Pansoul

Album review

Twenty-five years on, Ed Banger has reissued Pansoul, the only album by the duo of Etienne de Crécy and Philippe Zdar. Motorbass, as Etienne de Crécy liked to put it for the press, were hip-hop guys who made techno. Indeed, at the time, in the early 90s, Zdar was working with Jimmy Jay, MC Solaar's DJ, and by dint of hanging out at raves, the pair had become obsessed with techno, whether American, Belgian or Dutch. But Motorbass's education in electronic music eventually took a more soulful turn with the discovery of the Detroit house scene, with producers like Rick Wade and Terrence Parker infusing soul into their techno, soon joined by the legendary Moodymann. With this influence, the duo evolved thanks to Guillaume La Tortue's Salinas EP, with its simplified use of samples, and the New York producer Nature Boy, who integrated disco loops into his house music, a novelty that was to become one of the trademarks of the French Touch.

Pansoul was released a few months before Homework by Daft Punk, who had already made a splash with their 1996 EP Da Funk. It actually only contains two tracks that feature the famous French Touch© filter: Les Ondes and Wan Dence. Beyond the "foundation" aspect, this record is above all a coming together of brilliant ideas and neat production, balancing house, techno, hip-hop, soul, disco and even jazz, with a sound that's both powerful and elegant. There are many highlights, between the hypnotic marathon Ezio, with a Diana Ross sample that brings the listener back down to earth; Les Ondes, which starts with a techno kick before grooving onward; and Neptune with its echoing breaks, borrowing from Sun Ra; then there is a tribute to Pharcyde (Pariscyde) and the flawless Genius. This is one of those records that you'll play all the way through in one sitting, before hitting "repeat". © Smaël Bouaici/Qobuz