edit of the single "Cassius 1999", Zdar and Bombass released the highly anticipated "1999", their debut album, in the namesake year, leaving everyone stunned. In many of the 15 tracks (16, if you count the inclusion of the single in the already mentioned Radio Edit), the French duo indeed distances themselves from the pounding sounds of the first track extracted from the album, preferring softer atmospheres closer to Electro, Funk, and 70's Black music, with rare and pleasant exceptions.

The initial Album Version of "Cassius 1999" is a perfect exemplification of the group's intentions: abandonment of frenetic cut & paste for a calmer and more expansive sound, almost like background music. The subsequent "Feeling For You" excellently takes on Gwen McCrae's historic "All This Love That I'm Givin", transformed for the occasion into an irresistible "House-Anthem" for the dance floor, while the beautiful "Crazy Legs" splendidly echoes Afrika Bambaataa's "Planet Rock" and "Looking For The Perfect Beat". "La Mouche" is refined and in pure "French" style right from the quirky title, and immediately gives way to the two-minute interlude "Chase" (background Electro-Funk!) and the magnificent "Foxxy", a sensational tribute to the cult movie "Foxy Brown", sampling the famous theme composed by the Blaxploitation icon Willie Hutch. Standing ovation worthy. The cheerful "Planetz" and the hypnotic "Hey Babe" and "Mister Eveready" still claim Zdar and Bombass's great passion for the most famous Double H 4/4 on the planet, and the engaging bass line of "Nulife" introduces us to 6 spectacular minutes of Soulful-House. After a suspended interlude, the beatbox of the disorienting and almost Trance "Somebody" emerges, followed by "Club Soixante Quinze" and "Supacrush", ideal backgrounds for a drink in a crowded and super trendy lounge-bar. The concluding skit "Invisible" serves as an Outro and closes a mature and over-the-top work, not before the acclaimed Bonus Track, the Video Version of "Cassius 1999".

Despite everything, "1999", while being well received by critics and specialized magazines, did not achieve the expected success and confined Cassius to anonymity, until the release, in 2002, of the excellent "Au Reve", absolutely on the same level. A good reason, in short, to recover their undervalued discography, starting right from the aforementioned debut, undoubtedly among the most singular and original of the past decade.