Cassius Album: “Au Rêve”

cassius new album "au reve" is a more tech heavy pursuit than its predecessor "1999". atari bleeps and bloops swirl in and out but never take away from the sophisticated melodies and taught rhythyms.

the whole album has a messy, underground sound to it, which i love considering how sterile and devoid the majority of dance music has become.

like the landmark "discovery" from daft punk, cassius has persued more rock sounds on this album...the electric guitar stands very prominent on many tracks...time will tell if this was a wise road to follow, but for now especially on the lovely "nothing" it adds a pink-floyd vibe to the album, which i enjoyed.

overall, if you a fan of AIR, DAFT PUNK, and CASSIUS last release...you will be pleased with this purchase.

Nightclubbers will remember '1999', Cassius previous LP, as a cornerstone in 90's top house music. But this time our 2 French DJ's have really gone too far: this album is really high above any order dance/electro act released these days.

More than a few club hits in a row, this record will take you up and down, upside down and inside out like a real rollercoaster. From groovy dance hit singles (Sound of Violence, I'm a woman) to jazzy and soul electro tunes (Protection, Telephone love), everyone will find happiness here 'At the dream' (Au reve in French). Not talking about the incredible featurings: Jocelyn Brown, Ghostface Killa (from the WuTang), Leroy Burgess...

Definitely one the best record this year, just hope it would get the fame it deserves!!

The disco aesthetic has always been a part of the French house scene, and it certainly played a part in Cassius' first album, 1999. On their new album, Au Reve, however, disco seems to have taken over entirely -- and not necessarily in a good way. Ghostface Killah from the Wu-Tang Clan puts in an appearance, and while is flow is fine, the final product sounds like a hip-house project from the late 80s, when such a thing was new. Now, however, it just sounds tired. "Telephone Love" shows a little inventiveness, but not even the might Jocelyn Brown can save "I'm A Woman, " which becomes generic diva house. "20 Years (How Do You See Me Now)" isn't completely realized, while "Au Reve" don't really go anywhere. I was really hoping for more, especially since Cassius is ½ of Motorbass -- now there's something to dream about.

Cassius' debut, "1999," was a deliciously groovy sample of quirky, edgy dance that helped put France on the map as a home of some of the most innovative leaders in the genre. Three years later, they return with a new disc, and while nothing here matches the perfect disco bliss of "Feeling For You" or the Willie Hutch-sampled "Foxxy," "Au Reve" still palpitates with enough energy and attitude to make it one of the best releases of 2002. Thumping beats, synths that often look back to the 1980s, and even some Kraftwerk influences pop up here. The biggest shock is the appearance of Ghostface Killah who appears in one hip hop flavored jam. Hip hop with a French twist? Who knew? Also, the venerable neo-disco diva Jocelyn Brown makes a nice impression on the disc, and we get other slices of electro pop, downtempo rhythms, and perky house. An album like this should sound choppy and unfocused, as they toss everything but the kitchen sink into these grooves. But "Au Reve" remains remarkably consistent, guaranteed to make your head bob to the beats. In my school of music, it gets an A-.

this is a pretty lackluster effort, but it still has sparks of the wicked funkiness of 1999. Sound of violence is a standout, but not many others are.