Riaan Wolmarans
CD OFTHEWEEK
Last weekend’s Select event at Carfax in Johannesburg was superb. It was amazingly refreshing to move to the sexy French house sounds as played by DJs Eric Rug, Deep and Pepe Bradock, as opposed to the usual hectic, commercial house one hears at all the other dance events. Now there’s a way to take the tunes home with the excellent French Sessions box set from the Distance label.
Comprising three CDs, it’s a must-have for any serious music lover. Volume 1 kicks off a continuous French house mix by Parisian DJ Jrme Pacman. It’s laid- back and upbeat at the same time, smooth and flowing while maintaining that funky undertone which gives it such a sexy, danceable edge. In the mix are tracks from Kevin Yost, DJ Sneak and New Phunk Theory.
Volume 1 seamlessly segues into Volume 2, mixed by DJBertrand. It’s more of the same quality beats, though it does have a somewhat more chilled-out feeling than the first volume, with tracks by luminaries such as Todd Terry, Paul Johnson and The Space Invaders. These first two CDs form a noteworthy whole.
Lastly things pick up again with Volume 3: Distance to House:A Summer Mix, mixed by DJJef K. Here there are more groovy sounds, almost jazzy at times, with DJVice, The Deep, DJ Rasoul, Digital Kid and Fresh’n’Low all appearing in the mix.
Whether you’re a French house aficionado or just want to experience something fresh and funky, this set comes highly recommended.