Fallen Heroes - Chapter 1: Bob Sinclar

They were music heroes for me. The best DJs, Live-Acts, Producers in my eyes. But driven by commerce or by whatever they suddenly changed into something worse… other style, other image. No quality at all anymore. This is about me and my Fallen Heroes.


Chapter 1 - Bob Sinclar

I still remember the time, when suddenly a fresh House sound popped into the Electronic Music Scene - it was the end of the 1990s. Lots of filters, cut-offs, phasers and samples. Artists from France conquered the dancefloor: Daft Punk, Cassius and a mysterious man called Bob Sinclar. French House was born - a skillful mix of popular elements and a cool underground vibe.

Bobs breakthrough was the album "Paradise" in 1998. It is still one of my favorite albums of all time (next to Basement Jaxx "Remedy"). Tracks like "The Ghetto", "My Only Love" or "Vision Of Paradise" blew me away. You heard, this man lives for music! What a producer! But in the whole album no photo of Bob, who is this guy? I was getting curious…

We all could not wait for a new album to come and finally in 2000 "Champs Elysées" was released. And Bob showed us once again what House Music is: Sexy like "I Feel For You", crazy like "Ich rocke" and energetic like "Save Our Soul". With every track he invented himself again. Bob was the greatest.

Until a hot summer night in Pacha Ibiza 2005… Roger Sanchez was playing his own warm-up for an amazing 8h set. And during this still very fresh evening he dropped suddenly a horrible record, more suitable for a kids birthday than for the most beautiful club in the world. Anyway, luckily I did not hear this awful tune again, until a party in cold December. When I found out the track was from Bob a world collapsed for me… people might guess already, I am talking about "Love Generation".

Everything what followed then from him had the same kind of quality, commercial R&B (Rubbish & Bullshit). Instead of cooperating like in the past with Music Masterminds like Thomas Bangalter (Daft Punk) the New Bob is Buddy Buddy with Shaggy, Sean Paul and Goleo (The Mascot of the 2006 FIFA World Cup). His releases are monotone, without any innovation and sounding like Greetings from Jamaica or a Pony Ranch. Oh Bob, why oh why?!?

You were a highly payed DJ already, with hundreds of high-class bookings around the globe. Your releases were selling good. You had such a great standing in the Electronic Music Scene. So money & fame can not be the reason.

After all, I am glad another French Producer is showing us right now what is possible in the Post-French-House-Era: Rodriguez Jr. - Vive La France!

Read also:

Chapter 2 - Erick Morillo

Chapter 3 - Deadmau5

Photo: Bob Sinclar