# The 9 Best French House Tracks of All Time Paris in the late nineties, looping four bars of a forgotten disco record and sweeping a filter across it until the loop becomes a song. Compressed, warm and unapologetically nostalgic — house music made by people who loved the samples more than the scene. - **Origin:** Paris, France, 1995 - **Tempo:** 118–130 BPM - **Also known as:** french touch, filter house, nu-disco, la french touch - **Tracks:** 9 - **Updated:** 2026-08-29 - **Canonical page:** https://waxonia.com/genre/french-house/ ## Curators on French House - [The Waxonia Desk](https://waxonia.com/artist/the-desk/): 4 picks. Four records for anyone who thinks the French touch was one trick. It was, and the trick was good enough to survive being done four completely different ways. ## The list ### 1. [Stardust](https://waxonia.com/artist/stardust/) — [Music Sounds Better with You](https://waxonia.com/track/stardust--music-sounds-better-with-you/) *1998 · Roulé* One Chaka Khan guitar figure, one filter, one vocal line repeated until it becomes a mantra. The most perfect single-idea record in dance music, and the trio never made another. Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — French House](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-french-house/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/). [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Stardust%20Music%20Sounds%20Better%20with%20You) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=FQlAEiCb8m0) ### 2. [Daft Punk](https://waxonia.com/artist/daft-punk/) — [Da Funk](https://waxonia.com/track/daft-punk--da-funk/) *1995 · Soma* A deliberately ugly synth lead over a hip-hop tempo, released on a Glasgow techno label. Bangalter and de Homem-Christo arrive already refusing to do the expected thing. Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — Both Rooms](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-both-rooms/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/). [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Daft%20Punk%20Da%20Funk) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=PwILkY9gRrc) ### 3. [Motorbass](https://waxonia.com/artist/motorbass/) — [Ezio](https://waxonia.com/track/motorbass--ezio/) *1996 · Different* Étienne de Crécy and Philippe Zdar making the scene's most sophisticated record before the scene existed. Pansoul is the album everyone else was quietly working from. Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — French House](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-french-house/). [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Motorbass%20Ezio) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=IFOzOp5Wolk) ### 4. [Thomas Bangalter](https://waxonia.com/artist/thomas-bangalter/) — [Spinal Scratch](https://waxonia.com/track/thomas-bangalter--spinal-scratch/) *1994 · Roulé* A year before Da Funk, on his own label, and already the whole method: one loop, one filter, no development, total confidence. [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Thomas%20Bangalter%20Spinal%20Scratch) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=ft-01t1TDrE) ### 5. [Étienne de Crécy](https://waxonia.com/artist/etienne-de-crecy/) — [Prix Choc](https://waxonia.com/track/etienne-de-crecy--prix-choc/) *1996 · Solid* From Super Discount, an album sold as a supermarket promotion. Wry, minimal and considerably more austere than the records it went on to license into existence. [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/%C3%89tienne%20de%20Cr%C3%A9cy%20Prix%20Choc) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=UIRRaTx7PNQ) ### 6. [Cassius](https://waxonia.com/artist/cassius/) — [Cassius 1999](https://waxonia.com/track/cassius--cassius-1999/) *1999 · Virgin* Zdar and Boom Bass at their most physical. The drums on this are compressed to within an inch of collapse, which became the single most copied production decision of the era. [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Cassius%20Cassius%201999) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=NDesnOyWzL0) ### 7. [Modjo](https://waxonia.com/artist/modjo/) — [Lady (Hear Me Tonight)](https://waxonia.com/track/modjo--lady-hear-me-tonight/) *2000 · Barclay* A Chic guitar line, a summer, and a number one across most of Europe. The point at which the French touch stops being an underground argument and becomes pop. [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Modjo%20Lady%20(Hear%20Me%20Tonight)) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=mMfxI3r_LyA) ### 8. [Alan Braxe & Fred Falke](https://waxonia.com/artist/alan-braxe-and-fred-falke/) — [Intro](https://waxonia.com/track/alan-braxe-and-fred-falke--intro/) *2000 · Vulture* Six minutes of pure ascent with a string line that never resolves downwards. The most euphoric record in the catalogue and the one DJs still reach for when a room needs lifting. Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — French House](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-french-house/), [The Waxonia Desk — The Hundred](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-the-hundred/). [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Alan%20Braxe%20%26%20Fred%20Falke%20Intro) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=BR2kp7lMYdc) ### 9. [Justice](https://waxonia.com/artist/justice/) — [D.A.N.C.E.](https://waxonia.com/track/justice--d-a-n-c-e/) *2007 · Ed Banger* The next generation, distorting the filter until it clips and adding a children's choir. Divisive at the time, and the record that proved the tradition could still produce something new. Also on: [The Waxonia Desk — French House](https://waxonia.com/selection/the-desk-french-house/). [Search Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/search/Justice%20D.A.N.C.E.) · [YouTube Music](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=sy1dYFGkPUE) --- Hand-curated by Waxonia. We host no audio; all links point to streaming platforms.