From the city of Nantes, France comes this live band centered around the MC, producer, DJ and visual artist 20syl (“vuhn-seel”, or “twenty-seel”) and DJ Greem. The two are also part of the DJ crew C2C which has won every DMC World Championship from 2003-2006.

From what I gather, 20syl produces most stuff himself, before he raps on it. Then, he has the rest of the band re-interpret the music, with the help of DJ Greem. The result is an incredibly smooth, funky sound carpet, with smart and heartfelt lyrics. The title, “73 touches” refers to the 73 keys of the Hammond organ, which is the central instrument in their rich compositions.

One of the great albums of 2005. It was then re-issued worldwide in 2006 to satisfy popular demand. The tracks feature guest spots by the US crew The Procussions and UK rapper Ty, who all sound like they were meant to work together from the beginning. It’s that intelligent feelgood vibe. Highly recommended listening.
Oh, and their videos are something else, too!

For a selection of their videos, links and some more babbling by me, check out the other post I did over at Peace & Paper. One of the many blogs I have a hand in…

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1. Onandon, Pt. 2 ft. Ty
2. Pascal
3. Comment on Faisait?
4. J’Attends
5. Feel Good
6. J’Aimerais (Ijkt… Nop)
7. Faits Divers
8. Swingin’ (Interlude)
9. Zoo
10. Géométrie
11. Brouillon
12. Hip Hop? ft. The Procussions
13. 73 Touches

Hocus Pocus – 73 Touches (2006)

Paix, 9@home