walking upstream…
Justice
Justice is the Paris duo of Gaspard Augé and Xavier de Rosnay, whose 2007 debut Cross fused disco, hard rock, and electroclash into a maximalist, distortion-heavy strain of French house. Their breakout single "D.A.N.C.E.," written as a playful tribute to Michael Jackson, became one of the most sampled and covered dance tracks of its decade, and the duo went on to win a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Album for Woman Worldwide (2019).
the sound in question
2007
D.A.N.C.E.Justice
walk the tributaries ↓
Michael Jackson1980s · Pop / R&B / Dance
De Rosnay has said "D.A.N.C.E." was "meant to be a tribute to Michael Jackson," with lyrics built mainly around the titles of his songs — P.Y.T., Black or White, Working Day and Night — sung by a children's choir as a playful homage.
listen: upstream & heresource: MusicRadar — Justice on "D.A.N.C.E." as a tribute to Michael Jackson ↗
1982
P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)Michael Jackson
2007
D.A.N.C.E.Justice
listen forThe bright, syncopated bassline and falsetto-leaning vocal hook on "D.A.N.C.E." nod straight at the Quincy Jones-era Jackson pop-funk sound that "P.Y.T." typifies.
Daft Punk1990s–2000s · House / French house / Electronic / Disco
Xavier de Rosnay has said Daft Punk "made it possible to be French and to be listened to in foreign countries" — opening the door Justice walked through internationally — and Thomas Bangalter personally helped with pre-mastering work on Justice's early records.
listen: upstream & heresource: Hollywood Reporter — Xavier de Rosnay on Daft Punk opening doors for French acts, and Thomas Bangalter's early help ↗
1995
Da FunkDaft Punk
2007
GenesisJustice
listen forThe vocoder-warped robotic build and sample-collage construction on "Genesis" run on the same filtered-disco machinery Daft Punk pioneered on Homework and Discovery, just pushed louder and dirtier.
The Prodigy1990s · Breakbeat / Big beat / Rave / Electronic
Critics have grouped Justice with The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers as heirs to the 1990s "big beat" trick of running hard-rock aggression through electronic production — Cross carries over the metallic, overdriven riffing those acts brought into dance music, described by reviewers as thunderous stadium rock fed through a techno blender.
listen: upstream & heresource: Happy Mag — Justice's debt to big-beat forerunners Daft Punk, The Chemical Brothers, and The Prodigy ↗
1996
FirestarterThe Prodigy
2007
StressJustice
listen forThe blunt, industrial synth riff driving "Stress" has the same rock-through-a-distortion-pedal attack as the stabbing breakbeat riff on "Firestarter," just traded for a four-on-the-floor pulse.