Description
A taxi in Tel Aviv, a restaurant by the sea in Madagascar, a coach station in Bombay, a new-age bar on Venice Beach, a club in Paris, New York or Ibiza... one tune rings out from them all: Love Generation, played over and over, tirelessly. It was with this incredibly catchy tune that Bob Sinclar had one of the biggest hits of 2005, proving - if there was any doubt - his talent for making great music with no boundaries of age or race.
Chris has been putting his numerous skills to use in a variety of domains for fifteen years now; as a DJ, founder and manager of the Yellow label, popular remixer and sought-after producer, the music he releases under the Bob Sinclar moniker is more than just shallow house fluff destined only for the dancefloor.
The idea behind Bob Sinclar is completely the opposite. His priorities are focused on bringing people together and encouraging them enjoy themselves. Ever since Chris created his doppelganger in 1997, the worldwide hits have just kept coming: Gym Tonic, My Only Love, Feel For You, The Beat Goes On, Kiss My Eyes... They've even become too numerous to count. However, rather than just being content to make people dance, Chris' upbringing in Paris, his love of hip-hop and his experiences spinning at Les Bains and Le Palace during the early years of house have inspired him to make music with hope and energy, music to be shared.
He freely admits that any professional DJ should cherish these sorts of values, and yet it seems that much of the house being released in Europe seems to forget them. The vast majority of records have no aspirations beyond getting played in as many international clubs as possible.
In this respect, Bob Sinclar has definitively set himself aside from his peers. Of course he can't deny his past of unashamedly hedonistic tracks such as Gym Tonic, a huge hit and one of the defining records of what became known as the French Touch. But in 1998 he deftly moved away from filtered house to a more ambitious music, refining his style with each new release. In 2000 came his album Champs-Élysées and a project with disco legend Cerrone that earned him a gold disc. Then his meeting with collaborators Lene Lovich and Alain Wisniak pushed him to take his music in a different, more adventurous direction, with intricate arrangements and an electro disco feel. A breakthrough came with the III album, an ambitious endeavour stuffed full of giant hits (The Beat Goes On, Nature Boy and Kiss My Eyes). And who could forget the Africanism project or the stellar production on Outro Lugar sung by Brazilian Salomé de Bahia.
Then came the tidal wave of Love Generation, with 1.2 million singles sold in a few months, making it forever the hymn of an entire generation. Another two Bob Sinclar tracks from the Western Dream album – his fourth - were to go on to be hits around the globe: World, Hold On and Rock this Party.
Although he's obviously prolific and talented, Chris is above all a passionate artist trying to push his own boundaries with every new record. As he readily admits, without a hint of false modesty, he always saw himself as someone who would create, following a certain American tradition of artists that make quality music aimed nonetheless at the masses, someone who is always looking to do the unexpected, surprising his fans and earning their admiration.
With Love Generation and the Western Dream album, Bob Sinclar attained one of these principle objectives; making music that is both sophisticated and popular, house music that is equal parts glamour, pop and sexy. His sound was both warm and direct. And it made its mark on the era.
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