"Suzuki" by Tosca.
The whole album is a harmony, and I suggest listening to the album as a whole. The smoothest treble, the funkiest bass and all manner of silky, sliding beats and noises in between give this Tosca album a style and quality yet to be reproduced by the duo. Don your silk bathrobes and lounge like one hell of a stylish lizard.
Inspiration: A luxurious W hotel suite and tons of bubbly
Choice tracks: Suzuki, Annanas, Honey
"Sacre Bleu" by Dimitri From Paris.
Get ready to wear that nautical top, beret and red scarf. This album is as French hip as it gets. The word delirious is perhaps tossed around too casually in ’90s dance music, but "Sacre Bleu" earns the distinction. Dimitri patches together everything from lounge sounds to techno, with plenty of ear-tickling verbal samples to keep things hopping.
Inspiration: Moulin Rouge, Jean Paul Gaultier
Choice tracks: Sacre Francais, Dirty Larry, Une Very Stylish Fille
"Confessions on a Dancefloor" by Madonna.
Get your disco gear and roller-skates ready. Apparently there’s nothing in Kabbalah that bans sweaty, head-spinningly great dance music, because here comes a flame-haired Madonna hawking a dozen songs’ worth: "Confessions" darts seamlessly from Madge’s early days, when she emerged as the genre’s enduring darling and unrivaled super-mega-diva!
Inspiration: Who else but Madonna herself?
Choice tracks: Hung Up, Future Lovers, Sorry
"Costes 5" by Various Artists.
DJ Stephane Pompougnac once again shows his genius in the art of fab stylish music on this fifth volume of music from Paris’ famed restaurant/lounge. With every volume, he strikes just the right blend of familiar sounds and introduces the listener to new tracks with every volume.
Inspiration: Catherine Deneuve, Vanessa Paradis, Café Laduree on Champs Elysses
Choice tracks: L’Amour, Summer in Paris, Les Champs Elysses
"Protection" by Massive Attack.
With sublime work on the piano by Armstrong and the angel voice of Tracey Thorn (from Everything But The Girl) Massive Attack has made a classic album that is going to last forever. Full of innovative sounds, vocals and deep feeling, it’s truly a beautiful and melancholic album.
Inspiration: A cool martini bar
Choice tracks: Protection, Karmacoma, Better Things
"A Night at The Playboy Mansion" by Dimitri From Paris.
This is definitely one of the funkiest, bounciest, wildest and most fun records I have. It’s seriously entrancing. Never put this on if you’re trying to get work done. You really won’t be able to do a thing but groove. For all other moments in your day, though, I highly recommend this album.
Inspiration: Hugh Hefner and the Playboy Bunnies
Choice tracks: Star, Shangri-La, Talking All That Jazz
"Moon Safari" by Air.
Jean-Benoit Dunkel and Nicholas Godin, the French duo that makes up Air, created a sonic masterpiece that captured a style and atmosphere transcending time and place. This album has stayed as fresh-sounding and vibrant as the day it came out. This is definitely not cheesy kid’s electronica.
Inspiration: The Paris club scene
Choice tracks: La Femme d’Argent, Sexy Boy, You Make It Easy
"Ágætis Byrjun" by Sigur Ros .
Sigur Ros is from Iceland, but if they ended up being from Pluto, or some far-off galaxy, it wouldn’t be surprising. Nor would it make any difference. "Ágætis Byrjun," a hypnotic siren song of an album, glides in as if delivered by some alien civilization.
Inspiration: Just sitting in front of the sea at night
Choice tracks: Intro, Svfn-g-engular, Stralfur
"Music to Make Love By" by Various Artists.
The title pretty much speaks for the album – erotic, extremely sexy and sensual. This fashion soundtrack starts with sensual grooves and morphs into mellow house that should get anyone in the mood.
Inspiration: The Victoria’s Secret fashion show
Choice tracks: The Herbaliser, Lazy Lover, Humanity
"Beautiful Tomorrow" by Blue Six.
This is a masterpiece of modern urban soul, a blend of different shades and tempos all tied together with that classic naked vibe. Soulful, smooth, amazingly talented vocalists are possibly the best attribute. No Mariah vocal gymnastics here. A straightforward and pure sound is what Blue Six employs.
Inspiration: Lots of fur and velvet in some sexy shag-pad
Choice tracks: Let’s Do It Together, Music and Wine, Pure
"Buddha Bar" by Claude Challe.
When Claude Challe lent his mixing talent to Buddha Bar, something special happened. Buddha Bar is the posh restaurant/club in the financial district of Paris, owned by none other than Johnny Depp. Need I say more?
Inspiration: A Kir Royale and some samosas
Choice tracks: Une Table A’ Trois, El Fuego
"Love Angel Music Baby" by Gwen Stefani.
Stefani goes for a totally different sound: bubble-gum ’80s dance pop, a clubby, colorful, glitzy whirl full of Harajuku girls. Japanese fashionistas are super revered. "I ain’t no hollaback girl, I ain’t no hollaback girl!"
Inspiration: Harajuku Girls, Louis Vuitton on Roponngi Hills
Choice tracks: Rich Girl, Luxurious, Harajuku Girls
"Behind the Sun" by Chicane.
If you like cool electronic music, I’m pretty sure that this album is now considered a classic, or a must-have. This album is great with its melodic strong beats, nice arrangements, great collaborations (Bryan Adams and Maire Brennan). Get ready to take flight and soar.
Inspiration: Schipol Airport
Choice tracks: Low Sun, No Ordinary Meaning, Don’t Give Up
"The Tarantino Connection" by Various Artists.
Remember Uma Thurman doing the boogie with John Travolta in Pulp Fiction? This scene says it all for this album: sexy, hip, vintage and super-cool. Tarantino’s done a masterful job of blending music into his on-screen mayhem, and these 16 songs are from the original soundtracks of films he either directed or produced.
Inspiration: Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill
Choice tracks: Miserlou, Little Green Bag, Vertigogo
"Homogenic" by Björk.
Robotic and cold. But like she says, "All is full of love." Björk gets lost in a wash of strings and minimalist techno patterns in "Homogenic." The eccentricity and stylistic schizophrenia of "Debut" and "Post" have been cast away in favor of darker, more sublime tones.
Inspiration: Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, Yohji Yamamoto
Choice tracks: Hunter, Unravel
"Music & You" by Room 5.
Absolutely groovy! This album is full of great vocals and nice funky beats. Oliver Cheatham did a wonderful job of rerecording the vocals. Tracks on this album are not carbon copies of Make Luv, which, I think, makes this album stand out. Hang out with friends or set the dance floor on fire with this album.
Inspiration: Austin Powers, cool vintage clothing
Choice Tracks: Music & You, Make Luv, U Got Me
"Fever" by Kylie Minogue.
This is one album that’ll put anyone in the mood for party-dressing. "Fever" solidified Kylie as disco’s most loved diva. Kylie, being the showgirl that she is, mixed up a concoction of pulsating dance beats to heat up the dancefloor. The album’s first single Can’t Get You Out Of My Head is unarguably one of the best dance songs of the millennium.
Inspiration: White tank tops worn with stilettos, Kylie Minogue
Choice tracks: Love at First Sight, Can’t Get You Out of My Head
"Temperamental" by Everything But The Girl.
This electro-pop album makes for the perfect winter sound, as warm and bracing as a sip of cognac. Start off with the très catchy Five Fathoms that’ll put you in the mood to slide into your skinniest jeans and hit the club scene. Tracey Thorn’s lyrics and vocals here are among her most affecting.
Inspiration: Paul Smith, Vivienne Westwood
Choice tracks: Five Fathoms, Temperamental, The Future of the Future
"Sounds From The Thievery HiFi" by Thievery Corporation.
Shake your vodka martini and lounge. This album started a movement that has propelled the Thievery Corporation to become leaders of the electronic music genre, and masters of their own marketing juggernaut.
Inspiration: An opium den, a smoking jacket
Choice tracks: Shaolin Satellite, Universal Highness, Scene at The Open Air Market
"Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)" by Groove Armada.
Groove Armada has always explored the mainstays of dance and ambient chill. It works so well because they study their craft and bring something truly original to each track, something copycat artists do not even come close to achieving. This album is a joyous celebration of a musical style and this hip-hop trip is no exception. A major treat for the ear canal!
Inspiration: New York subway, humongous speakers
Choice tracks: Fogma, Lazy Moon, Edge Hill