Bumcello

Sometimes classified simplistically as trip-hop, the wide-ranging music of Paris-based downtempo electronica duo Bumcello draws from groove-driven styles such as jazz and left-field house as well as dub reggae and hip-hop. Comprised of producers Vincent Ségal and Cyril Atef, Bumcello made their self-titled debut in 1999. Their second album, Booty Time (2001), was comprised in part of a live performance on public radio station France Musique. Nude for Love (2002) was a sample-free effort featuring several guests on vocals. Successive albums Animal Sophistiqué (2005) and Lychee Queen (2008) were well received and, reaching numbers 198 and 159 on the French albums chart, marked the duo's growing popularity. ~ Jason Birchmeier