During this past winter, I often felt nostalgic of times when my freedoms were not curtained and I was able to socialise with no restrictions. In some way 1998 seemed a very long way off.
Back then at 21 years old, with a keen interest in music, I had just landed my dream job in a Paris music shop. Finally leaving Brest – my bleak hometown, my youth was finally lighting up and I was thrilled to join the music retailing industry.
The vibrant multicultural 18th and 20th districts of Paris turned out to be spots where I met so many interesting, challenging and quirky individuals making those two years enriching and memorable.
Working in the Soul-Funk-electronic section of the music shop, those years living in the capital were also musically formative. I discovered many new genres that I had never been exposed to before. I remember being hooked on blaxploitation movie scores, abstract hip-hop and acid jazz.
This playlist is a collection of the tracks I discovered, cherished and played endlessly in my Barbes apartment. They were often recommended to many of my customers!
Cover picture by Aurore Gemble.
https://open.spotify.com/embed/playlist/3bk7C4FcCVwvCVhPcJ04et
Paris 1998-2000
Nightmares on Wax – Les nuits
DJ Cam – Meera ft Kakoli Sengupta
Air – Les professionnels
Marvin Gaye – ‘T’ plays it cool
Wilco – How to fight loneliness
Lambchop – Grumpus
Neil Young – I believe in you
Ann Peebles – Trouble, heartaches & sadness
Shuggie Otis – Aht uh Mi Hed
Serge Gainsbourg – La Ballade de Melody Nelson
Kruder and Dorfmeister – Useless (depeche mode remix)
Gil Scott-Heron and Brian Jackson – We almost lost Detroit
Ms. Lauryn Hill – Forgive them father
Gwen McCrae – Let’s straighten out
The Roots ft Erykah Badu – You got me
Marie ‘Queenie’ Lyons – See and don’t see
Wendy Rene – After laughter (comes tears)
Curtis Mayfield – Eddie you should know better
CULTURE CLUB SOCIAL 