“I can’t get you off my mind, no matter what I do.”
So begins one of the funkiest tracks you’ll ever hear, Moon Boots’ “Off My Mind.” This gem came out over two years ago, and provides a nice into to what Moon Boots is all about.
“I don’t like the term nu disco,” the US-based producer said in an interview with Indieshuffle. He’s right. His music is more emotionally invested than disco, less about the party as about the sensual experience. It’s disco in the vein of “I Feel Love,” the right amount of house, a heavy dose of R&B, and a referential stability keeps us focused on the groove.
The French Express label, home to Moon Boots and contemporaries like Jonas Rathsman, Perseus and Isaac Tichauer, is the latest dance-centric crew riding a rising tide of popularity in their home niche. The artists have been steadily producing for a number of years, but fandom has just now reached critical mass, and these guys are hot. They’re booked to feature at Coachella’s highly regarded DoLab stage, and also rostered at Ultra (Miami) and Movement Electronic Festival (Detroit).
Take this track, for example: a snare-cymbol track lends it some bmore club-inspired grit, while an Aeroplaneesque lead synth purrs its way through a barrage of swirls and stabs. While some other French Express land closer to classic industrial house, Moon Boots stays comfortable in a pop mentality while paying respects to his influencers, who must include Lindstrom, Chic, and Utah Saints (the riff at 2:50 is pure “Something Good”).
A brief tangent: What will it take for this music to be truly considered “mainstream”, not in the derogatory sense, but in the sense that it’s selling well and casual music listeners are away of its existence? Indie is obsessed with the 80s, rock is less and less rebellious, and pop is dominated by rinse-and-repeat throwaways. I don’t believe it will happen with French Express, but I do believe that, within the next decade, the shift to the internet will be complete enough that the notion of mainstream will no longer apply. Corporate dollars wills till push some artists to the top, but I forsee fewer and fewer long-running, BIG bands and more of the bubble-pop cycle of genre preference we’ve been seeing since electronic music went viral in the US.
This isn’t a rhetorical exercise…we at EMPT love to know what you think about music culture. Please share your thoughts in the comments, but not before pressing play.
For those who like Funk night, clubbing in Berlin, or just plain like to shake it in front of the mirror, Moon Boots is for you.
