TuneLab
Etienne de Crécy
Cité de l'Espace in Toulouse, France for Cercle
We've all been there: squinting at a Cercle stream, trying to ID a track while Etienne de Crécy casually soundtracks a rocket launch. The man has a history of making French house feel both chic and slightly ridiculous, and this set at Toulouse's Cité de l'Espace is no different. The vibe is pure sci-fi chic, with those sweeping Cercle shots making us feel like we're dancing in a zero-gravity discotheque.
Technically, it's a masterclass in smooth, groove-centric tech house, cruising at a steady 125.4 BPM and largely anchored in the warm, rolling territory of key 12A. The energy arc is a slow, deliberate build from deep, percussive foundations into more upbeat, vocal-laden territories, with mixing that prioritizes fluidity over flash. For the crate diggers, the inclusion of The Bongo Man's 'Wobble Bottom' is a delightfully funky curveball, while his own 18-minute 'Prix choc' is a bold, extended statement of intent.
The journey begins with the cosmic swell of Bob Ray's 'Odissey', hits its populist peak with the sly interpolation of David Guetta's 'Baby Don't Hurt Me', and winds down with the driving pulse of Chemical Surf & Breaking Beattz's 'Don't Stop'.