Bob Sinclar: Summer Moonlight

Bob Sinclar
Summer Moonlight
(MOS/UMA)

I can’t help but be disappointed by this song, not because it’s a bad song particularly, not because it’s not going to sell and move people in the club and on the festival circuit (though it’s yet to be seen), who knows it might even see him touring a little more regularly around the USA off the back of his album release in a few weeks… but I digress. I’m not disappointed because I expected any different particularly either, but for me this feels wrong.

This is Bob Sinclar, maybe I’ve lost touch and to be fair, i’ve not heard from him in a while, but I don’t remember the drum rolls, the big build ups and the hands in the air moments or white-noise after the drop…. What happened to World Hold On, or Love Generation, I get that that was then and this is now but the realisation that the vibe of the classic releases is gone and that it’s been replaced with the formula for ‘EDM’ success mentioned above kinda hurts a little. The thing is, I expect this from the new breed, they don’t know any better… but you’ve been doing this for 17 years don’t let it culminate in a half assed, record for records sake release.

That’s not to say that it doesn’t apply said formula well but it could be anyone’s, let’s play a fun game… replace Sinclar’s name in the title with David Guetta, Calvin Harris, Swedish House Mafia or Avicii while playing the song around your office and see if anyone rushes to correct you. She sample based, subtly infectious driving house that defined the majority of his career is nowhere to be seen here. The only thing typically Sinclar here is the uplifting lyrics, but even then, it’s just the same 32 bars repeated 4 times throughout the track.

Perhaps it’s a good thing, these guys do sell records after all. But considering this track is the first single from his new album Paris By Night (A Parisian Musical Experience) it sounds very, very American. It’s become very evident that we’re living in a post American ’EDM’ world.