A LA FRENCH (1987-92) THE BALEARIC SESSIONS VOL.1

LABEL: Favorite Recordings / Jazzy Couscous TITLE: A La French (1987-1992) The Balearic Sessions Vol. 1 CAT-NO: FVR175-JC14 GENRE: House, Balearic, Reissue FORMATS: Vinyl 12", Printed Innersleeve A1 - Cecilia Noah - Yuku Mon Ukulele (Party Mix) A2 - Alpha Blondy  Yé Yé (Club Suite Movement One + Two) B1 - Gérard Blanc - Dis Tout Bas Dis (Remix Club) B2 - Princess Erika - Calomnie (Club Mix) Yuku Mon Ukulele (Party Mix) is one of Dimitri's first remix for Cecilia Noah, a model slash wife of a French tennis star. None other than John Oates (of Hall & Oates!) is producing, and lead singer of infamous French Rock band šTéléphone› is on the writing bill. An unlikely combo the 80's seemed to have no shame for. Despite this manufactured aspect, the solid production and songwriting, along with the cute vocal, make it a quite charming piece. Alpha Blondy is a worldwide known artist that hails from the Ivory Coast, in the African continent. Singing in multiple languages including French, he™s often referred to as the "African Bob Marley". We're in the early 90's and World Music artists are getting their mandatory "remix treatment" for the clubs. The omnipresent Dimitri is commissioned for a remix of šYé Yé›. He delivers here a long remix šClub Suite› in two parts: starting downtempo & ending uptempo, to suit both radio and club play. Some may spot hints of D-Train & Chaka Khan, showing yet another reference to the "Sound Of New York". This record laid dormant, until a couple of years back, when the tiny world of obscure dance music diggers showed interest for its ethnic House sound. Gérard Blanc was the lead singer of 70™s french pop group - and for the rest of the world - one hit Disco wonder: Martin Circus. A big name in the industry, he played a key role in Dimitri™s burgeoning remixing career, giving him plenty of insider advice. After watching Dimitri work, Blanc was intrigued and hired him to remix his first solo single "Une Autre Histoire". In 1989, with "Dis Tout Bas Dis (Remix Club)", Dimitri returns for a final remix for Martin Circus' frontman after a few collaborations, and the result is outstanding. A beautiful piece of balearic club music, mixing House elements with deep synth chords (played by infamous session player, and library music producer Thierry Durbet) alongside epic saxophone solos. The perfect track for a sunset mix by the beach, when summer comes to an end... Princess Erika started her career with the band "Blackheart Daughters" in the early 80s and was soon established as a member of the Zulu Nation by Afrika Bambaataa. In 1992, Princess Erika delivers her first album on which appears šCalomnie›. This Dimitri remix is particularly influenced by Frankie Knuckles™ work, and the Def Mix sound of the time. Having rinsed Knuckles™ Beyond The Mix LP on his shows, Dimitri uses that similar piano/flute formula over a downtempo House beat. Olivier Masselot is playing the beautiful keys, and a young engineer named Philippe Zdar, assisted by Etienne de Crecy, run the mixing desk. The latter two will soon be bonding and releasing the Motorbass record, a milestone of the French Touch era. This šCalomnie› remix originally came out as promo only Vinyl and CD. It™s now officially out, 29 years later! Another one of Dim's very personal favorite.