French touch hard to beat
While technology is frequently blamed for the problems in today's music industry, we seem to have conveniently forgotten how this 'culprit' was once the saviour of contemporary music.
The invention of the sound mixer, synthesizer and computer software not only brought revolutionary changes to the industry, it also opened up a brand new genre of electronic music - the sound of young hedonistic disco lovers.
And we cannot talk about electronica without mentioning the French. Their eagerness to experiment with sound mixing - plus a little bit of innate quirkiness - made the cold, addictive beats of electronic music flourish in the country and catapulted them to the head of the pack.
The French first heard of electronic music in the late 1940s when soundtrack composers Pierre Schaeffer and Pierre Henry recorded a ground-breaking piece of random speech and melodies in Symphonie Pour Un Homme Seul. This marked the beginning of the electronic age.
In the 1980s, the French were upstaged by electronic groups in neighbouring countries, such as Britain and Germany.
All of a sudden, in the late 90s, the French produced a promising duo, Daft Punk.
The mysterious, mask-wearing pair rocked the world with their distinctive beats and distorted vocals.
Air was another notable act during the Daft Punk era. The two-member band delivered softer, breezier tracks compared to their indie-rock influenced compatriots, and were famous for their high-quality, creative gigs. Also, newcomers like NoiseGun, M83 and The Teenagers have done countless re-mixes of classic songs and constantly surprised music lovers with their original vibes.
Yet, amid this musical bonanza, Justice from Ed Banger - a label founded by the former manager of Daft Punk, Busy P - stands out. The Grammy-winning pair showed intriguing heavy-metal shades in their distorted electronic house beats.
In May last year, all the singers from the Ed Banger label, with Uffie and Sebastian the highlights, were here, showing Hongkongers what an ultra-cool party should look and sound like.
Next month, another promising French electronic act - The Penelopes - are coming to town.
The electro-rock pair scooped the Best Discovery 2007 band at the Qwartz Electronic Music Awards with their debut, The Arrogance of Simplicity. Their recent release, Priceless Concrete Echoes, is a collaboration with renowned DJ Morpheus and is a happy marriage of indie rock and modern electronic music.
