Deep Forest Discography (1992 - 2013)

Innovatively fusing traditional ethnic musics with state-of-the-art rhythms, the work of Deep Forest was best typified by their 1993 smash "Sweet Lullaby," which brought together the contemporary sounds of ambient techno with the haunting voices of the Pygmies of the central African rain forest. The project was primarily the work of the French keyboardists and programmers Eric Mouquet and Michael Sanchez; after the latter returned from Africa with boxes of records he'd picked up across the continent, he and Mouquet began sampling the native sounds for use with their atmospheric dance tracks, and with the aid of producer Dan Lacksman, their eponymous debut LP appeared in 1993. Propelled by the international hit "Sweet Lullaby," Deep Forest was a surprise success; Mouquet and Sanchez soon began work on a follow-up, this time exploring such areas as Mongolia, India and Hungary, recording several tracks with singer Marta Sebestyen. The resulting album, Boheme, appeared in 1995; the third Deep Forest record, Comparsa, followed in 1998, with Live in Japan appearing a year later. In 2000 the duo recorded a soundtrack, Pacifique, to the French film Le Prince du Pacifique. Deep Forest returned in 2002 with its next proper studio album, Music.Detected

by Jason Ankeny

This record is a must have, because it defined a new era of crossover-style music. It took Pygmies and put them to an Enigma beat, with an occasional broken English (Dutch syntax?) commentary. Sounds cheezy, but it really works.

The band describes themselves as not a band. "Deep Forest" is a project, according to its creators. Therefore, the album is a stand-alone work, except that it enjoyed such an unpredicted success that it spawned a series of projects.

I first bought this album as an import in the early 90's. "Sweet Lullaby" had been getting some pretty frequent radio play on the San Francisco alternative rock stations, and it was simply intriguing. Nobody had ever heard voices like this. Mix in ambient jungle sounds. Synthetic beat. What a combination? Sound strange? It's not that different from what we hear today from Fatboy Slim and Moby, except of course with Pygmies. I don't think many have dared to replicate it.

By Adam Delu, amazon

Deep Forest came around shortly after the huge success of Enigma who combined Gregorian chants to ambient dance rhythms. Deep Forest came up with a similar concept except it was to mix Pygmy/African vocal samples with dance rhythms creating a sound all it's own. While the following Deep Forest cds have been great as well, none of them have matched the qualities and beauty found on this release and therefore it is among one of most essentials albums of the progressive world music genres of all time.

By "amberose", amazon

I was absolutely amazed with Deep Forests debut album. It was and still is one of the most groundbreaking world music albums of all time and it's a huge crime that it isn't carried by retailers. It is still an amazing CD to this very day. It blended Pygmy voices with modern dance and the result was a masterpiece. This follow-up to that album entitled "Boheme" raises the bar even higher by having Deep Forest travel from the remoteness of Sub-Saharan Africa, to the forests of Bulgaria and Eastern Europe and the result is beyond what I could give out and "Boheme" is in my opinion, Deep Forest's best album to date although "Music Detected" may offer competition. The album has a much darker and more dramatic undertone than their debut album does but I love it.

"Anasthasia" starts the album on a dark, eerie, and slightly ominous note with a very tribal sound with haunting flutes and a haunting ambience that gives the song a feel of like drifting through the forests of the Alps with nearby storms. Eventually the song gets more and more intense until it suddenly ends at just less than two minutes length. The echoes of "Anashthasia" perfect blend into the drama of my favorite track on this album "Bohemian Ballet". This is one of their best `studio' album tracks that they've ever created. At first, the clanging dance sound effects would imply a Latin folk track but it becomes a very intense, dramatic, and dark song. Things get even better when it becomes a vibrant and energetic dance song with haunting and bizarrely amplified Eastern European voices backed by the intense melody. This song is my favorite song on this entire album. "Marta's Song" is sheer beauty. After the dramatic darkness of "Bohemian Ballet", we emerge into the sunniness of "Marta's Song" which is another one of the highlights of this album. The song has a really excellent and exotic rhythm and the same is said about the haunting Bulgarian chants as well. Add that to a really warm and energetic melody and you have a really uplifting classic for the coming ages. "Gathering" is a much darker and more ominous track with a very futuristic production yet it also blends in ancient chorus and a really dark but never forboding atmosphere to create another intriguing and amazing classic. "Lament" is a really heartbreaking yet joyous song with a very strange electronic voice effect and bizarrely amplified voice effects. The melody is really awesome as well and the result is another highlight on this album. "Bulgarian Melody" is the strangest track on this CD. Although it starts with a dark and very eerie note and growing more and more dramatic, it calms down and becomes a very odd piano ballad with Bulgarian vocals amidst sweet and beautiful background piano in the background which almost gives the song a slight 1940s tone to it. While I totally disagree with a reviewer saying that this song is god-awful, it does feel sort of out of place against the other songs on this album but nonetheless it is a really great song. As it reverts back to the eerie sound that was present at the beginning, it morphs into a sweeter melody which becomes the track "Deep Folk Song" which is just a one minute interlude track but has a really vibrant French accordion style to it. In a way it's more of like an interlude intro into the vibrant classic "Freedom Cry". This is a really fun and actually a very bright, sunny and really happy song without being cheesy and is actually a very sophisticated song with an edgy and funky beat and a French accordion sound to it that gives the idea of a dance in an open paved plaza in Paris right after a storm moves out. A really amazing song it is. The song gracefully transitions into the next song "Twosome" which is another highlight on this album. This song has a rather slightly ominous melody but also a very joyous and exotic dance club sound. The Eastern Indian chanting gives the song a really colorful sound. It's hard to really explain this track but it's a really awesome song that needs a listen. "Café Europa" is a really strange track with a stormy vibe and Asian exotic instruments. The song becomes a very club-oriented dance song that surely would make for excellent dance club music. While it's a very good song, it doesn't stack up as high as the other songs on this album. Still, it's a great song. The live version is incredible! "Kathrina" is a very spooky track. It begins with a very misty sharp-sounding flute or other wind instrument and becomes a very dark and haunting track with African beats and strange ominous melody. This is the darkest track on this album and it's a good one at that! The album closes with what I can safely say is the best track on this album which is the title track to this CD. While much of the album is dark and somewhat stormy in nature, the closing title track has a very happy and absolutely uplifting vibe and has a funky and exotic rhythm and colorful vocal effects. To me, this is like the sun shining bright after a major storm moving away into the east. This song brings an already phenomenal album to a glorious finish.

Their debut album may have been what brought them into the spotlight but the way I look at it, "Boheme" was where they reached their peak although "Music Detected" may offer competition but these two albums have enormously different styles that it's impossible to compare them but they both showed that Deep Forest were unafraid to go into uncharted territory with their music. "Boheme" to me, built on the greatness of their debut and the result is what I consider to possibly be their best album that they've ever put out to date. I strongly suggest that you get a hold of a copy of this album. I don't know how much I can recommend it but I cannot do this album justice with this review. That's all I can say.

By Distant Voyageur, amazon

The duo's third album, Comparsa, continues the world music potpourri Deep Forest are known for, though there is a pronounced focus on Latin and Caribbean grooves provided by musicians from Cuba, Belize, Mexico, and Madagascar, among other places. Although the nationalities present are truly global, the actual sound of Deep Forest hasn't changed that much, centering mostly on lush new age music with just a bit more of an edge than is usual, plus several tracks with whispered or restrained vocals. For fans of the debut album, Comparsa is a noteworthy, though hardly necessary, acquisition.

by John Bush

Made in Japan was recorded live on July 9, 1998, in Tokyo's Koseinenkin Hall and, thanks to the remarkable engineering skills of Yoshiyasu Kumada, is an impresssive re-creation of the impeccable studio recordings of some of Deep Forest's best music, melded with the genuine pulse of a live performance. This is the first non-studio recording from the French duo, who are masters at balancing technological programming and ethnic fusion to produce jubilant musical compositions. Traditional worldbeat rhythms, accordion, keyboard, computer wizardry, and multilingual singing come together effortlessly and are presented immaculately in this spirited and festive release.

By John M. Steele

Although this is a soundtrack, it could easily be considered a new album from the magicians of new age,that is Deep Forest! It is an essential CD not only for fans, but for anyone who enjoys the music Deep Forest have mastered, traditional chants combined with modern rhytms. It is so atmospheric(however it must be said that it does not match Boheme)and at times very melancholic. Pacifique, only one of the numerous gems on the CD,brings to memory one of Vangelis earlier works, Himalaya.It really delivers an excellent mixture of instrumentation, traditional and modern,though the modern one takes over most of the time.And that's when the Haiti chants come in and everything is really wonderful…I cannot actually choose one piece as i like most of them the same…

By dimm77, amazon

Mike Sanchez and Eric Mouquet of Deep Forest have always been musical anthropologists, sampling the sounds of other cultures (Pygmy tribes of Cameroon, Gypsies of Eastern Europe, Cuban street musicians, to name just a few) and swirling them into their own ambient dance pop. On this 2002 release the French duo revisits some old samples and also brings in Turkish chant, Japanese pop, and Indian vocals. They introduce startling new elements as well: heavy electric guitars, many lyrics written in English, and a live drummer replacing the programmed rhythm tracks of their previous recordings.

Many of the lyrics here concern environmental issues and warn of the impending dangers of soullessness. Definitely not soulless are "Yuki Song," an old-fashioned love song with stirring vocals by Beverly Jo Scott, and the heart-rending "Will You Be Ready" featuring Japanese pop singer Chitose Hajime and the plaintive strains of shakuhachi flute. While not a typical Deep Forest album, MUSIC DETECTED is a weighty, personal work that reveals more and more on each listen.

by Rovi

With tracks from each of their first five albums, this is essentially a Deep Forest best-of, leading off with their 1993 hit "Sweet Lullaby." Note that "Sweet Lullaby," "Night Bird," and "Desert Walk" are each presented in a "2004 Version," though it's not made clear in the packaging how these are different than the ones that had been previously released on Deep Forest albums. It's an adequate overview of an act whose music is probably too diluted for either world music fans or electronica specialists, but whose blend of those styles together with production approaches friendly to middle-of-the-road radio has far more appeal to mainstream pop listeners than most world music or electronica.

by Richie Unterberger

Deep Forest make a return to film scoring for ‘Kusa no Ran’ (Rebellion of the Grass), a historical account of the 1884 revolt in the Chichibu region of Japan. The soundtrack was released August 21st, in Japan only, followed by the first public screenings of the movie, September 4th.

It’s the group’s second full-length soundtrack, following ‘Prince du Pacifique’. Deep Forest have also composed a number of original songs for movies like ‘Strange Days’, ‘Pret-A-Porter’ and most recently they composed three thematical pieces for the French-Polynesian project, ‘Napua, the Man’s Earth Princess’ (2005).

But even though Deep Forest has produced music for movies before, there are several suprises on the new score of Kusa no Ran. One of the big ones being that there are 23 tracks, two composed by Michel Sanchez and all the rest by Eric Mouquet! It’s sort of a departure from the team effort that fans are used to seeing from the musical duo, at least under the name Deep Forest.

The album is very instrumental, with the piano being the instrument of choice, found in over half of the songs. The only song with vocals is the theme ballad, Eternal Dream. The beautiful melody of Eternal Dream, which can also be heard on the opening track Haruko Haru Chichibu, includes the soft Japanese vocals of Lyrico. This song more than any of the others, is reminiscent of Mouquet’s pop projects with Ana Torroja and Chitose Hajime.
The remainder of the soundtrack is very different, there are small elements of classical, pop, and new age music. The ethnic presence that Deep Forest followers have come to expect is not nearly as salient as in past albums. What Indigenous influences are there can be heard in the bass, and many times dark, tribal percussion on tracks like Kusa no Koe, the faster tempoed Kusa no Koe II and Konran.

Eric Mouquet did a good job creating many simple, yet elegant pieces for the film, and even though it’s officially a Deep Forest production, the music is very much Mouquet’s. In some instances the music brings to mind Mouquet’s Thorgal soundtrack, when hearing the drumming and uncanny voice layers of the title track Kusa no Ran.

Although Michel Sanchez composed just two of the songs, his short ditty, Ketui, stands out as perhaps the most heart-felt. Ketui, is a slow, somber, piano and violin duet. Most striking is the beautiful violin (regrettably there is no information on the violinist), similar in style to the violin playing you might hear on one of those American civil war programs, during a narration of a letter home. The chorus is equally stunning with a strange but elevating orchestra of synthetic arrangements, like something off of Hieroglyphes.

A majority of the songs are interludes, one to two minutes on average, with the sense that each song was created for a specific scene rather than to be listened to alone. In contrast with Pacifique, where the songs were developed beyond the movie to the point that one might not have even realized it was a soundtrack, the Kusa no Ran soundtrack is much more dependent on the imagery of the film. But even not having seen Kusa no Ran, one can easily tell by the music’s grim tone, that it deals with a much more serious story than ‘Prince du le Pacifique’.

The Kusa no Ran score is undoubtedly a great soundtrack, supported by the positive reviews the film has received so far. The soundtrack is less of a stand alone album than Pacifique, but Deep Forest fans are still going to want to hear it. Unfortunately the album is only available in Japan (HMV will ship to any country), and chances seem slim that it will be released elsewhere.

The story of Kusa no Ran begins in the early 1800′s in a region two hours north-west of modern day central Tokyo, called Chichibu. The region’s economy thrived on the export of raw silk to the Western world. But in 1882 there was a world depression, and the price of silk dropped. The peasants were no longer able to pay the high taxes imposed upon them by the government. Many went into debt and had their land, houses and household goods taken from them by the usury (loan sharks). The peasants pleaded to the courts for help, but nobody would listen. They would later find out that the courts and usury were working together.

Angered by the government’s unwillingness to help, the peasants banded together to form the Freedom and People’s Right Movement. On October 1st, 1884, more than 3,000 farmers armed with bamboo shutes, swords, and rifles gathered at the Muku shrine for the Rebellion of the Grass (commoners).

This film comes at an important time, not only because it is the 120th anniversary of this historic event, but also because of the paralleled frustration felt by the Japanese people today toward their government. Taxes in Japan are very high, many are in dept or don’t have enough money to retire on. A sign of this frustration was expressed by the 8,000 extras who came from across Japan to make Kusa no Ran.

~ deep-forest

s it just me, or should James Cameron recruit Eric Mouquet to create the soundtrack for his Avatar sequels? Deep Brasil seems to provide ample evidence that it would be a perfect fit.

I tend to be musically omnivorous, with tastes ranging from alternative to roots rock to industrial to classical, depending on mood and weather. But when Deep Forest first appeared on the scene with "Sweet Lullaby" circa 1992, blazing a trail for "World Synth" music, my favorite genre was unveiled. I had no idea what the vocalists were actually saying, I just loved that they were saying it. And, of course, the way they were saying it. The "World Mix" album, followed by Boheme and Comparsa, and together with contemporaneous releases by Enigma and Delerium (with a nod to The Shamen!), enshrined my musical pantheon. Music.Detected_, Deep Forest's last full album release in 2002, featured a few groundbreaking tracks (India, Yuki Song), but overall that excursion into techno beats (with lyrics intelligible to an English-speaking audience) was ill-advised.

For years, I have scoured musical reviews and web sites, hopeful that Deep Forest would return to their roots, or that another ensemble would pick up and carry the torch. For a decade, I have searched in vain. When I finally discovered this "album" on Amazon, I was skeptical because it did not seem to be backed by a "major" label, or for that matter any label at all. But then I remembered that music executives wouldn't recognize good music if their lives depended on it (SERIOUSLY), and, encouraged by a smattering of enthusiastic reviews, I ordered away.

Dear readers, I could not be happier that I did. Now, with Deep Brasil, once again I find myself re-visiting the mantra: I have no idea what they're saying, I just love that they're saying it. In constructing this aural masterpiece, Eric Mouquet wisely eases way back on the accordion (Michel Sanchez's territory anyway), instead layering subtle and unpredictable eddies of rhythm and synth waves with those trademark soulful, ineffable lyrics. I don't know where he finds these vocalists, but with Deep Brasil he hits the mother lode. Many of these tracks aren't so much "songs" as they are meandering, uplifting hymns, but not hymns in the traditional religious sense – no, these are hymns to the ecosphere, in all its mystery and diversity, of which humanity is a small but integral part.

Exhibit A is the lead-off track "Amazonia," which inspired my five-year old daughter to observe "I like the sounds of nature, and the kids talking." She has no idea what they're saying, she just loves that they're saying it. Exhibit B: "Goiano." The first (and second, and third) time I heard it, I was simply overcome. The ethereal beginning, coalescing into a gentle & undulating beat, contra-toned vocal harmonies unlike any other… It's like hearing something that had been an integral part of your being, missing without your awareness of its absence, then re-discovered for the first time.

Five stars doesn't do this justice. Try five galaxies. I really don't know what else to say, except MERCI BEAUCOUP to Eric Mouquet – now, unquestionably, one of the premier musical talents of our age, or any age.

By John Dye, amazon

This new album brings back memories of their best work of the 90's, but updated! I enjoyed this more than I enjoyed Deep Brasil. Highly recommended!

By Kirk McKenna Jr., amazon

French electronic duo Deep Forest have built their style through incorporating internationally sourced sound rituals, songs, and other sonic elements into their more modernized European electronica. Appearing first in the mid-'90s, Deep Forest rose to huge success and kept the same basic outline for most of their albums. Deep Africa follows Deep India and Deep Brasil in a series of albums where the band focuses on a particular region with their brand of sonic appropriation, blending native sounds with chilled-out beats.

by Fred Thomas, AMG