Cassius - 1999 (Virgin) After being chided as the country that imposed Vanessa Paradis and Ottawan on the world, France seems to be making up for lost time in the past two years. With an exciting dance scene that nursed the likes of Sexy Boy and Music Sounds Better With You, France's production line of quality music acts is on the mend.
When Cassius imploded on to the scene, punters were expecting another Daft Punk or another Air.
But the only common trait between Cassius and Air is that their sounds hark from an earlier age. While Air pays tribute to the primal synth-pop of Giorgio Moroder and Harold Faltermayer, Cassius tries to zero in for on the essence of dance music.
This album is a homage to the best house music of the past decade mixed with the Saturday Night Fever boogie of the 1970s - Mister Everready, for example, sounds delightfully like a new interpretation of Jive Talkin'.
Don't discount this as a nostalgia trip, however: 1999 lives up to its name with breakbeat elements and revitalised old-skool hip-hop.
It has to be said, though, that it lacks the elegance of Air and the meatiness of Daft Punk, and the album falters towards the mediocre with its recurrent house-music themes.
