Dynam'Hit - Europop Version Francaise 1990-1995

Born Bad Records Dynamhit compilation is a brief but tantalizing selection of French and Belgian dance-pop tunes from the early half of the 1990s, after the original explosion of house music altered the sound of pop music in Europe and throughout the world. The tracks are primarily sourced from vinyl singles and CD albums that are long out of print and in some cases nearly impossible to find, with the aim of providing an alternate history of pop music during the era. The songs mix several influences, from Chicago house and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince-style pop-rap to Italo-dance and Belgian new beat, but with a distinct French pop flair setting them apart from other strands of Euro-dance. Marie Touchets College Infernal (House Paradise Version) starts the set off at a brisk midtempo pace, with samples of seagulls and crashing waves as well as keyboard-chopped vocals during the chorus. La route by Telexs Michel Moers has a similar-sounding beat but a bit more of an industrial tinge, with crashing car samples and a recurring snatch of the lyrics to Kraftwerks Autobahn, in addition to a subtle, clever allusion to the melody from jazz standard Caravan. A few tracks are straight up hip-house, with fluid French rapping, ravey pianos, and a general fun, feel-good vibe, although Histoires de Filles House Tube is essentially a dig at the simplicity of much house music, and how most of the songs on the radio at the time only had two chords. While there is a sophistication to some of the more lyric-heavy tracks, others seem content to just provide a hip soundtrack for a carefree night out, like Techno 90 (featuring future David Guetta collaborator Frederic Riesterer) and their Good Life-esque Everybody Dancing. A few tracks near the end update more mainstream French pop for the style and era, like the chugging Top Model by gruff-voiced Jean-Francois Maurice and the slow-burning bootleg mix of Jacques Dutroncs Opium that concludes the album. ~ Paul Simpson