Bumcello

Bumcello, a Paris-based downtempo electronica duo, blends jazz, left-field house, dub reggae, and hip-hop into its groove-oriented sound, though some descriptions reduce the project to trip-hop. Vincent Ségal and Cyril Atef, the two producers who handle nearly all performance duties, launched the act’s first full-length release, the self-titled Bumcello, in 1999 on the independent imprint Comet Records. Their follow-up, Booty Time, arrived in 2001 on Signature - Radio France and incorporated excerpts from a live session recorded for the public broadcaster France Musique. The year 2002 brought a move to Tôt ou Tard, the respected Warner Music France subsidiary, where the sample-free album Nude for Love appeared; it included guest contributions from Mathieu Chédid (aka M) on “Death in Brest” and from Lateef the Truth Speaker, Gift of Gab, and Chief Xcel on “Beautiful You.” An extensive European tour alongside Chédid ensued, documented on the double live set Get Me issued in 2003. Subsequent Tôt ou Tard releases Animal Sophistiqué (2005) and Lychee Queen (2008) earned favorable notices and climbed to positions 198 and 159, respectively, on the French albums chart, reflecting Bumcello’s rising domestic profile.