During the late 1970s Laurent Garnier discovered clubbing with his brother in Paris, where his family lived. He loved disco but also listened to all other contemporary musical genres: reggae, funk, punk... At the age of 16 Laurent was already interested in clubs and DJs and had started recording and mixing music on basic tape recorders.
In 1984, Laurent started working as a waiter for the French Embassy in London. He stayed there for a year and a half before moving to Manchester in 1986. England was a revelation for him, as he discovered the booming UK house scene and started DJ-ing.
In 1987 he discovered the Haçienda club in Manchester and met Mike Pickering the resident DJ. Chicago House and Detroit Techno became very popular, and Garnier started mixing at the Haçienda club under the name of DJ Pedro. Garnier becomes one of the first Europeans to begin mixing American house music in Britain, Garnier was one of the prime cogs in the late-1980s Manchester scene. His DJing at Manchester's Haçienda club provided an inspiration for The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays to begin adding house rhythms to rock music.
In 1988 he went back to France to fulfill his military obligations. He also spent some time in New York where he meets Frankie Knuckles. Garnier shifted his attention back to France in the early 1990s, running the Wake Up club in Paris for three years, also mixing in clubs like le Palace or le Boy, DJing in rave parties and gradually moving into recording as well. For the FNAC label, Garnier released "French Connection" and the Bout de Souffle EP; after the label went under, though, he formed the F Communications label with Eric Morand (a friend who had also worked for FNAC). He often also DJed at "Open all hours" at London's Ministry of Sound on Friday nights, in the early and mid 1990s. One such set had a music press journalist enthusing 'Laurent Garnier is the best DJ in the world!'.
His first LP, Shot in the Dark, came in 1995. His second, 30, appeared in 1997 and included one of Garnier's best selling singles, "Crispy Bacon". 30 was followed by the retrospective Early Works. After trotting the globe with multiple DJ appearances during the late 1990s, Garnier returned to the production realm with Unreasonable Behaviour, released in early 2000, which features one of Garnier's best known songs, "The Man with the Red Face". Garnier released an EP in 2002 and his latest full length album, The Cloud Making Machine, in 2005. His most recent album is Retrospective, a best-of which collects both his original work and remixes, including some vinyl-only or previously-unreleased tracks.
Garnier has also collaborated with System 7.
Last Tribute from The 20th Century
Laurent Garnier Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cities full of soul, vision and inspiration.
Experimenting with deep sounds for so long.
It's now time to give you... thanks.
The windy city, the big apple, the motor city.
With much... respect.
The lyrics of Laurent Garnier's Last Tribute From the 20th Century pay homage to the three major cities that birthed electronic dance music - New York, Detroit, and Chicago. These cities are referred to as 'cities full of soul, vision, and inspiration', which is an apt description for their contribution to electronic music. The song acknowledges the experimentation with deeply rooted sounds in these cities, which eventually led to the creation of various sub-genres of electronic music. Therefore, the lyrics express gratitude for the inspiration that New York, Detroit, and Chicago provided and the contribution they made to electronic dance music.
The lyrics of this song also refer to the cities by their nicknames - "The Windy City" (Chicago), "The Big Apple" (New York), and "The Motor City" (Detroit) - which is reflective of the personality and culture of each city. The use of these nicknames adds a layer of specificity to the song, and also demonstrates the connection between the physical location and the sound that emerges from them. Finally, the lyrics convey the respect that Laurent Garnier has for these cities and their contributions to electronic dance music.
Line by Line Meaning
This is a tribute to New York, Detroit and Chicago.
A homage to the three cities that birthed the soulful and inspirational music that influenced the artist.
Cities full of soul, vision and inspiration.
The cities were wellsprings of profound emotions, ideas, and creativity that had an enormous impact on the artist.
Experimenting with deep sounds for so long.
The cities had been experimenting with profound, intricate sounds and musical styles for a long time, leaving a lasting imprint on the artist.
It's now time to give you... thanks.
The artist thanks the cities and their musical heritage for shaping his own work and inspiring him to create music that soothes and excites the soul.
The windy city, the big apple, the motor city.
A nod to Chicago, New York, and Detroit's respective monikers that brought distinct identities, cultures, and sounds to the artist's work.
With much... respect.
The artist concludes his tribute to these cities with reverence and respect, acknowledging the cities' crucial role in shaping modern music and his career.
Contributed by Mason V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
jorge marin
Esta canción suena desde hace 18 años, en mi cabeza, es el playlist de mis sueños y espero mis hijas me lo pongan en mi réquiem
Vadim Brodowsky
💚
Antoine Carlucci
Un hymne qui résonne en moi, un souvenir, un rêve, le sentiment d’avoir été quelqu’un d’autre, un hommage à une vie antérieure.. bien plus qu’une simple page que l’on tourne ..
merci
MrSvinkoyasch MrSvinkoyasch
Agreed!
glick warlock
Questa canzone è un punto di vista unico su un mondo perfetto e ideale , il ritmo , la magia , la notte , la poesia , la speranza e la gratitudine .
Quanta avidità , quanta cattiveria , quanta tristezza in questi anni .
Il sogno non muore , libera la mente , senti il fisico , sei grande .
slycro
"This is a tribute to New York, Detroit and Chicago
Cities full of soul, vision and inspiration
Experimenting with deep sounds for so long
It's now time to give you... thanks
The windy city, the big apple, the motor city
With much... respect"
MrYing78
Monsieur Garnier. Maginifique.
UnderSeaShadow
Don't panic! The 90's have made a comeback now ~(^_)/
Mojayz
Une de mes favorites si reposante i love
Sara Richmond
Mesmerising 💛💟💖