at a glance...

Hometown: Paris, France
First recordings: 1992

Personnel:

Alex Gopher -instruments, sounds, noises
JB Bunckel -keyboards
Michael Payne -vocals
Mike Burbaum -guitar

Related artists:
Orange, Air, Le Tone, Imhotep, Etienne De Crecy

Notes:
Alex Gopher cut his teeth in Paris' dance underground in the early '90s. Producer, mixman and all-around music svengali, he's had his hand in a lot of pies. He started out with Air's Jean-Benoit Dunckel and Nicholas Godin in Orange, and has remained in close quarters. Gopher began releasing his own stuff in 1995 in conjunction with various singles. 1997's "Gordini Mix" (Solid) makes a remixed appearance as "Brakes On" on Air's Premiers Symptomes.

Looking for the ultimate album for your big New Year's celebration? Feeling down and want to bounce around your apartment drinking a glass of chocolate milk? Want to be inspired to find out everything about the Parisian dance scene? Alex Gopher's (pronounced go-phay?) You My Baby & I will provide all you need for these quests, and oh so much more.

This album oozes with so many layers of intelligent, lively, fat funk, you'll wonder how you ever danced all night without it. The ridiculously hip "The Child" dubs out a Billie Holiday clip that makes the Queen of Sadness sound born to get your butt shaking. The Air-like and transcendental "Ralph & Kathy" witnesses a counseling session between two computers augmented by a Vocoder chorus, rolling spaced-out keyboards and a trippy groove that begs for an hour-long remix.

Gopher doesn't so much break ground as globally unite the best of what dance music has offered over the last 25 years and pushes the envelope of the future just enough to give a hint of what may be around the corner. He goes for tried-and-true slogans ("where are the party people at"), and some new cosmic slop to thump out a brilliant dance album.

If you like Alex Gopher, check out:
Funkadelic Let's Take it to the Stage
Parliament Motor Booty Affair
Air Moon Safari

-- Aaron Goldweber

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