I’ve spent more nights than I can count (and certainly more than I can remember) dancing the night away in any number of those dim, uniquely Parisian bars that are short on light and long on the kind of fun that goes on past dawn. And more often than not, the rhythmic hooks of Bob Sinclar have, at least in part, provided the soundtrack on the more memorable of those evenings.
Years ago I unknowingly sat next to Bob Sinclar [real name: Christoph Le Friant] at a small gathering of music journalists in a cramped conference room at Warner Bros Music in Burbank, California. The occasion for the meeting was a very private listening session heralding the arrival of a new Madonna release. I recall thinking that ‘Chris’, as he was introduced to me at the time, was another music journalist. He was quiet and seemingly listening far more intently than I (which made me feel slightly inadequate) but he was not so intense that I didn’t have time to formulate the impression that he seemed a very good soul. In fact, I actually remember thinking, “What a nice guy,” as we all walked out of the building and shared a few words.
It was only later that I would discover that ‘Chris’ was in fact, Bob Sinclar, the legendary DJ and music producer behind massive global hits like “World Hold On”, “Love Generation” and so many of the other indelibly magical house-flavored tracks that I had come to associate with wondrous nights in Paris. Suddenly the realization that the unassuming Chris was also the groovalicious pied piper of Paris, made me love the music all the more and I’ve been an even more unabashed fan of his work ever since.
With that bit of historical trivia in mind, imagine my joy upon the arrival of Paris by Night (A Parisian Musical Experience), Sinclar’s 2013 release which, just as the title suggests, celebrates the sounds and rhythms that are so unique to the City of Lights. In this one collection, Sinclar captures the singular spirit of Paris nightlife with instant classic tracks like “C’est La Vie” that immediately transport me back to my favorite memories of sexy Paris nights. And though I have not had the pleasure as of yet, I am almost certain that this collection is only the briefest introduction to Monsieur Sinclar’s much buzzed about “Paris by Night” sets that have developed a cult like following from Miami Beach to Mykonos.
So when my thoughts turn wistfully to Paris and I’m here in LA (or anywhere else in the world but), I turn down the lights, pull the shades and crank up Paris by Night (A Parisian Musical Experience) and I highly recommend the same to anyone feeling a similar pang of desire. No it’s not the same as being there, but if you close your eyes and let the music wash over you, it is almost, at least for few seconds, as if you are.
Catch Bob Sinclar on tour in 2014 all over the globe and stay on top of the latest from his world at www.bobsinclar.com.
Listen to a sneak peak of Paris by Night (A Parisian Musical Experience) below:
