Alex Gopher Presents Wuz

Gopher's rise to the upper echelon of the French house scene came through his work producing records for the influential dance music labels, Source and Solid, cornerstones of the Parisian house scene. He solidified his growing popular reputation after he contributed two tracks to Etienne de Crecy's highly acclaimed "Super Discount" compilation of French lounge-house tracks by some of the superstars of French house. Two years later, in 1998, he released his first solo album, "You, My Baby & I," a laidback and sometimes danceable downtempo house album with the singles, "Party People" and "The Child" becoming club staples. Come 2001, Gopher was commissioned to produce a couple exclusive tracks so Wuz was created for that purpose.

Originally a conceptual side-project formed to produce three tracks for the designer Yves Saint Laurent's catwalk shows in 2001, Wuz's output progressively developed into a full-length album. To have a harder and clubbier edge to his usual chill, downtempo style, Alex Gopher brought in labelmate Demon (aka Jeremie Mondon) to help out. The result is essentially Alex Gopher's second album and one of the finest and tightest house albums to come out of France to date.

Starting off the album with an airy and charmed track, "Intimacy," by Demon and leading straight into the chill and upbeat title track, "Wuz," one might believe that the album was going to be an endorphin-laden journey towards nirvana. But things quickly change, as the track "Without You" exudes a menacing dance beat not previously seen in Gopher's work. The mechanical repetition of indecipherable vocal samples set to a throbbing mixture of funky guitar licks and soaring flange effects all make for the sensation of a bad trip on the dance floor.

The song coasts into the very chill atmosphere of the next song, "Long Island," which is like a Vangelis track from the movie "Bladerunner" infused with a little bit of funk to give the listener a beat to tap to. It is almost an ironic understatement compared to the irresistible hit-single of the album, "Use Me," which follows in its placid wake.

A melancholy dance anthem characterized on one hand by the pessimism of the song's chorus line, "All you want to do is use me" and a persistent dance rhythm of obligatory house claps and bass thumps on the other hand, "Use Me" is a song engineered to be a dance hit. Tugging at both the listener's conscience attention to the lyrics and his/her dancing feet at the same time, it is an irrepressible song capturing both the sensational and intellectual nature of the musical vision Gopher had highlighted on his first album, "You, My Baby & I."

The songs that follow "Use Me," however, are less convincing of a dominant dance theme and are more relaxed downtempo tracks. At points, they almost seem to have a dance beat just to keep the party going, even while the host has clearly retired to his bedroom. Still, the atmospheric ambience of all the later tracks on the album do successfully set the mood for a perfectly smooth after-hours lounge to retreat to once the main party is over.

Though one might have fallen asleep by now after the very mellow glow of the past few songs, the last track on the album is not one to be missed as it stands as one of the strongest dance-focused tracks, and at 11:28 minutes, it generously comprises many facets of the Wuz sound. Just as the album began with the Demon, "Keep On Dancing (Last Man Standing)" was produced entirely by the Demon. A rambling bit resembling a DJ mix more than a song, it is nevertheless one of the most entertaining rides on the album.