Wax Tailor

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Wax Tailor
Background information
Birth nameJean-Christophe Le Saoût
BornVernon, Normandy, France
GenresTrip hop, turntablism, hip hop, downtempo, electronica, electro swing
Occupation(s)Record producer, composer, disc jockey, talent manager
Years active2001–present
LabelsLab'Oratoire
Websitewaxtailor.com

Jean-Christophe Le Saoût[1] (French pronunciation: [ʒɑ̃ kʁistɔf su] ; born on 19 July 1975), better known by the stage name Wax Tailor, is a French record producer, DJ, and talent manager. He has released six studio albums collaborating with other artists.

Background[edit]

After being a host on French radio in the Paris suburb of Mantes-La-Jolie, Le Saoût started the French rap group La Formule in the 1990s. He created his label Lab'Oratoire in 1998. He began working on the Wax Tailor project in 2001, first appearing on a remix of Looptroop and La Formule's "Deep Under Water".

Releases[edit]

In 2004, JC Le Saoût launched the Wax Tailor concept with an EP, "Lost the Way", that gained the attention of DJ's and music critics in his home country.

In 2005, Wax Tailor released his first album, "Tales of the Forgotten Melodies". The album has never left the Electronic Album sales charts on iTunes since its release.

In 2007, Wax Tailor released his second album "Hope & Sorrow" and had his first crossover hit single with "Positively Inclined".

In 2008 in France, he was selected in the Victoires de la musique as "best electronic music album of the year" and won the 7th annual Independent Music Awards Vox Pop vote for best Dance/Electronica album.

In 2009, Wax Tailor released "Say Yes", the first single on his new album In the Mood for Life, released on September 21, featuring Charlie Winston, Charlotte Savary, Sara Genn, Dionne Charles, A State of Mind, Mattic, Ali Harter, and Speech Defect.

In 2012, after three years of touring around the world, Wax Tailor released "Dusty Rainbow from the Dark", narrated by Don McCorkindale, who voiced the BBC's radio version of the classic TV show "The Avengers".

In 2014, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of his career, Wax Tailor launched the "Phonovisions Symphonic Orchestra'. Alongside a 35-piece orchestra and a 17-person choir, Wax Tailor embarked on an ambitious re-orchestration of 27 highlights from his 4 albums, to present them in a completely different setting. After a sold-out European tour, the Phonovisions Symphonic Orchestra was chosen to play 3 shows for the re-opening of the prestigious Teatro Colon in Bogota, accompanied by the National Symphonic Orchestra of Colombia.

In 2016, Wax Tailor released his fifth album "By Any Beats Necessary". The title references the Malcolm X phrase "By Any Means Necessary", which was inspired by Sartre's play "Dirty Hands". This album features collaborations with Ghostface Killah from the Wu Tang Clan, R.A. The Rugged Man, A-F-R-O, Token, Tricky, Lee Fields, Charlotte Savary, Sara Genn, Mattic and Raashan Ahmad and IDIL.

In 2017, following the release of "By Any Beats Necessary", Wax Tailor went on a long world tour, during which, he decided to completely remix the album. Established producers such as Ollie Teeba (The Herbaliser) and the US duo Du-Rites (J-Zone), as well as a cohort of rising artists such as ProleteR, Soul Square, The Geek x Vrv, Poldoore, Kognitif, Fatbabs, Madwreck, Benji Blow, Le Parasite, were selected by Wax Tailor to keep a general musical cohesiveness to the project and bring a new life to the original album.

In January 2021, Tailor released "The Shadow of Their Suns", his sixth studio album, featuring guest artists Mark Lanegan, Del The Funky Homosapien (Gorillaz), D Smoke, Gil Scott Heron, Rosemary Standley (Moriarty), Mr Lif, Adeline, and Yugen Blakrok.

In January 2023, Saoût released his most recent album, Fishing For Accidents,[2] with many guests including Mick Jenkins, Mr. Lif, Kuf Knotz, Lojii, Napoleon Da Legend, Ill Conscious, Voice Monet, David Bars, Mattic, Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields) and Victoria Bigelow. Saoût is also embarking on a new international tour in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

Awards[edit]

Discography[edit]

Albums[edit]

Year Album Peak
positions
Certification
FRA
[6]
2005 Tales of the Forgotten Melodies 150
2007 Hope & Sorrow 31
2009 In the Mood for Life 9
2012 Dusty Rainbow from the Dark 8
2016 By Any Beats Necessary 12
2017 By Any Remixes Necessary
2021 The Shadow of Their Suns 14
2023 Fishing for Accidents 137
[7]
Live albums
Year Album Peak
positions
Certification
FRA
[6]
2010 Live 2010 à l'Olympia 62
2014 Phonovisions Symphonic Orchestra

EPs and singles[edit]

Year Title Peak
positions
Certification Album
FRA
[6]
2004 Que Sera/Where My Heart's At
Lost the Way
2006 Our Dance/Walk the Line Tales of the Forgotten Melodies
2007 To Dry Up/The Games You Play 78 Hope and Sorrow
Positively Inclined / The Way We Lived 78
2008 We Be / There Is Danger 78
2009 "Say Yes" (feat. ASM) 30 In the Mood for Life
This Train" / "Leave It 25
2010 I Own You
2012 Heart Stop 81 Dusty Rainbow from the Dark
2016 I Had a Woman 194[8]
2017 The Chase Remixes

Remixes[edit]

  • Looptroop & La Formule - Deep Under Water (Wax Tailor remix) 2001
  • Clover - Death of the Lonely Superhero (Wax Tailor remix) 2005
  • Wax Tailor - Our Dance (Wax Tailor Remix) 2006
  • Nina Simone - I Am Blessed 2008

Covers, references, and sampling[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ True, Chris. "Biography: Wax Tailor". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 May 2010.
  2. ^ "Wax Tailor, heureux accidents". RFI Musique (in French). 3 March 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
  3. ^ fr:Victoires de la musique 2008#Artiste de musiques .C3.A9lectroniques ou dance de l.27ann.C3.A9e
  4. ^ fr:Victoires de la musique 2010#L.E2.80.99enregistrement de musiques .C3.A9lectroniques ou dance de l.E2.80.99ann.C3.A9e
  5. ^ "France.tv - Replay TV et tous les sites des chaînes France Télévisions".
  6. ^ a b c LesCharts.com: Wax Tailor discography
  7. ^ "Top Albums (Week 7, 2023)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  8. ^ "Le Top de la semaine : Top Singles Téléchargés - SNEP (Week 23, 2016)" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. Retrieved 11 June 2016.

External links[edit]