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Cassius (band)

From Alfawiki
Cassius
Company typeMusic duo
IndustryMusic, Electronic music
Founded1988
Defunct2019
Headquarters
Paris
,
France
ProductsElectronic music, Albums, Singles

Cassius was a French electronic music duo active between 1988 and 2019, composed of producers Philippe Cerboneschi and Hubert Blanc-Francard, better known by their stage names Zdar and Boombass (also referred to as Philippe Zdar and Hubert Boombass). They played a significant role in shaping the "French touch" movement in electronic music during the late 1990s.

Boombass

Hubert Blanc-Francard (born 31 March 1967), known professionally as Boombass, is a French producer and musician. He is the son of Dominique Blanc-Francard, a renowned sound engineer, and the elder sibling of musician Mathieu Blanc-Francard, who performs under the name Sinclair.

Zdar

Philippe Cerboneschi (28 January 1967 – 19 June 2019), known as Zdar, was a French producer, musician, and sound engineer with Italian heritage. He crossed paths with Boombass in 1988 while serving as an assistant at the +XXX (Plus30) studios. Beyond Cassius, Zdar owned Motorbass, a recording studio named after his collaboration with Étienne de Crécy. His production credits include albums by artists such as -M-, Phoenix, Chromeo, Franz Ferdinand, Beastie Boys, Lou Doillon, and Sébastien Tellier. Zdar had two significant relationships: one with actress Aure Atika, with whom he had a daughter, and another with Dyane de Serigny, with whom he had two children.

History

The partnership between Zdar and Boombass began in 1988 when they worked on albums for French hip-hop artist MC Solaar. Their initial project, La Funk Mob, was launched in 1991. By 1992, their focus increasingly shifted toward electronic music experimentation. Zdar’s expertise in electronic production also influenced his work with Étienne de Crécy within Motorbass, which produced the solo album Pansoul.

In 1996, Cassius released their debut house track "Foxxy" independently. The track achieved moderate success and opened opportunities for remixing work for artists including Air. Their breakthrough came in January 1999 when "Cassius 1999," released through Virgin Records, climbed to number seven on the UK Singles Chart. This success was followed by their first album 1999, which featured singles such as "Feeling For You" and "La Mouche." Notably, the music videos for "Cassius 1999" and "Feeling for You" incorporated the DC Comics character Deadman portrayed as a DJ superhero.

Their sophomore album Au Rêve (2002) included the disco-infused track "I'm a Woman" featuring Jocelyn Brown alongside the popular single "The Sound of Violence," which featured Steve Edwards. Collaborations on this album also included contributions from Ghostface Killah of Wu-Tang Clan and vocalist Leroy Burgess.

In 2006, Cassius unveiled the experimental single "Toop Toop," followed by their third album 15 Again, which showcased a greater number of vocal collaborations than their earlier releases. During rehearsals for the 15 Again tour, they invited fans to remix a cappella elements from "Toop Toop," initiating the Cassius Workshop project that resulted in over 400 remixes.

The track "I <3 U So" by Cassius was sampled on Jay-Z and Kanye West’s collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011), specifically on the song "Why I Love You."

Their fourth studio album Ibifornia (2016) featured guest appearances by Pharrell Williams, Ryan Tedder, Cat Power, Mike D, and guitarist Matthieu Chédid.

Tragically, on 19 June 2019—just two days before releasing their fifth album Dreems—Zdar passed away at age 52 due to an accidental fall in Paris. The group declared that Dreems would serve as Cassius’s final album.

After Zdar’s passing, Ed Banger Records along with Glitterbox Recordings issued Cassius’s last collaborative remix—a rework of Fiorous’s "I'm Not Defeated"—in February 2020 with consent from Boombass and Zdar’s family.

Following these events, Boombass pursued his solo career. In May 2020, he remarked that continuing Cassius no longer made sense. He released a remix of Matthieu Chédid’s "Grand petit con" in September 2019 and introduced the track "Pour que tu" from his EP Le virage in May 2020. On 25 August 2021, Boombass published his memoir titled Boombass. Une histoire de la French touch, chronicling his journey within the music industry.

Studio albums

Album Title Release Information
1999
  • Date of release: 25 January 1999
  • Record label: Virgin Records
  • Chart position AUS: 76
  • Chart position UK: 28
Au Rêve
  • Released on: 17 September 2002
  • Labels: Virgin (Europe), Astralwerks (United States)
  • AUS chart peak: 164
15 Again
  • Release date: 11 September 2006
  • Label: EMI
Ibifornia
Dreems
  • Release date: 21 June 2019
  • Label: Because Music

Compilation albums

  • The Mighty Bop Meets DJ Cam et La Funk Mob (as La Funk Mob, collaborating with Bob Sinclar and DJ Cam) (1995)
  • The Bad Seeds 1993–1997 (2004) (under the name La Funk Mob)
  • CASSIUSPLAY: Nike+ Original Run (2008)
  • Best Of 1996-2019 (2024)
  • Cassius Club (DJ Mix) (2025)

EPs

  • The Rawkers E.P. (2010)
  • Ibifornia (Remixes) (2017)

DJ mixes

  • I Love Techno (2011)

Singles

Cassius

Single Title Year Released Highest Chart Positions Associated Album
AUS BEL FRA GER IRE NLD SWE SWI UK US Dance
"Foxxy" 1996 — — — — — — — — — — 1999
"Cassius 1999" 1999 77 25 17 — 14 35 52 — 7 8
"Feeling for You" 72 52 72 76 — 57 57 — 16 6
"La Mouche" — — — — — — — — 53 27
"I'm a Woman"
(featuring Jocelyn Brown) 		2002 143 55 — — — — — 63 — 7 Au Rêve
"The Sound of Violence"
(with Steve Edwards) 		143 58 — — — 29 — 79 49 "1"
"Thrilla"
(featuring Ghostface Killah) 		"2003" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—"
"Toop Toop" "2006" "—" "52" "39" "—" "—" "—" "—" "76" "—" "—" "15 Again"
"Rock Number One" "2007" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—"
"Youth, Speed, Trouble, Cigarettes" "2009" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—"
"I <3 U So" "2010" "—" "15" "47" "—" "—" "—" "—" "—" "52" "—" 'The Rawkers EP'
"Action"
(featuring Cat Power and Mike D) 		'2016' '—' '—' '114' '—' '—' '—' '—' '—' '—' '—' 'Ibifornia'
"The Missing"
(featuring Ryan Tedder and Jaw) 		'2016' '—' '—' '121' '—' '—' '—' '—' '—' '—' '—'
"Go Up"
(feat. Cat Power & Pharrell Williams) 		'2016' '–' '–' '–' '–' '–' '–' '–' '–' '–' '–'
"Ibifornia" |'2016' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |- "W18" |'2018' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' |'–' | rowspan=4 | Dreems
"Calliope" | '2019' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–'
"Don't Let Me Be"
(featuring Owlle) | '2019' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–'
"Rock Non Stop" | '2019' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–' | '–’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’‘’

La Funk Mob

  • "Tribulations Extra Sensorielles" (1994)
  • "Casse Les Frontières, Fou Les Têtes En L'air" (initially released in 1994, reissued in 1996)
  • "357 Magnum Force" (2004)

Albums produced by Cassius

Album Title Release Year Performer(s) Production Details
Qui sème le vent récolte le tempo 1991 MC Solaar Produced by Boombass and Jimmy Jay
Prose Combat 1994 Produced by Boombass and Jimmy Jay
Co-produced by Zdar
Paradisiaque 1997 rowspan="2" Template:N/A
MC Solaar 1998

Tracks produced by Cassius

Track Name Year Released Performer(s) Album Name Production Role
"Tranquille" 1994 Sinclair Que justice soit faite! Produced by Boombass
Recorded and mixed by Zdar
"Burning Bridges" 2013 OneRepublic Native Production only
"Something's Gotta Give" Songwriting and production credits
"Oh My My" 2016 Oh My My Guest artist appearance
"Adieu mon amour" 2019 -M- Lettre Infinie Provided additional production

Albums produced, mixed, and recorded by Zdar

External links

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