1999

Providing track after track of top quality house, the well-named 1999 is sure-fire party music. This classy dance gem was put together by Cassius, a French duo peopled by Phillip Zdar and Hubert Boombass. Before their most recent incarnation, Zdar and Boombass worked individually and together in La Funk Mob, Motorbass and L'Homme Qui Valait Rois Millards. With 1999, they capture a fresh house sound that scintillates on the cusp of the new millennium (whatever that might mean).

1999 mightn't be pedestrian, but it is pragmatic. Extremely well-paced, it brings the listener on a rich and varied odyssey through dance. Thoughtful energy dips enhance the album's crescendos, filling every lull with a tantalising readiness for the next wave to build.

Shit-hot drum beats feature on every track, layered up by a range of different sounds and melodies, with great percussion throughout. Each piece has its own idiosyncrasies. The aptly entitled 'Crazy Legs' has hip '80s synth and cute smatterings of suspension and melodrama. 'La Mouche' - meaning 'The Fly' en français - contains a demented little sound that really is like a fly, while 'Chase' feels like a '70s American detective series. This lovely track features nifty synth melodies and brass stabs - a clever funky vibe that shoots right through the album. 'Foxxy' makes good use of guitar, 'Interlude' shimmers with the slow, magical charm of an oldtime toy shop, and 'Invisible' - one of my personal favourites - is an expansive moment made beautiful by piano and cello.

All in all, Cassius'1999 is new-sounding and never facile, making it a classic dance album that won't be won't be forgotten when the millennium celebrations are over.