This Week in House Music: Radiohead with Chambord, CC:DISCO! & Cassius
My global freelance music journey continues, and this time I'm writing from quarantine in Barcelona. While I, unfortunately, had to miss some shows I was excited about, especially Thom Yorke's new band, The Smile. The silver lining was hearing a perfect deep house Radiohead remix from Chambord, which I will be revisiting for some time.
For this Week in House Music, we dance in Europe, starting out deep and moody, into an hour of upbeat joy, closing with an Ibiza poolside French touch classic.
Best New Track: Radiohead & Chambord - Reckoner (Chambord Remix) [Around Midnight, June 6]
As Radiohead is my favorite band and house my favorite genre, a tasteful Radiohead remix always hits me in my soul. This week, Parisian DJ duo Chambord takes on "Reckoner" from (my favorite album) 2007's In Rainbows and extends and expands for the dancefloor into nine minutes of dark and moody melodic bliss.
Follow Chambord on SoundCloud | Instagram
Best New Mix: CC:DISCO! on Rinse FM - June 11, 2022
For her second to last Rinse FM show after a four-year run, Portugal-based, Australian-born house and disco head CC:DISCO! delivers "a celebration of bangers, all uppers, no downers," as she aptly puts it. She opens with Italo disco groover "My Love For You" by Innervision and continues with an hour's worth of upbeat, soulful, housey joy, including "Inspiration" by Kerri Chandler and Arnold Jarvis, "Rise Up" from Twice (Blend It!), and "Boogie Woogie" by Naito.
Follow CC:DISCO! on SoundCloud | Instagram
Best Classic Track: Cassius - The Sound of Violence (2002, Virgin)
From 1999 until Phillipe Zdar's untimely death in 2019, Cassius made perfectly playful and vibey house bops spread across six albums. The French duo, also consisting of Hubert Boombass, was a pivotal part of the French touch movement. On their 2002 sophomore album, Au Rêve, they delivered several classics, particularly "The Sound of Violence." The song sounds like an ocean-side vacation, driven by a funky bassline, a classic French touch filtered synth, and the warm vocals of British singer Steve Edwards.