Michel Sanchez came up with the idea of mixing Baka Pygmy chants with modern music after hearing on-site recordings of these tribes. Along with Eric Mouquet they created the project Deep Forest. Their first self-titled album (nominated for a Grammy) was released in 1992, with Sweet Lullaby being the smash single which would put Deep Forest on the musical map (UK Top 10 hit). The song "Sweet Lullaby" is adapted from a traditional song from the Solomon Islands. The album Deep Forest was dance-driven and the samples were heavily digitised and edited. It was re-released as a limited edition in 1994 under the name World Mix.
For their second album Boheme, Eric and Michel left behind the sounds of the forest and ventured into Eastern Europe bringing tender, lonesome Hungarian and Gypsy chants with upbeat, yet sad, music. The chants were no longer brief, instead extended phrases had been sampled from Hungarian, Russian and Transylvanian sample CDs. Marta Sebestyen performed on this album.
The duo also performed and produced the remixes for the Youssou N'Dour single "Undecided" in 1994, with guest vocals by Neneh Cherry (who featured on n'Dour's break-through single "Seven Seconds"). That same year Deep Forest made remixes for Jon Anderson's "Deseo", Apollo 440's "Liquid Cool" and Cesária Évora's "My Fatigue is Endless". In 1996 Deep Forest collaborated with Peter Gabriel on the song While the Earth Sleeps, which was written for the film Strange Days.
The follow-up third album, Comparsa, contained sounds and chants from Madagascar and Cuba. The music is often upbeat and celebratory. The last song from the album Media Luna, which was also released as a single, features a duet of Syrian and Spanish singers Abed Azrei and Ana Torroja from Spanish band Mecano. The duo collaborated with Joe Zawinul during the recording of the album. A recording of their live concert in Japan was also released on a CD called Made in Japan. Although all the songs featured in the show are from the previous three albums, they have new often-longer arrangements and all the chants are performed and reinterpreted by live performers.
In 1999 Deep Forest worked with Cheb Mami and Catherine Lara on the song "L'Enfant Fleur" which had been composed for Sol En Si (a French charity which helps HIV families).
In 2000, Deep Forest released a music for the movie Le Prince du Pacifique, Pacifique. It mixes pacific and island beats with electronic music. Music Detected was the title of their fifth much-anticipated official Deep Forest album which saw the duo turn its attention to the Far East and the Orient for inspiration. It also signalled a change in musical style for Deep Forest, from dance to a more rock-influence.
In 2008 Eric Mouquet released Deep Brasil, this album is a collaboration with Brazilian artist Flavio Dell Isola Amazonia.
In 2009, 2010 Eric Mouquet went on tour and prepared the upcoming album Deep Africa.
This album should be released in summer 2011 and will feature lot of African artists, Lokua Kanza, Blick Bassy, Oliza, Wasis Diop, Zama Magudulela, and Wes's brother, Dany Dikoume.
Noonday sun
Deep Forest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So long we lived here, disturbed by none
In freedom, peace and harmony
Like this it should forever be
The forest was our generous host
Until the day when we have lost
All that life once meant for us
It started long before
In another time, another wood
We heard about, but did not care
How could we know how much we should
Then dark clouds came upon our sky
We raised our eyes and wondered why
If only lion, eagle, ox and man
Had changed the world as long as they still could
Do you remember how it was before
Will those times never come back
Time never stands still
Clouds in the sky
It is too dark to see the sun
Shine on me
Clouds in the sky
Sun, shine on me now
Like a tempest they came over us
With a thousand hands
To take away in a minute
What took a hundred years to build up
They made us homeless, hopeless, helpless
They built their city, showed no pity
And as we run away
Always one step behind
We hear the sound of marching feet on burnt down ground
Once we will be the ones that are free
Will be the lords of the world
Dreams will be unfurled
If we unite and stand side by side
We can survive
Please let the sun shine on me
Shine on me now
And as we leave the tempest, we stare at all the strange shapes
And we don't know, where our journey goes
It is quiet in this dark land, so cold in this hard land
No matter how we try, we cannot read the signs
This place of misery lies far behind us now
But still we walk on
And as we lay down
At night we still can hear
The sound of marching feet on burnt down ground
Do you remember how it was before
Will those times never come back
Why can't time stand still
Clouds in the sky
It is too dark to see the sun
Shine on me
Clouds in the sky
Sun, shine on me now
Shine on, let it shine on
To another world
The lyrics to Deep Forest's song Noonday Sun tell a story of a peaceful forest community that was disrupted and destroyed by human intervention. The opening lines describe the harmony and balance that existed in the forest, thanks to the natural elements of cooling rain and warming sun. However, this peaceful way of life comes to an end as the forest community falls victim to deforestation and the construction of a city. The lyrics speak of the devastation wrought by the humans who take away what took nature hundreds of years to build up. The forest community is made homeless, hopeless and helpless, and they flee the city in search of a new home.
The song is a lamentation for a lost way of life and a plea for a better future. There is a sense of nostalgia for a time when things were simpler and more in tune with nature. The lyrics are also a call to action, suggesting that if people could unite and stand side by side, they could create a better world. The final lines of the song speak of continuing on their journey, unsure of where it will take them, but hoping for a better world in another place.
Line by Line Meaning
With cooling rain and warming sun
The forest provided everything they needed for a comfortable life, with enough rain to keep them cool and enough sun to keep them warm.
So long we lived here, disturbed by none
They lived in the forest for a long time, and their existence didn't harm anyone or anything in the forest.
In freedom, peace and harmony
They lived in the forest with freedom to do as they wished, and everything was in a state of peaceful harmony with no conflicts.
Like this it should forever be
Their ideal vision was for their life in the forest to continue as it was without any changes, forever.
The forest was our generous host
The forest provided everything to them, from food to shelter, acting as a kind and nurturing host.
Until the day when we have lost
They lost their home, the forest, on one fateful day.
All that life once meant for us
When they lost the forest, they lost everything their life was about: freedom, peace, and harmony.
It started long before
The events that led to the loss of the forest started a long time ago.
In another time, another wood
It happened in a different place and time, long before they were affected by it.
We heard about, but did not care
They knew about the problem but didn't think it would affect them in any way, so they didn't care.
How could we know how much we should
They didn't know the extent of the problem and how it would impact them in the future.
Then dark clouds came upon our sky
Their situation, and the situation of the forest, got worse.
We raised our eyes and wondered why
They were confused and wondering about the cause of the problem.
If only lion, eagle, ox and man
They wished that all creatures, including humans, could work together to solve the problem.
Had changed the world as long as they still could
They wished that everyone had come together to prevent the loss of the forest while it was still possible.
Do you remember how it was before
They are reminiscing about their life in the forest before they lost it.
Will those times never come back
They are longing for their previous life but don't think it's possible to go back to it.
Time never stands still
Time keeps moving forward, and they can't go back to the past.
Clouds in the sky
Their current situation is dark and gloomy, with no hope in sight.
It is too dark to see the sun
Things are so bad that they can't see a way out of their situation.
Shine on me
They are hoping for something, anything, good to happen in their lives.
Like a tempest they came over us
Their situation worsened suddenly, with a force they couldn't control.
With a thousand hands
The people who harmed them had many helpers.
To take away in a minute
They lost everything they had in just a short amount of time.
What took a hundred years to build up
It took them a lot of time to build their life in the forest, but it was destroyed in a much shorter time.
They made us homeless, hopeless, helpless
They were left without a home, and their situation was seemingly without hope, rendering them helpless.
They built their city, showed no pity
The people who harmed them built a city and didn't have any empathy or compassion for them.
And as we run away
They were forced to run away from their home.
Always one step behind
No matter how much they tried, they couldn't keep up with the changes.
We hear the sound of marching feet on burnt down ground
They can still hear the sound of the destruction and changes that happened in their past.
Once we will be the ones that are free
They hope to regain the freedom that they lost.
Will be the lords of the world
They want to have control over their lives again and be the masters of their existence.
Dreams will be unfurled
They yearn for a time where they can unlock new potential and possibilities.
If we unite and stand side by side
They know that they can only achieve this if they work together and support each other.
We can survive
They believe that they can overcome their current struggles if they stick together.
And as we leave the tempest, we stare at all the strange shapes
They see the world differently after their traumatic experience, and things seem unfamiliar to them.
And we don't know, where our journey goes
They don't know what the future holds for them, and they feel lost.
It is quiet in this dark land, so cold in this hard land
They feel a sense of desolation, loneliness, and darkness regarding their current situation.
No matter how we try, we cannot read the signs
They are trying to move forward but can't find any signs or indications of what to do next.
Why can't time stand still
They are still longing for the past and wishing that time could freeze so they can go back to it.
Shine on, let it shine on
They still have hope for a better future and are insisting that they need some light to guide them there.
To another world
They are hoping for a change of scenery and a new beginning somewhere else.
Contributed by Liam M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Sonja
I encountered their pure sound when I was in Mauritius 🇲🇺 in 96. They 've enchanted me ever since with pure sounds of joy and creation ✨️
Thomas Gonder
If there is such thing as virtuosity in electronica/world fusion/folktronica, whatever you want to call it, this is it!!!!
Ecos Nocturnos
Me encanta su música pero esta por lejos mi favorita ❤❤❤
Edu
Absolutely catchy and gorgeous song by Deep Forest. And those synths!!
lord Celtic frost
Mamá Sana May your ancestres got you singing happy in the land of the eternal forest...thanx for this beautifull song Who live forever into our hearts..... Mamá Sana que tus ancestros te tengan feliz cantando en la tierra de los bosques eternos...gracias por legarnos esta hermosa canción que vivirá por siempre en nuestros corazones ...
nagin34
This is why I love Deep Forest!! one of their top hits ❤️
Maurino Júnior
Epic, classic and a masterpiece!!! Thanks, Eric!!! Deep Forest brought joy to my life!!
To Mi
Love it. Chorus is killer, but I love the synths all over this piece.
Sko rpion
Jedna z najlepszych płyt ever.Moje dorosłe już dzieci wychowały się na tych dźwiękach
Sándor Debreczeni
It is very youngful and very energetic song. I have not heard it. The songs of deep forest can bring me some hapyness. Thanks!