Cassius

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Essential Albums

  • 1999 (Deluxe Edition)

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  • Chromeo

About Cassius

Parisian duo Cassius may not be as famous as Daft Punk, but they played just as crucial a role in the creation of the so-called French Touch, a distinctive style of disco-kissed house that ruled European dance floors in the ‘90s. Hubert Blanc-Francard (a.k.a. Boombass) and Philippe Cerboneschi (a.k.a. Philippe Zdar) met in the late ’80s, producing for French rapper MC Solaar and then founding the Mo’ Wax project La Funk Mob, where they pioneered a silky fusion of deep house and hip-hop. On their 1999 debut album as Cassius, 1999, they deepened their funk while sharpening their melodic instincts, and on 2002’s Au Rêve, they went pop on anthems like “The Sounds of Violence” and “Under Influence,” bridging the gap between American indie-dance basement parties and Ibizan open-air superclubs. After 2006’s 15 Again, Zdar increasingly focused on production work for acts like Franz Ferdinand and Cat Power, but the duo reunited with 2016’s spirited Ibifornia. Sadly, their second act was short-lived: Two days before the release of 2019’s Dreems, Zdar died in a fall from a building. In honor of his friend, Boombass declared Cassius finished. Despite their tragic end, the duo’s work remains a heartfelt testament to late nights in the flush of youth.

ORIGIN
Paris, France
FORMED
1996
GENRE
Electronic

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