French house music is all about dancing, but who, after hours at a club has not thought: I want to enjoy French house music while sitting down.
Well, thanks to Los Angeles-based design studio Joogii, now you can.
Designer Juliette Mutzke-Felippelli has created "French Touch," a chair inspired by the late 90s golden age of French house. Crafted from acrylic and dichroic film—a material that shines in all colours of the rainbow—the piece of furniture is the physical manifestation of the genre's uplifting disco aesthetics.
Mutzke-Felippelli has paired the chair with a custom 42-minute mix with acts that epitomize the musical culture from which the chair takes its inspiration, including Cassius, Étienne De Crécy, and of course, Daft Punk. The chair, which will be manufactured in LA, is hitting the market "soon"—Joogii would not give us an exact release date—with a retail price of $7,500 and a limited production run of less than 50.
THUMP: Can people actually sit in the chair?
Juliette Mutzke-Felippelli: No, it is strictly decorative and we consider it an art piece.
Was there a particular moment that inspired the idea?
Seeing the dichroic film for the first time—we knew we had to create something special with it.
Who put together the accompanying mixtape?
We selected the tracks and made the mix in our studio. We used to DJ and produce music together so we still have the gear.
Who is your favourite French touch producer and what is your favorite track from the mixtape?
Hands down, Daft Punk. We love their range, from the hard mechanical tracks in the early 90s to the tender stuff off their album Discovery, to the totally analogue and disco fun of Random Access Memories. Our favourite track would have to be Pete Heller's "Big Love"—it's a classic "send-everyone-home-from-the-party-happy" track.
What about the chair most embodies French house music?
The colors. We think it's the lighthearted experimental essence of French house music.
Isn't it strange to design a sedentary device like a chair from an inspiration that asks listeners to do the opposite—to get up and dance?
That's an interesting way to look at it. The piece is really more about a feeling and a time and a place that was special in dance music history. It's something to treasure.
Find out more about Joogii at their official website.
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Juliette Mutzke-Felippelli: No, it is strictly decorative and we consider it an art piece.Was there a particular moment that inspired the idea?
Seeing the dichroic film for the first time—we knew we had to create something special with it.Who put together the accompanying mixtape?
We selected the tracks and made the mix in our studio. We used to DJ and produce music together so we still have the gear.
Hands down, Daft Punk. We love their range, from the hard mechanical tracks in the early 90s to the tender stuff off their album Discovery, to the totally analogue and disco fun of Random Access Memories. Our favourite track would have to be Pete Heller's "Big Love"—it's a classic "send-everyone-home-from-the-party-happy" track.What about the chair most embodies French house music?
The colors. We think it's the lighthearted experimental essence of French house music.Isn't it strange to design a sedentary device like a chair from an inspiration that asks listeners to do the opposite—to get up and dance?
That's an interesting way to look at it. The piece is really more about a feeling and a time and a place that was special in dance music history. It's something to treasure.
Find out more about Joogii at their official website.