In the recent light of events that saw the unexplained dissolution of one of the most influential Electronic duo Daft Punk, I wanted to pen a further tribute of a throwback for this month. Indeed, over their near three decades of illustrious career spawned numerous hits worth discussing. However today’s selection remains slightly bizarre and a celebrate one of course, an evergreen titled “Music Sounds Better with You” manifested by French trio Stardust. Now you could be asking how does this band fit into the picture here? Among the three members was one Thomas Bangalter from the bespoke former pair, alongside Alan Braxe and vocalist Benjamin Diamond.
While there was never a sequel that followed this, hence why I tagged this case a peculiar one, as the said ensemble disbanded the project right after their first and only release. This remnant of their one-time team-up is an always refreshing Disco House single. It came right around the time when funkier spectrum of four-on-four club music saw a brief and popular revamp during the turn of this century (other reminiscent examples being “Groovejet” by Spiller, or Modjo’s “Lady”).
With every successful production, there are key features of why it soared in the charts. This record had two such aspects: the teasing guitar riff (originally sampled from Chaka Khan’s “Fate”) and the playful vocal presence. Repeating together in a filter manipulated instrumentation (an attribute of French House is its heavy manipulation of electronic filters, giving it a taste of flanger). Simplicity aced here like a charm, a hazy and upbeat groove that is irresistible for the ears in spite of constant recurrence of the elements at work.
“Music Sounds Better with You” remains a classic even after 22 years of heavy rotation, making it a prime proponent of House music’s breakthrough from an underground status to a staple on dancefloors. A beacon of hope perhaps remains for a joint-effort involving the either of the departed halves of Daft Punk in another project like this, as their legacy combined is exemplar and radiant.
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