An absolute legend in the dance circuit for the last 10 years, Bob Sinclar is a man who has grasped success with full confidence and fiery passion. The Parisian is best known for his insatiably unique sets and of his brilliant productions that span a wide variety of genres within the musical spectrum. Rising to fame in 1998 with his collaboration with Thomas Bangalter of Gym Tonic, he has not only achieved international success throughout his lucrative career, but has also won the hearts of many people in vastly different genre camps, from the mainstream to the underground and everything in between.
He has had the pleasure of being among other successful Parisian artists such as Martin Solveig and David Guetta and was one of the key players that started the Africanism movement much to the delight of fans everywhere. Sinclar‘s impressive career boasts an astounding 8 albums, and an innumerable number of singles and remixes including smash hits such as Love Generation, Lala Song and Far l’amour. A man who only plays by his own rules, he has been one of the most successful DJ’s that is still active today and his diversity in both his sets and his productions only adds volumes to the amount of respect towards this man. 
Interior atrium of The Hornblower Infinity.
A couple weeks ago, I was invited to attend the Soundcruise in New York City where Mr. Sinclar would be performing, immediately imagining vibes of an Ibizian adventure in the Big Apple. Before this event, I had not done much research into his past and also how his set was going to be constructed. I knew that he was internationally known and that he had produced tracks such as Lala Song, Love Generation and the Axwell remix to What A Wonderful World. I had known that he dabbled into the mainstream side of EDM and in my experience, that means that their work doesn’t have nearly enough integrity as other artists. However, I couldn’t have been more wrong about my assumptions and was incredibly surprised at the diverse and unique set that was to occur.
The Hornblower Infinity boat itself was absolutely beautiful, with 3 large floors each containing their own unique feel and atmosphere. The main floor boasted a large hall to dance in, with tables and cushy chairs all lined up near the front of the boat. The second floor overlooked the main floor and contained beautiful views of the New York City skyline. The third floor most reminded me of an Ibiza atmosphere, with an open air area complete with cafe tables and cushions that gave the entire floor a relaxed sort of vibe. There were 4 bars throughout the ship and there were three different musical areas in which to dance to. At the beginning, the main floor was playing real deep, underground music while the back floor was spinning cool Tech House cuts for a mellow vibe. The top floor gave off an impressive House set, one that clearly reminded me of 2010 House, showcasing that this was going to be a great night.
An example of the 2010 Progressive House sound which was played on the third floor.
The people in this event was very unusual compared to the regular shows that I attend. Rather than having neon clad teens and Kandi wielding ravers, it was more of a classy crowd, in which many people were dressed in a very trendy and fashion savvy manner. Sun dresses, suits and more were everywhere, which gave the indication that this was going to be a very different kind of show than I was used to. Many of the people attending didn’t seemed dressed for the occasion and it seems that it attracted people that were more focusing on the fact that there was a party on a yacht rather than an international DJ aboard. With that sentiment in mind, I was excited to see how the rest of the night would play out, especially when Bob Sinclar finally reached the decks.
After disembarking port, engaging with the crowds and catching the opening DJ acts, they closed off the third floor. The energy and the overall mood was charged and ready to dance, (not to mention the migration of people onto the dance floor!) and Bob Sinclar finally got behind the decks to the roaring delight of everyone on board. I had my assumptions that he would start with some pale, unoriginal tracks that have been clogging up the Beatport Top 10 lately, but I was completely floored by how he started his set. He began by not even venturing into EDM, but rather pulling classic hits from the 70’s and 80’s, starting off the night right with a heavy dose of nostalgic Disco and Funk. And incredibly, the crowd completely went crazy, even though it was music that many EDM fans might not exactly jive to nowadays. Such tracks included classic Disco staples, such as Laid Back’s White Horse and Lipp Inc.‘s Funkytown.
Self explanatory.
After an incredible first part, he moves into the Techier realms of House with some blistering singles that honestly was a homage to the cruise we were on. Such singles as David Penn & The Cube Guys‘s single, In The Air and Federico Scavo‘s single, Strump were heard throughout the set. It was a lovely vibe to the entire boat, and gave an entirely unique feel that I have never experienced in any set. Rather than have people pack in to see the DJ, there was plenty of room to dance and to have that space while having hordes of people on all sides was the perfect combination for a dance filled night.
After a while with the specialized Parisian House mix, Sinclar moved into the Progressive House of today, with such singles as Tujamo & Plastik Funk‘s, Who and Bingo Players‘s Rattle. It was overplayed stuff I had already heard time and time again, so I opted to visit the rest of the boat until he played more of the awesome House music he had been spinning earlier. However, he did play some unique pieces near the end, including Michael Calfan‘s Ressurection and an awesome, unknown Progressive House piece by Mats Mattara called Opera. All the while he was weaving in and out of genres, going hard for one tune before heading back into the thick of House music. It was an amazing experience to see someone who has such a master of these genres and effortlessly blends them into a unique set perfect for the vibe of the night.
Pretty much the whole night.
All and all, I was pretty impressed with how things were run on the boat. The staff was nice and friendly and the diversity of the people on board was enough to easily make quick friends for the trip (I met a guy who had a Drumcode shirt on and he talked about going to see Techno legends Richie Hawton, Carl Cox and Chris Liebing all back to back in Poland and how his many girlfriends can’t keep up with his dance adventures in Germany). That isn’t to say that things were perfect; there were a couple of issues that came off as a rocky start, but considering the fact that it was the first one that the company was hosting, it was perfectly understandable for these things to happen. The music was spectacular on every floor and I heard every genre within the House structure in the book, with plenty of new and interesting tracks to sink my teeth into.
A fantastic night with an absolute legend of the business, I would highly recommend attending one of these events in the future, even if it is just for the experience of a yacht party more than anything else. The atmosphere is completely different from anything I have witnessed and you have to admit, it is aces dancing on a boat. A wonderful job by Bob Sinclar, the opening DJ’s and the staff and management over at Sound Cruise NYC, I had an absolutely incredible night.
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Bob Sinclar Official Website: http://www.bobsinclar.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BobSinclar
Twitter: https://twitter.com/bobsinclar
Soundcloud: http://soundcloud.com/bob-sinclar-official
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Sound Cruise NYC Official Website: http://www.soundcruisenyc.com/
Sound Cruise NYC Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SoundcruiseNyc
Sound Cruise Twitter: https://twitter.com/SoundcruiseNYC
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Sources
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Bob+Sinclar
https://www.facebook.com/BobSinclar/info
