SUNNY, BREEZY Y2K ELECTRONICA FROM AA WALLACE (SLEEPLESS NIGHTS, CHEVAL, SLUICE)
RECOMMENDED IF YOU LIKE:
Moby, Primal Scream, Justice, Fatboy Slim, Lemon Jelly, The Chemical Brothers, LCD Soundsystem, Air, Groove Armada, St. Germain, The Beta Band, Super Plage
FRENCH FOR HORSE releases Plaid In Full, a debut EP that feels like a lost mixtape found in the tape deck of a 1999 Honda Civic. Listen HERE.
Plaid In Full is a sonic time capsule that transports the listener straight to the golden era of Y2K Electronica (1997–2003ish). The EP plays out like a perfectly curated DJ set, moving from high-octane stadium anthems to hypnotic synth experiments, before cooling down with sophisticated lounge and sunny folktronica. Defined by texture, groove, and a masterful use of sampling and loops, the record is analog, tactile, and deeply nostalgic.
Plaid In Full is also a triumph of versatility. In just four tracks, French For Horse demonstrates a mastery of a wide variety of distinct electronic music sub-genres, yet they all feel like they belong in the same universe thanks to a consistent production style—warm, fuzzy, and groove-oriented.
A fun, unpretentious, and expertly crafted genre-bending joyride that could double as the soundtrack to the best video game never made, the EPhits every emotional note from aggression to zen-like happiness.
Plaid In Full is available today, Friday, April 24, as a co-release by Acadian Embassy (digital) and Black Buffalo Records (vinyl).
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MORE ABOUT FRENCH FOR HORSE
French For Horse is the latest project from multi-faceted Acadian musician AA Wallace (Sleepless Nights, Cheval, Sluice). More than a decade after being named Music Nova Scotia‘s DJ of the Year for his eponymous nudisco releases, the Wedgeport-born artist returns to the decks as French For Horse creating original dance music using a contemporary electro-organic lens based on samples. Think Play by Moby, Swim by Caribou or Cross by Justice mixed with influences from 90s British Madchester acts such as Primal Scream, Chemical Brothers and The Happy Mondays. Resurrecting, reimagining, and reinvigorating classic and contemporary touchstones, French For Horse delivers genre-blurring celebrations of rhythm and dancefloor energy. The output is bold, unexpected, and packed with musical nostalgia, yet polished for today’s club culture.
His debut EP, Plaid In Full, comes on the heels of two sold-out 7”s – “P.U.M.M.P” b/w “Re-Made for the Man” & “FFH Party Edit No. 1” b/w “Here Comes De Rapture” – featuring edits championed by DJs around the world, receiving spins and accolades from influential artists such as The Allergies (UK) and Marc Hype (Germany).
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PLAID IN FULL – TRACK BY TRACK
1. GAEMBOI (3:15)
Genre: Big Beat / Breakbeat / Electronic Rock
Vibe: High-Energy, Stadium Anthem, Late-90s Nostalgia
Key Moment: The punk-rock spoken word intro that sets a rebellious tone immediately
The Stadium Starter: Plaid In Full opens with a kick in the teeth. “Gaemboi” is pure, unadulterated adrenaline and serves as the EP’s hype track. Channeling the aggressive energy of The Chemical Brothers or early Fatboy Slim, it features distorted basslines, thundering drums, and a command to “move your body” that is impossible to ignore. Gritty, loud, and designed for maximum impact, “Gaemboi” is an infectious floor-filler that proves the Big Beat era never really died—it just got louder.
2. GRAND PRIX (2:57)
Genre: Downtempo / Acid Jazz / Breakbeat / Lounge
Vibe: Sophisticated, Breezy, “Sunday Drive” Energy
Key Moment: The soulful, wordless vocal sample that gives the track a warm, human touch
The Midnight Cruise: As the high-energy party starter settles, “Grand Prix” welcomes the sophisticated after-party. Trading aggressive distortion for smooth grooves and channeling the absolute best of the late-90s Acid Jazz and “chill-out” movement, “Grand Prix” is breezy and cinematic. With its rolling liquid bassline and distinctive flute/whistle melody, it evokes imagery of driving a convertible along the Riviera at sunset. It balances the EP’s heavier moments with a dose of “café culture” cool, reminiscent of St. Germain, Groove Armada, or Air, offering a sleek, stylish, and incredibly pleasant listen that perfectly captures the “lounge” side of the breakbeat era to close out Side A.
3. ON OFF (2:54)
Genre: Indietronica / Krautrock / Synth-pop
Vibe: Hypnotic, Robotic, Mechanical Funk
Key Moment: When the squelchy, analog arpeggiators start bubbling under the rhythm section
The Hypnotic Bridge: “On Off” showcases French For Horse’s experimental side. Side B’s opener pivots away from stadium-rocking Big Beat and dives deep into the world of hypnotic, analog synthesis. A love letter to the “Motorik” rhythms of 1970s German electronic music (Kraftwerk, Neu!), the track updates the genre with a modern, punchy production style. “On Off” is mechanical and precise, melding a steady, unwavering, and propulsive four-on-the-floor driving beat with binary vocal samples (“On… Off…”) to create a trance-like state. It feels like a machine coming to life and finding its rhythm. Building tension through layering rather than just volume, the mesmerizing, rhythmic experiment that proves French For Horse can master the subtle art of the groove just as well as the loud anthems.
4. PARTY CLOUDY (3:23)
Genre: Folktronica / Indie Pop / Sunshine Pop / Downtempo
Vibe: Optimistic, Breezy, “Sunday Morning” Energy
Key Moment: The communal “la-da-da” singalong that feels like a festival anthem
The Sunday Morning Comedown: Plaid In Full closes (or peaks) with its crowning jewel. “Party Cloudy” is a delightful, breezy gem that captures a mood of smiling optimism and pure, unfiltered dopamine. Blending acoustic guitar loops, a shuffling electronic breakbeat, and sunny melodies, “Party Cloudy” is at once accessible, melodic, and undeniably happy without being saccharine. If EP opener “Gaemboi” is the Saturday night rage, “Party Cloudy” is the beautiful Sunday morning hangover cure that feels like the sun coming up after a long night out. It is a masterpiece of Folktronica, the sound popularized in the late 90s/early 2000s by artists like Badly Drawn Boy, The Beta Band, and Lemon Jelly, and serves as a final showcase for French For Horse’s impressive range as his debut EP comes to a close.