Deep Forest

Deep Forest

Deep Forest is a French ambient and electronic group from Arleux, formed by Michel Sanchez and Éric Mouquet. The duo is associated with world music and ethnic electronica, combining ethnic vocal material with electronic production, dance rhythms and chillout beats. Their sound is also described as ethno-introspective ambient world music.

Career and style

Michel Sanchez develops the project from an idea of blending Baka Pygmy chants with modern music after hearing field recordings of these communities. Deep Forest use sampled voices and chants from different traditions, often heavily processed and edited, alongside electronic arrangements. Their debut self-titled album appears in 1992 and brings the group wider attention, especially through the single “Sweet Lullaby”, a UK Top 10 hit adapted from a traditional song from the Solomon Islands. The album later reappears in a limited edition in 1994 under the title World Mix.

Albums and collaborations

The second album, Boheme, moves away from the forest imagery and uses Eastern European material, including Hungarian and Gypsy chants drawn from sample CDs. Marta Sebestyen appears on the record. Deep Forest are nominated for a Grammy Award in 1994 for Best World Music Album and win the award in 1995 for Boheme. The group also receives a World Music Awards title as the French group with the highest 1995 world sales, and their albums sell more than 10 million copies.

In 1994 they produce and perform remixes for Youssou N’Dour’s “Undecided”, with guest vocals by Neneh Cherry, and also make remixes for Jon Anderson’s “Deseo”, Apollo 440’s “Liquid Cool” and Cesária Évora’s “My Fatigue is Endless”. In 1996 they collaborate with Peter Gabriel on “While the Earth Sleeps”, written for the film Strange Days. Their third album, Comparsa, uses sounds and chants from Madagascar and Cuba and has a generally upbeat, celebratory character. The album includes “Media Luna”, featuring Syrian and Spanish singers Abed Azrié and Ana Torroja.

Later work

Deep Forest also release a live album, Made in Japan, based on a concert recording from Japan, with expanded arrangements and live reinterpretations of material from the first three albums. In 1999 they work with Cheb Mami and Catherine Lara on “L’Enfant Fleur”, written for Sol En Si, a French charity supporting families affected by HIV. In 2000 they release music for the film Le Prince du Pacifique, titled Pacifique, combining Pacific and island rhythms with electronic music. Their fifth main album, Music Detected, turns toward the Far East and the Orient and marks a shift from dance-oriented material toward a more rock-influenced style.

Éric Mouquet later releases Deep Brasil in collaboration with Brazilian artist Flavio Dell Isola Amazonia, and then works on Deep Africa, a project involving African artists including Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Oliza, Wasis Diop, Zama Magudulela and Dany Dikoume.