 | This article has multiple issues. Please helpimprove it or discuss these issues on thetalk page.(Learn how and when to remove these messages) (Learn how and when to remove this message)
|
Wax Tailor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Jean-Christophe Le Saoût |
| Genres | Trip hop,turntablism,hip hop,downtempo,electronica,electro swing |
| Occupation(s) | Record producer, composer, disc jockey, talent manager |
| Years active | 2001–present |
| Labels | Lab'Oratoire |
| Website | waxtailor |
Jean-Christophe Le Saoût[1] (French pronunciation:[ʒɑ̃kʁistɔfləsu]ⓘ; born on 19 July 1975), better known by the stage nameWax Tailor, is a Frenchrecord producer, DJ, and talent manager. He has released six studio albums in collaboration with other artists.
After being a host on French radio in the Paris suburb ofMantes-la-Jolie, Le Saoût started the French rap groupLa Formule in the 1990s. He created his label Lab'Oratoire in 1998.[2] He began working on the Wax Tailor project in 2001, first appearing on a remix ofLooptroop and La Formule's "Deep Under Water".
In 2004, JC Le Saoût launched the Wax Tailor project with an EP,Lost the Way, that gained the attention of DJs and music critics in his home country.
In 2005, Wax Tailor released his debut album,Tales of the Forgotten Melodies. In addition to samplingNina Simone,Doris Day andAlfred Hitchcock films, the album also featured collaborations with The Others andCharlotte Savary.[3]
In 2007, Wax Tailor released his second album,Hope & Sorrow, and had his first crossover hit single with "Positively Inclined".
On 21 September 2009, Wax Tailor released "Say Yes", the first single from his new albumIn the Mood for Life, featuringCharlie 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 releasedDusty Rainbow from the Dark. The album was narrated by actor Don McCorkindale, whom Le Saoût selected after listening to nearly 300 voices.[4]
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 a re-orchestration of 27 highlights from his 4 albums, to present them in a different setting. After a sold-out European tour, the Orchestra was chosen to play 3 shows for the re-opening of the Teatro Colon inBogotá, accompanied by theNational Symphony Orchestra of Colombia.
In 2016, Wax Tailor released his fifth albumBy Any Beats Necessary. The title references theMalcolm X phrase "By Any Means Necessary", which was inspired bySartre's play "Dirty Hands". The album features collaborations withGhostface Killah from theWu-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 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 and Le Parasite, were selected by Wax Tailor to keep the project musically cohesive and bring new life to the album.
In January 2021, Wax Tailor releasedThe Shadow of Their Suns, his sixth studio album, featuring guest artistsMark Lanegan,Del The Funky Homosapien (Gorillaz), D Smoke,Gil Scott Heron, Rosemary Standley (Moriarty),Mr Lif, Adeline, andYugen Blakrok.
In January 2023, Wax Tailor releasedFishing For Accidents.[5] The album featured appearances fromMick Jenkins,Mr. Lif, Kuf Knotz, Lojii, Napoleon Da Legend, Ill Conscious, Voice Monet, David Bars, Mattic,Jennifer Charles (Elysian Fields) and Victoria Bigelow. This album will be followed by an international tour in the United States, Europe, and Asia.[6][7]
In March 2025, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of his debut albumTales Of The Forgotten Melodies, he went back on tour in the United States and Canada.[8][9]
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [13] | |||
| 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 [14] |
| Year | Album | Peak positions | Certification |
|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [13] | |||
| 2010 | Live 2010 à l'Olympia | 62 | |
| 2014 | Phonovisions Symphonic Orchestra |
| Year | Title | Peak positions | Certification | Album |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRA [13] | ||||
| 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[15] | ||
| 2017 | The Chase Remixes |
J'ai monté mon label, Lab'Oratoire, en 1998, un peu par accident, parce que j'ai un peu laissé traîner des discussions avec de grosses maisons de disques.
Both his use of samples (Nina Simone, Hitchcock, Doris Day) and new material from friends The Others and Charlotte Savary are expertly balanced throughout the record, making for an addictive and blunted journey.
Histoire oblige, Wax Tailor doit trouver la perle rare pour compléter la deuxième étape : le narrateur. Il en écoute près de 300 avant de tomber sur le bon, Don McCorkindale, une voix légendaire qui officiait à la BBC :
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| Artists | |
| Other | |
