Needless to say, following the announcement of Philippe Zdar's accidental death two days before its release, this album now leaves a bitter taste in the mouth. And yet, Zdar and Boom Bass have somehow still made it taste so sweet. Released on the day of solstice, Dreems was an album designed to tour summer festivals and Ibiza pool parties, a favourite destination of Zdar’s. Three years after Ibifornia, which imagined a world that combined the White Island with California, Cassius have made another summer record, but this time with less pop and more groove. The Parisian duo have also gone light on the number of featured artists, focusing on the clean and ultra-funky production in contrast to the prestigious guestlist of their last album (which included Cat Power, Pharrell and Mike D).
Matthieu Chedid is on guitar on Nothing About You, a track that pushes the boundaries of electro-funk with filtered vocals from John Gourley of the band Portugal. The Man. But it is French singer Owlle who steals the show on Don't Let Me Be, a soulful Italian disco-synth pop ballad. Mike D is back on Cause Oui!, a kind of swirling whirlwind of all the duo's influences, with the voice of the legendary Beastie Boys MC on a broken beat around an early house synth loop. Cassius follow this with two DJ hits, Calliope and W18, which revisit I'm A Woman (from the album Au Rêve, released in 2002) with American R&B legend Jocelyn Brown. Finally, don't miss the Rock Non Stop music video, an ode to sunshine with an impeccable groove production, which assembles footage from Cassius' early years in Ibiza, Paris and beyond. © Smaël Bouaici/Qobuz