Adore

Paris has long been a haven for jazz types looking to prosper. With its combination of high-culture and hipster fashion, it is little wonder that Paris has spawned classy electronica artists like Gilb’r, DJ Cam and Nicolas Croix, aka I:cube. Adore is I:Cube’s second and most accomplished full-length. Expertly fusing old French lounge vibes with down-tempo techno beats, it easily competes with French superstars Air for cool kid coffee shop music. But a deeper look reveals an informed musical lesson several grades ahead of the competition. The title track and “Tropiq” offer chilled beats with jazzy undercurrents, while “La La La” takes full advantage of the disco/house expected from the Gallic artist. Croix even goes so far as to toy with those expectations, with the cheesy disco false start on “The Basic Bastard.” But he moves way beyond the expected, into territories of minimal dub on “Dans La Piece Vide,” Detroit techno on “Gastro Funk,” and even elements of abrasive IDM on “Caca Carnival.” By stretching his wings notably wider than many of his geographic contemporaries, Croix has produced an album that deserves much more attention than mere dinner party music. – Joshua Glazer