French music report on Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 ran a brief feature on its World at One programme about French music

While it's always funny to hear some of the BBC's plummy voices and polite scripting at its finest, it's heartening to hear their verdict that "Suck it no longer does."

The report features an interview with Acid Washed, and writer Stéphane Jourdain.

They make the case that modern French music has united genres, and that the crackdown on rave culture in the UK led to some of its figures organising events in France instead.

Marc Tessier-Ducros also talks about Air and his involvement with the band, French artist are able to take elements from outside their usual frame of reference to create something new, something purists of genres like German techno are unable to understand.

However, the claim that the resurgence of the French music scene is thanks to Margaret Thatcher is an interesting one, and I suspect one that will have a few music fans choking on their café au lait.

Listen to the report on this page