Dynamic Rockers is a Franco-Canadian

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

duo from

Montreal Montreal is the List of towns in Quebec, largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Quebec, the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, second-largest in Canada, and the List of North American cit ...

formed in 2004 by two brothers, Olivier Sellier and Damien Sellier. Featuring a

house music House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...

sound influenced by

soul The soul is the purported Mind–body dualism, immaterial aspect or essence of a Outline of life forms, living being. It is typically believed to be Immortality, immortal and to exist apart from the material world. The three main theories that ...

funk Funk is a music genre that originated in African-American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African-Americans in the ...

and

disco Disco is a music genre, genre of dance music and a subculture that emerged in the late 1960s from the United States' urban nightclub, nightlife, particularly in African Americans, African-American, Italian-Americans, Italian-American, LGBTQ ...

, the duo achieved significant popularity in the mid-2000s as part of the French touch house movement. They are also known for founding the labels Dynamic Recordings and Stamina Recordings.

History

2001–2004: Early career

Damien and Olivier Sellier start producing records under different monikers during their teenage years for VOX, a label based in Paris, side-label of Vertigo. Vertigo/Vox is known for releasing artists like Romain Tranchart of

Modjo Modjo was a French house music duo formed in Paris in 1999 by producer Romain Tranchart (born 9 June 1976) and singer Yann Destagnol (born 14 July 1978). They are best known for their biggest hit, " Lady (Hear Me Tonight)", released in 2000, al ...

Daft Punk Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. They achieved popularity in the late 1990s as part of the French house movement, combining house music, funk, disco, tech ...

's brother Play Paul or Vinyl Fever. First records by Dynamic Rockers members can be found under the name United Friends Of Funk for

French house French house (also referred to as French touch, filter house, or tekfunk) is a style of house music devised by French musicians in the 1990s. It is a form of Eurodisco and a popular strand of the late 1990s and 2000s European dance music s ...

projects, or The Brazilian Studizel, which consists in blending bossa nova samples and

Chicago house Chicago house refers to house music produced during the mid to late 1980s within Chicago. The term is generally used to refer to the original house music of DJs and producers from the area, such as Ron Hardy and Phuture History and origins D ...

beats.

2004–2005: French-Touch era

Freed from any contract with their former French Touch label VOX/Vertigo, Damien and Olivier Sellier launch their very own label

Dynamic Recordings Dynamic Recordings is a Canadian electronic music record label based in Montreal founded in 2004 by two brothers, Olivier Sellier and Damien Sellier aka Dynamic Rockers. Mostly focused on a house music sound influenced by soul music, soul, funk a ...

in June 2004. Since

DJ Falcon Stéphane Quême () (born January 2, 1973), known as DJ Falcon, is a French DJ, record producer and photographer. He is the brother of Delphine Quême (Quartet) and a cousin of Alan Braxe (Alain Quême). He has been described as " French touch's ...

(

Roulé Roulé () was a French record label founded in 1995 by former Daft Punk member Thomas Bangalter. Roulé had a side label entitled ''Scratché'' () which released only one record, produced by the Buffalo Bunch (Paul de Homem-Christo and Romain S ...

), Play Paul (

Crydamoure Crydamoure (a variation of the French phrase ''cri d'amour'' or "cry of love" in English) was a French house record label owned by Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, one former half of the duo Daft Punk, and Eric Chedeville. Background The label was ...

), Daft Trax & Kitsuné manager Gildas Loaëc and

Fred Falke Frédérick Falke (; born 7 January 1973) is a French house and dance music producer and DJ. Biography Falke started out as a bass player before moving to production work. His first record, a collaboration with Alan Braxe named ''Intro'', whi ...

(Vulture) support Dynamic Rockers first EP ''With Music'', the release is originally mistaken by the audience and DJ stores for a side-project by some

Daft ''Daft'' is an Old English-derived word for ''silly'', ''stupid'', or ''mad'', depending on context. Daft may also refer to: * ''Daft'' (album), a 1986 album by Art of Noise * DAFT (treaty), Dutch-American Friendship Treaty, signed in 1956 * '' ...

crew members. The track ''With Music'' quickly makes an impact across

forums, online blogs and leads to recognition via supports and airplays on

Radio FG Radio FG (; since February 2013, formerly FG DJ Radio, acronym for Feel Good) is a French-language radio station that began broadcasting from Paris on 98.2 MHz in the FM band in 1981. It is France's first radio station that broadcasts deep ...

. In the meantime, French artist

Muttonheads Jérôme Tissot (born 3 May 1976 in Chambéry), better known by his stage name Muttonheads, is a French DJ and electronic music producer. His music is described as French Touch (French house music) with funk and Italo disco. Career Tissot start ...

' single ''To You'' is aired in heavy rotation on

. His label Serial Records decides to gather artists to make a special set of remixes.

then contacts Dynamic Rockers after he had listened to ''With Music'', to be part of the remixers for ''To You (Remixes)''. October 2004, Dynamic Rockers come back with a new EP entitled ''Summertime'' once again supported and played on

. The ''Summertime'' EP also contains the title ''Brickster'' by German artist Manuel Tur. Endorsed by worldclass DJs like

Sébastien Léger Sébastien Léger () is a French DJ and house music producer. His singles "Hit Girl", "Hypnotized" and "Aqualight" have become hit dance singles played in clubs across Europe. In March 2021, ''Magnetic Magazine'' placed his track "Firefly" in t ...

, Manuel Tur and his track ''Brickster'' appear on

Techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

pioneer Dave Clark's compilation ''World Service Vol. 2''. Dynamic Rockers go on to form their second label Stamina Recordings, on which they first release ''Tonight EP'' in November 2004.

Annie Mac Annie Macmanus (born 18 July 1978), known professionally as Annie Mac, is an Irish DJ, broadcaster and writer. She hosted a variety of shows on BBC Radio 1, including BBC Switch and ''Future Sounds''. She also DJed in various locations, includ ...

supports the song ''Tonight'' and plays it several times as a favourite and starter for her

dance music Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole piece or part of a larger musical arrangement. In terms of performance, the major categories are live dance music and recorded dance musi ...

show ''Annie Mac'' on

BBC Radio 1 BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...

. ''Tonight EP'' is shortly followed by the neighbouring EPs ''Mysterious Date'', ''For Your Love'' and ''Thinking Of You'', also endorsed by

. March 2005, Dynamic Rockers release the third Stamina Recordings EP entitled ''Don't Be Surprised''. The title ''Don't Be Surprised'' receives some support by

Roger Sanchez Roger Sanchez (born June 1, 1967) is an American house DJ, remixer and producer. He won a Grammy Award for his remix of "Hella Good" by No Doubt in 2003, and is best known for his song " Another Chance", which was an international hit in 2001. ...

who plays it three times in his weekly awarded radio show ''Release Yourself''. Only one month later, in April 2005, Dynamic Rockers release ''Feel The Music''. This song is once again supported by

who plays ''Feel The Music'' for three months in his radio show but most of all plays it for the ''Release Yourself'' opening party at Pacha, Ibiza. Finally, ''Feel The Music'' catches the attention of the trendsetter

Pete Tong Peter Michael Tong (born 30 July 1960) is an English DJ who works for BBC Radio 1. He is the host of programmes such as '' Essential Mix'' and '' Essential Selection'' on the radio service, which can be heard through Internet radio streams, for ...

who announces it as an ''essential'' in his

Essential Mix The ''Essential Mix'' is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 0:00 and 2:00 a.m. UK time on Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, the ''Essential Mix'' features contemporary DJs and music pr ...

. From there, Dynamic Rockers establish themselves in the scene thanks to their distinctive funky basslines à la

Chic Chic (; ), meaning "stylish" or "smart", is an element of fashion. It was originally a French word. Etymology '' Chic'' is a French word, established in English since at least the 1870s. Early references in English dictionaries classified ...

Alan Braxe Alain Quême (), known professionally as Alan Braxe (born 9 July 1971), is a French electronic musician. He is most widely known for his collaborative work with the musicians Fred Falke and Kris Menace, and for being part of the musical trio St ...

and untraceable obscure

samples, hallmark of the

French touch French house (also referred to as French touch, filter house, or tekfunk) is a style of house music devised by French musicians in the 1990s. It is a form of Eurodisco and a popular strand of the late 1990s and 2000s European dance music sc ...

sound.

2006–2008: Electro-house era

In 2006, the house music trend evolves from a funky filtered sound to a more electronic and minimal flavour labelled

electro house Electro house is a genre of electronic dance music and a subgenre of house music characterized by heavy bass and a tempo around 125–135 beats per minute. The term has been used to describe the music of many ''DJ Mag'' Top 100 DJs, including ...

. After having released more than ten EP of

nu-disco Nu-disco is a 21st-century dance music genre associated with a renewed interest in the late 1970s disco, synthesizer-heavy 1980s European dance music styles, and early 1990s electronic dance music. The genre was popular in the early 2000s, and exp ...

music, Dynamic Rockers expend new musical horizons in this direction, using more synth sounds as well. Dynamic Rockers refocus all their productions on Stamina Recordings. The first EP of Dynamic Rockers' new sound is entitled ''Life'' released in March 2006. ''Life'' is once again played by international DJs like

in his radio show. June 2006, Dynamic Rockers release a new record containing ''Back To Basics'' and ''This Is My House''. It's an

EP with an old-school House music twist, hence the title. ''Back To Basics'' is buzz-charted twice in the ''update'' section of the DMC Magazine and played by

Judge Jules Julius O'Riordan (born 26 October 1965), better known by his stage name Judge Jules, is a British dance music DJ, record producer and entertainment lawyer. He is known for his DJ activities, music production and long-running radio show which ac ...

in his show on the electronic music authority BBC Radio 1. Inspired by the old-school house music revival, Dynamic Rockers produce a remix of the 1988 classic song ''The Party'' by ''Kraze'' for the German label

Milk & Sugar Milk & Sugar is a German house music producer and record label, represented by Mike Milk (real name: Michael Kronenberger) and formerly Steven Sugar (real name: Steffen Harning). The duo collaborated between 1993 and 2022 under a variety of name ...

. ''Back To Basics'' is then followed by three other

EPs, ''Feedback'', ''Back Again'' and ''Keep The Groove On''. In September 2007, some of the best tracks of their

work are compiled on the record ''Dynamic Rockers EP'' for the German label ''Rotor Records'', sub-label of

. In December 2007, Dynamic Rockers licence the

track ''I Know'' to Royal Flush Records. The song is actually a remix of a ballade previously recorded for their

pop rock Pop rock (also typeset as pop/rock) is a fusion genre and form of rock music characterized by a strong commercial appeal, with more emphasis on professional songwriting and recording craft, and less emphasis on attitude than standard rock musi ...

side project. The song is first released on the Pacha Club Ibiza 2007 compilation. Although Dynamic Rockers is not related in any way to the rising French

Electro Dance French Electro dance (otherwise known as Tecktonik and Milky Way) is one style of frenetic and quirky form of street dance typically performed to electro house music. It is based on, although is not limited to, a blend of different dance styles, s ...

phenomenon, French teens seize the song ''I Know'' as a background track of their revived Vogue dance routine internet-videos. Early 2008 in Europe, the

is hijacked by media, mainstream brands,

major labels "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...

and event managers in a questionable manner. Dynamic Rockers, fans of

street dance Street dance is an umbrella term for a large number of social dance styles such as: breakdancing, popping, Locking (dance), locking, house dance, waacking, voguing, etc. Social dance styles have many accompanying steps and foundations, created o ...

and actors of the underground culture, decide to restore to favour the phenomenon without the disputable glamrock makeup, flashy outfit and commercial aspect. They produce an official street video for ''I Know'' with two dance crews, ''Mafia Electro'' and ''Wantek'' both originators of the

electro dance French Electro dance (otherwise known as Tecktonik and Milky Way) is one style of frenetic and quirky form of street dance typically performed to electro house music. It is based on, although is not limited to, a blend of different dance styles, s ...

movement. On purpose, the video is shot at

Palais de Tokyo The Palais de Tokyo (''Tokyo Palace'') is a building dedicated to modern and contemporary art, located at 13 avenue du Président-Wilson, facing the Trocadéro, in the 16th arrondissement of Paris. The eastern wing of the building belongs to ...

, a famous spot used by skateboard videographers, to bring the

electro Dance French Electro dance (otherwise known as Tecktonik and Milky Way) is one style of frenetic and quirky form of street dance typically performed to electro house music. It is based on, although is not limited to, a blend of different dance styles, s ...

back to the streets. The music video showcases a friendly battle of the two dance crews, in a one-on-one breakdance style gathering. Reaching millions of views, the music video ''I Know'' instantly becomes viral on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

and

dailymotion Dailymotion is a French online video platform, online video sharing platform owned by Canal+ S.A., Canal+. Prior to 2024, the company was owned by Vivendi. North American launch partners included Vice Media, Bloomberg L.P., Bloomberg, and Hears ...

. French TV channel M6 licences it quickly after. In February 2008, ''I Know'' is officially released as a CD single peeking at the 26th position in the

SNEP SNEP (, in English National Syndicate of Phonographic Publishing) is the inter-professional organisation that protects the interests of the French record industry. Originally known under the acronym SNICOP, the organisation was established in ...

French

Club 40 Club 40 is a French weekly music chart that reflects spinning of tunes in French clubs. It was established by Yacast France Institute in collaboration with Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique (SNEP) in response to the need of music label ...

and 42nd position in the

''French TOP 100 single chart''. The song is then released on vinyl record, and aired on TV channels such as Fun TV and M6. ''I Know'' also become the theme song for the Dance music TV show M6 Club for two years. ''I Know'' is compiled on major house music compilations including the annual FG DJ Radio Club Dance 2008.

2008-2015: Break from the scene

While reaching a significant popularity with Dynamic Rockers, Damien and Olivier Sellier, respectively bass and guitar players, work on a side-project with the singer ''Dave Eastman'' with whom they released the song ''Time'' and ''Together'' in 2006. The band is called ''French Kiss'' and consists of a soul, funk and pop music act with up-and-coming Parisian jazz talents including the drummer Damien Schmitt, keyboard player Vincent Bidal and Maureen Angot. ''French Kiss'' LP entitled ''All Is Beginning'' is in production and still to be released. For a few years Dynamic Rockers appear to take distance from the electronic music with the rise of mainstream

dubstep Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...

and the EDM phenomenon which they are not connected to.

2016 to present

After several years of retreat and different musical projects, 21 June 2016, Dynamic Rockers announce their musical comeback on their different social media profiles. They talk about the rebirth of their label Dynamic Recordings ''abbr.'' DYREC and their forthcoming projects.

Discography

EPs An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

* 2004-06-14: ''With Music'' * 2004-10-01: ''Summertime'' * 2004-11-15: ''Tonight'' * 2004-11-22: ''Mysterious Date'' * 2005-01-03: ''For Your Love'' * 2005-02-04: ''Thinking Of You'' * 2005-03-14: ''Don't Be Surprised'' * 2005-04-25: ''Feel The Music'' * 2005-06-14: ''Good Times'' * 2006-01-19: ''Time'' * 2006-03-13: ''Life'' * 2006-04-24: ''Together'' * 2006-06-19: ''Back To Basics'' * 2006-09-01: ''Feedback'' * 2006-11-07: ''Back Again'' * 2007-06-12: ''Keep The Groove On'' * 2007-09-01: ''Dynamic Rockers EP''

CD Singles A CD single is a music single in the form of a compact disc (CD). Originally the ''CD single'' standard (as defined in the Red Book) was an 8 cm (3-inch) "mini CD" (''CD3''); later on the term referred to any single recorded onto a CD of any ...

* 2008-03-22: ''I Know'' (M6 Music ,

Sony BMG Sony BMG Music Entertainment was an American record company owned as a 50–50 joint venture between Sony Corporation of America and Bertelsmann. The venture's successor, the revived Sony Music, is wholly owned by Sony, following their buyout o ...

) , Peak position 42 in the

''French TOP 100 single chart''. Peak position 26 in the

French

Remix A remix, also sometimes called reorchestration or rework, is a piece of media which has been altered or contorted from its original state by adding, removing, or changing pieces of the item. A song, piece of artwork, book, poem, or photograph ca ...
es

* 2004-09-13:

- ''To You'' (Serial Records) * 2004-11-08: Manuel Tur - ''In The Air'' (Stamina Recordings) * 2005-07-18: Wize - ''Exhibition'' (Ledge Music) * 2006-07-17: Kraze - ''The Party'' (Milk & Sugar Recordings) * 2007-12-17: Paul Star - ''Freaks Come Out'' (Royal Flush Records) * 2010-03-02: The Henchmen - ''La Colita'' (Starlight Music)

Videography Videography involves capturing moving images on electronic media (such as: videotape, direct to disk recording, or solid state storage), and can include streaming media. It encompasses both video production and post-production methods. Historic ...

* 2008-02-18: ''I Know'' - Videoclip featuring

crews ''Wantek'' and ''Mafia Electro'' directed by ''Dynamic Rockers'' and ''Gilles Guerraz''.

Synchronization TV

* 2006: Canal+ +Clair, Background music (Dynamic Rockers - ''Life'') * 2008: M6 Hit Machine, Intermission theme (Dynamic Rockers - ''I Know'') * 2008–2009: M6 Club, Theme song (Dynamic Rockers - ''I Know'')

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Dynamic Rockers Canadian dance music groups Canadian disco groups Canadian electronic music groups Canadian funk musical groups Canadian musical duos Electro house musicians Canadian electronic dance music DJs Electronic music duos French house music groups Musical groups established in 2004 Musical groups from Montreal Musical groups from Paris Nu-disco musicians