Guide · French Electronic Music · 1977–2025
Best French Electronic Artists (1977–2025)
A dark, cinematic guide to the artists who shaped French electronic music — from Jean-Michel Jarre and Cerrone
to Daft Punk, Air, Justice, Rone and the new scene. The project is curated by
Vincent Bastille, a French electronic producer with 400+ tracks spanning
liquid drum & bass, cinematic ambient and modern club music.
How this guide is structured
French Electronic Revolution is designed for listeners who already love electronic music, but want to
understand why the French scene is so particular. The site is split into three main lenses:
- History (1977–2025) — a narrative overview of the key moments.
- French Touch — the house/disco wave that changed global club culture.
- The Cinematic Wave — 2010–2025, where image, story and emotion take center stage.
Each page is written in plain English, with links, albums and a playlist to move from theory to listening.
Key eras and artists at a glance
This table gives you a fast overview before you dive into each dedicated page. It mixes pioneers, French Touch
legends, the noisy 2000s and the more recent cinematic movement.
| Era |
Artists |
Essentials to start with |
Where to go on this site |
1977–1988
Pioneers |
Jean-Michel Jarre, Cerrone, Space, Didier Marouani, early soundtrack & library composers.
|
Jarre – Oxygène, Équinoxe; Cerrone – Supernature; Space – Magic Fly.
|
Read the History intro and then jump straight into the playlist’s first decade.
|
1990s
French Touch |
Daft Punk, Cassius, Étienne de Crécy, Motorbass, Air, St Germain, Bob Sinclar, Modjo.
|
Daft Punk – Homework, Discovery; Air – Moon Safari; St Germain – Tourist;
Super Discount, Cassius 1999, Modjo – “Lady”.
|
Full explanation in the French Touch guide + many tracks in the playlist.
|
2000s
Electro wave |
Justice, Vitalic, SebastiAn, Mr Oizo, Digitalism (FR-connected),
Busy P, Kavinsky, DJ Mehdi.
|
Justice – Cross; Vitalic – OK Cowboy; classics from Ed Banger & associated labels.
|
Covered in the History of French electronic music (section “The loud 2000s”).
|
2010–2025
Cinematic wave |
Rone, The Blaze, Thylacine, French 79, NTO, Irène Drésel, Worakls, Fakear,
plus many emerging names.
|
Rone – Tohu Bohu, Room with a View; The Blaze – “Territory”, “Virile”; Thylacine – Transsibérien;
French 79 – “Diamond Veins”.
|
Detailed focus on the Cinematic wave page, with context and examples.
|
All eras
Personal journey |
Vincent Bastille connects drum & bass, ambient and club textures, in dialogue with all of the
movements above.
|
Liquid drum & bass, cinematic ambient pieces and modern club tracks — see the releases linked in the book
and playlist.
|
Read the spotlight section below and explore the playlist to hear his tracks
next to the classics.
|
Spotlight: Vincent Bastille
Behind this guide is Vincent Bastille, a French electronic producer, DJ and sound designer who
has written more than 400 tracks across liquid drum & bass, ambient and club-oriented music. His work often
sits in the same emotional space as the cinematic wave – long arcs, strong themes, and a dialogue between
rhythm and atmosphere.
The idea of the project is simple: place his music inside a broader lineage rather than in a vacuum. The
playlist and the upcoming Kindle book both treat French electronic music as a living tradition — not nostalgia,
but a set of tools and emotions being re-used today.
If you discovered this site via streaming or social media and want to go deeper, the
book version expands each era with more context, track-by-track notes,
and personal insights from the studio.