Steezywave: An Intimate Exploration into the Living History of Electronic Music
In the effervescent musical mosaic that characterizes our modern world, electronic music remains an undeniable pillar, a flow of sonic energy that has evolved and branched through the decades. From its experimental and avant-garde roots to the hypnotic pulses of techno, through the captivating rhythms of nu-disco, each turn of this story reveals fascinating chapters of creativity and innovation. At the heart of this musical exploration is Steezywave, much more than a simple record store in Nimes, a true bastion of electronic culture.
The minds behind Steezywave are not just observers of this musical revolution, but actors who lived and breathed the advent of these sonic movements. They felt the pulse of the first notes of nascent house, immersed themselves in the frenetic rhythms of the British jungle, and celebrated the emergence of nu-disco with equal parts passion and curiosity. Their intimate connection with these sounds, shaped by years of devotion and discovery, is reflected in every vinyl, every CD shared on their site.
At Steezywave, online record store in Nimes, each vinyl selected on their site is much more than a simple recording, it is a window open to the living history of electronic music. From timeless classics of experimental electronic music to obscure gems of electro rock, each disc tells a story, a chapter in this sonic saga that continues to captivate and inspire generations.
Through the mazes of their online record store, you will find hidden treasures, coveted rarities and little-known gems, as well as cutting-edge new releases, each piece carefully selected by enthusiasts who understand the importance of preserving and to share this musical wealth.
In this article, we will delve into the world of Steezywave, record store in Nimes and Montpellier for more than 20 years, which captivatingly bears witness to the evolution of electronic music. Through their story, we will explore in more detail the evolution of electronic music and discover each style of electronic music of which you can discover a fine selection on their online store:
Experimental electronic music
Electronic music, a vast and constantly evolving field of sound, has deep roots dating back to the early 20th century with the first experimental electronic instruments like the MOOG or the Theremin.
This style emerged in the 1960s and 1970s with artists like Delia Derbyshire, Bruce Haack and Mort Garson. Their experimental work used primitive synthesizers and electronic circuits to create avant-garde compositions. Haack, in particular, was known for his playful and innovative approach to electronic music, using robotic vocals and futuristic sounds.
Delia Derbyshire is best known for her pioneering work at the BBC Radiophonic Workshop, where she created the music for the television series “Doctor Who”. His innovative use of magnetic tapes and oscillators was very influential in the development of electronic music.
Mort Garson, on the other hand, explored the possibilities of electronic music in more contemplative contexts, creating calming and meditative soundscapes.
New Age
Post-disco, Garage, Hi-NRG
Post-disco was an evolution of disco music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s. It incorporated elements of funk, soul, R&B and electronic music, and was often characterized by heavier beats and more electronic production than traditional disco.
These sessions without vocals, focused on rhythms and grooves, gave birth at the same time to Hi-NRG considered contemporary with post-disco. Hi-NRG shares some similarities with post-disco but Hi-NRG tended to be faster and more energetic.
Artists like Patrick Cowley and Giorgo Moroder were at the forefront of this movement, pushing the boundaries of electronic sound in underground clubs. Their music was both danceable and experimental, fusing elements of disco music with futuristic sounds.
Garage house, on the other hand, took these elements of post-disco and combined them with influences from the house music emerging at the time. DJs like Larry Levan, who was a resident at Paradise Garage, played a crucial role in the development of garage house by incorporating elements of post-disco into their sets and merging them with the new sounds of house music.
Levan was known for his innovative and experimental sets, where he introduced extended and instrumental disco tracks, creating hypnotic and immersive atmospheres on the dance floor.
Other artists and labels like Arthur Russell’s Sleeping Bag Records with Dinosaure L and Loose Joint or the bands Material and ESG shared a certain aesthetic and artistic philosophy of house and post-disco that helped shape New York’s underground music scene in the 1980s and left a lasting legacy in the musical landscape.
House & Acid House
Progressive house, a subgenre of house music, gained popularity in the 1990s in clubs. “Felix – Don’t You Want Me” was released in 1992 and was a huge hit in clubs around the world. On the other hand, “Carpe Diem – Snake Charmer” is another example of progressive house that captivated the crowds. Released in 1993, this track quickly became a favorite among DJs and clubbers.
It was in college that I discovered my passion for house music, starting to buy my first records at the famous record store in Nimes at the time, Carrière & Paoli.
In the 90s, Theo Parrish, Kenny Dixon Jr, Ron Trent, the Master at Work Felix Da Housecat, Roy Davis Jr. and others emerged as essential figures who largely contributed to the evolution and influence of the house scene, their influence still lasting today.
Techno
Techno was born in Detroit in the late 1980s, with artists like Jeff Mills, Juan Atkins, Derrick May, Carl Craig and Kevin Saunderson leading the movement. Inspired by European electronic music, notably Kraftwerk, techno was bold and avant-garde, exploring the sonic possibilities of synthesizers and drum machines to create a futuristic and hypnotic soundscape.
Techno was the perfect soundtrack for the immersive experience of underground dance events called “raves” which gained popularity in the 1980s and 1990s. In the south of France, where I was in the early 90s, outdoor raves or in unusual places like the arenas of Nîmes, the moats of Carcassonne or the Palais des Papes in Avignon provided a unique setting for his experimentation and sound exploration.
Together, these two phenomena helped shape the electronic music scene and left a lasting legacy in popular culture.
The first specialized techno record stores also contributed to the success of the movement. Around 1993, a lot of acquaintances including my boyfriend got into the mix. Every day, they all went to the only specialized record store in Nimes, called THCV, where a queue would form to mix. On weekends, everyone organized little raves, parties in nature to mix and have their friends mix.
At the same time, a group unknown to the public called Daft Punk (not wearing helmets at the time) was performing in clubs in the southern region, notably at Wiz in La Grande Motte located less than 50km from Nîmes. Their memorable performances had a profound impact on many techno music fans, prompting them to rush to the record store in Nimes to buy their vinyls. Even the last holdouts were won over and threw themselves into the mix to share and mix the captivating tracks of Daft Punk on a loop.
Acid and psychedelic electronic music
In the excitement of the raves, another musical movement strongly asserted itself: acid. This form of electronic music, born from the sonic experiments of early techno pioneers, quickly captivated crowds with its distinctive and hypnotic sounds. By drawing on acidic sonic elements and blending them with haunting rhythms, acid gave birth to a style that transcended conventional musical boundaries and embodied the rebellious and innovative spirit of rave culture.
The Acid techno has its roots in the Chicago house music and Detroit techno movement, but is notable for its unique use of acid bass sounds. Early producers of this style, such as Phuture with their iconic title “Acid Tracks” in 1987, helped popularize this distinctive sound and spread it across the scene
Over the years, acid techno has evolved and diversified, with the emergence of subgenres like acid trance, acid house and acidcore.
Still at raves, another genre of electronic music marked the movement: psychedelic electronic music. It is a genre of electronic music that seeks to create expansive and immersive auditory experiences, often associated with altered states of consciousness similar to those induced by psychedelics:
Psychedelic electronic music artists explore a wide range of styles and techniques, from ambient and electronica to psychedelic trance and glitch music.
Here are some artists from the acid techno and psychedelic electronic music scene: Acid Junkies, Plastikman (alias Richie Hawtin), Hardfloor, Josh Wink, Emmanuel Top, Solar Quest, Luke Vibert (aka Wagon Christ, Plug), 808 State, Chris Liberator, Space Tribe, AFX (aka Aphex Twin), Union Jack, Sven Väth
Hard techno & Hardcore
In parallel with raves and the emergence of techno/techno acid, a phenomenon known as free parties or teknival arose, marked by the arrival in the south of France of nomadic tribes such as the Spiral Tribe, originating from England. These clandestine events often took place in unconventional locations, such as abandoned warehouses or isolated outdoor spaces such as quarries.
Hard techno, characterized by its merciless beats and thumping bass, dominated the systems improvised sound systems, propelling participants into prolonged trance states.
These gatherings were often seen as a rebellion against the restrictions imposed by conventional society and laws on electronic music, offering a space of total freedom.
The Heretik collective, based in France, was also active in the 90s and regularly organized free parties. They were known for their varied musical programming, which often included hardcore music. The best-known hardcore producing artists of the era were Lenny Dee, Liza N’Eliaz, Laurent Hô and, as a DJ artist, Manu Le Malin.
Jungle & Drum'n Bass
Emerging in the UK in the 1990s, jungle and drum’n bass are characterized by fast rhythms and heavy bass.
London was the birthplace of this musical revolution, with clubs like Fabric, Ministry of Sound and Heaven, as well as collectives like Metalheadz and Renegade Hardware, helping to shape the jungle and drum’n bass scene . Some of the most influential jungle and drum ‘n bass artists emerged from this era, including LTJ Bukem, Goldie, Roni Size, and Grooverider. At its peak, in 1995, I lived in Amsterdam, a meeting place for electronic music fans from all over the world.
Amsterdam was not far from London, which favored the emergence and cross-influence of jungle and drum’n bass.
Jungle and drum’n bass parties in Amsterdam were often organized in iconic clubs in the city, such as Paradiso and Melkweg. Mix cassettes of renowned artists such as Grooverider were widely available in all the city’s record stores
Their energetic and innovative sets helped popularize these musical genres to international audiences.
Trip Hop
Trip hop became popular in the 1990s, with artists like Massive Attack, Portishead and Tricky blending elements of hip-hop, electronic music and experimental music. Characterized by slow rhythms, atmospheric samples and plaintive vocals, trip hop was both hypnotic and emotionally powerful.
Trip hop has been influenced by a variety of musical genres, including hip-hop, dub, jazz, rock and electronic music, giving it a unique and diverse sonic aesthetic.
I was passionate about this kind of music. As soon as a new vinyl release from Ninja Tune arrived on the shelves ofrecord stores in Nîmes or Montpellier, I rushed to buy it.
Trip hop has been supported by several iconic labels, such as Mo’Wax, Ninja Tune and Go! Beat, who provided an essential platform for artists in the genre.
These labels released groundbreaking albums and played a crucial role in promoting trip hop to audiences. They have also helped shape the visual aesthetic of the genre, with innovative album covers and video projections as well as creative artistic collaborations such as Futura2000 or Robert Del Naja (aka 3D).
Minimal
Minimal techno became popular in underground clubs in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Minimal techno gained popularity in the 2000s, becoming a mainstay of the global electronic scene.
Minimal techno has its origins in the underground clubs of Detroit and Berlin in the 1990s. Artists like Robert Hood, Richie Hawtin, Daniel Bell and Basic Channel were among the pioneers of this style, exploring new ways to create soundscapes using a minimum of sound equipment.
Labels like Kompakt, Perlon, Minus, Trapez, Shitkatapult and Mille Plateaux played an important role in the promotion and dissemination of this style. The independent electronic music label Kompakt abel based in Cologne, Germany, founded in 1998 by Wolfgang Voigt, Michael Mayer and Jürgen Paape, had a major role in popularizing minimal techno and microhouse
In addition, France has been home to many influential labels in the field of minimal techno, such as InFiné, and Karat Records (formerly Katapult), which have helped promote and support local and international artists in the field. gender.
A movement in experimental electronic music also emerged in the late 1990s and early 2000s that was characterized by the use of minimalist and abstract electronic sounds: the Clicks & Cuts.
Labels like Mille Plateaux and artists like Oval, SND, Alva Noto (aka Carsten Nicolai), and Pan Sonic, among others, have been associated with this movement and helped shape its distinctive sonic aesthetic.
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This movement was influential in the development of musical genres such as glitch music, microhouse and experimental electronic music in general.
Artists associated with the Clicks & Cuts and experimental electronic music in general: Autechre, Mouse on Mars, Fennesz, Tortoise, Nathan Fake, Luke Abott, Four Tet.
For my part, when minimal emerged, my partner and I were already passionate about this musical style and we regularly bought minimal vinyls from a record store in Nimes or Marseille. Around this time, my boyfriend started working in the independent music department of a department store in Montpellier, and he quickly took over responsibility for that department.
My partner chose to integrate minimal techno into his department. It was a bold decision, but it paid off. By developing this musical style in his department, he met with great success with customers who were looking for this emerging and innovative music.
Electroclash
Nu-Disco & Synthwave
More recently, in the late 1990s and early 2000s, nu-disco became a movement in electronic music, with Norwegian artists leading the genre, such as Todd Terje, Lindstrøm and Prins Thomas. revisiting the funk and disco sounds of the 1970s with a modern aesthetic.
Some of the pioneers of nu-disco include artists like Daft Punk, who incorporated elements of disco into their electronic music, as well as labels like DFA Records, who helped popularize the genre with artists like LCD Soundsystem and The Rapture.
Other groups, inspired by electronic music of the 80s and in the soundtracks of films and video games of that era, like Chromatics, Glass Candy, Kavinsky, Zombie Zombie or Innergaze have incorporated elements of retro electronic music, new wave, italo disco or synthpop into their nu-disco productions, creating a new, captivating retro-futuristic genre.
Electro-rock
Electro-rock has its roots in the experiments of the 1970s and 1980s, when the first synthesizers and drum machines were integrated into rock music.
Artists like Kraftwerk were among the first to explore this fusion, mixing elements of electronic music with rock song structures.
However, it was in the 1990s that electro-rock truly emerged as a distinct genre with bands like The Prodigy. The Chemical Brothers and Fatboy Slim also helped popularize electro-rock with their energetic songs and electrifying performances which would give birth to a new genre of electro-rock: Big Beat.
In the 2000s and beyond, electro-rock continued to evolve and diversify. Artists like Daft Punk and LCD Soundsystem mixed elements of electronic music with influences from rock and disco music, creating iconic tracks like “Robot Rock” and “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger.” p>
Today, electro-rock remains a dynamic and influential genre, with many artists continuing to push the boundaries of this fusion. Bands like , MGMT and Tame Impala incorporate electronic elements into their psychedelic rock music, creating rich and complex soundscapes that captivate listeners around the world.
More intimate projects, such as The Naturals, Map of Africa or Labels like Claremont 56 or International Feel Recordings, fuse electronic music with elements of psychedelic rock, Krautrock, folk and Balearic music. Come and discover the vinyls of these artists online at the only record store in Nimes specializing in electro-rock.
Electro Dub
Artists like Lee “Scratch” Perry, King Tubby and Mad Professor were pioneers of Jamaican dub and significantly influenced the development of electro-dub. By taking Jamaican dub traditions and combining them with the possibilities offered by modern electronic music, electro-dub producers create unique and captivating soundscapes that celebrate both the past and present of dub music.
Artists such as Asian Dub Foundation, Dub Syndicate and Pieces offer an insight into the diversity and richness of the electro-dub and electronic dub scene.
Electro-dub is often associated with other genres of electronic music, such as dubstep and dub techno.
Electro Funk
Electro funk is a subgenre of funk music that emerged in the late 1970s and early 1980s, with the advent of electronic instruments and drum machines. It fuses elements of traditional funk with electronic sounds, synthesizers and programmed rhythms, creating a futuristic and danceable sound.
Artists like Afrika Bambaataa, Herbie Hancock and Zapp are often associated with electro funk for incorporating electronic elements into their funk music, creating era-defining hits that influenced many artists throughout the decades following.
Egyptian Lover is another essential electro-funk artist. Hailing from Los Angeles, Egyptian Lover was one of the pioneers of the genre in the 1980s. With its catchy electro-funk beats, groovy basslines and catchy melodies, Egyptian Lover helped popularize electro-funk through his productions and live performances. His innovative use of drum machines, synthesizers and sampling allowed Egyptian Lover to create a distinctive sound that quickly found an audience.
Dam-Funk is a contemporary artist who also played a major role in the revival of electro-funk from the 2000s. With his modern approach to the genre, Dam-Funk was able to mix the classic elements of electro-funk with contemporary influences, creating a fresh and current sound that has attracted the attention of both fans of traditional funk and lovers of modern electronic music. Find Dam Funk on Steezywave, the only online record store in Nimes.
Electro Hip-hop
Electro hip-hop is another subgenre that fuses hip-hop with electronic elements. It emerged in the 1980s with the use of drum machines, synthesizers and sampling to create innovative beats and melodies.
Artists and groups like Grandmaster Flash and Mantronix are often cited as pioneers of electro hip-hop, for experimenting with electronic sounds in their hip-hop music, while retaining the essence and energy of the hip-hop genre.
Online record store in Nimes specializing in electronic music
We hope that this exploration into the history of electro has made you want to dive into the world of electronic music and discover a fine selection of vinyls unique in its kind at our record store in Nimes online. With each tour, you will be transported on a captivating musical journey, exploring the rich treasures of electronic music. Our virtual store, as a true den for vinyl enthusiasts, offers you the opportunity to browse and unearth rare and popular musical gems, directly from the comfort of your home. Join us now and immerse yourself in the immersive experience of our online record store in Nimes, where each vinyl tells a unique story and each visit is an unforgettable musical adventure. Our passion for electronic music and our dedication to our community of enthusiasts make our online record store in Nimes the ideal place to find the most sought-after and rarest vinyl records, and to discover new musical treasures on every visit.
If you are lucky enough to be in the Nîmes region, we also offer the possibility of collecting your vinyls in person. Do not hesitate to contact us by sending a message via our contact form or by calling us (see “Contact us” page) to discuss the details and plan the hand delivery of your vinyls in Nîmes.< /p>
