St. Germain (the brainchild of French producer Ludovic Navarre) has become a respected benchmark on the international music scene. Predating other French talents such as Daft Punk, Air and Dimitri From Paris, St. Germain’s influence is clearly audible in those artists’ work as well. PIAS America continues to unearth the classic gems of electronic music with this timely issue of St. Germain’s Boulevard: New Version, the Complete Series. Never before released in the United States, Boulevard finds smoldering jazz vibes nestled amidst lush dance rhythms in an un-self-consciously eclectic album with tremendous crossover potential.

Before St. Germain caught the ear of legendary American jazz label Blue Note, which led to the 2000 release of Tourist and a string of sold-out shows across the U.S., Navarre was an innovator within the electronic music scene (with St. Germain and several other aliases). His early releases on France’s respected F Communications label (run by another great French talent, Laurent Garnier) did more to put Paris on the international map than any of his predecessors. No other artist in recent history has garnered such acceptance across wide musical boundaries, leapfrogging from discerning house music lovers to ardent jazz enthusiasts with effortless motion. Billboard named St. Germain their "Top Contemporary Jazz Artist" and Tourist their "Top Contemporary Jazz Album" of 2001, while the album appeared on countless "best of" playlists from the world’s top DJs.

While much electronic music seemingly comes with an expiration date and built-in obsolescence, the enduring sound of St. Germain undoubtedly takes its cue from the long-living jazz masters that influenced it. The release of Boulevard: New Version, the Complete Series is another opportunity to listen to the rich past of an artist with no signs of slowing down in the future.