Everybody Dance Now

When one of the world’s great photographers decides he’s going to make a record, the natural instinct is to look for a safe place to hide. I would imagine Michel understands that. But it turns out that would be a mistake, because his album Hollywood Boulevard is a sonically sexy, sultry, imminently danceable collection of original songs, reminiscent of the best of the end of the Millennium Buddha Bar and Cafe Del Mar compilations.

This is electronic music but it’s not that heart-attack, 6000 beats per second nonsense that the CIA use in their black sites. It’s got a sensual rhythm and soulful vocals from a variety of guest singers. “I wrote all the songs,” says Haddi. “I don’t sing. I paid different kids to sing on the record.”  

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And he collaborated with his life partner Sarah Coldron, who he calls his inspiration. “She is the one saying it is good or bad. She is the final say.”

“Orale Mi Reina”, featuring DJ Chido de la Riviera, is a trippy song sung in Spanish with Spanish guitar (and “Part 2” sounds like a different song and vibe altogether, this one featuring The 420 and Rosy Style, who appear on many of the tracks, here singing and rapping in English and Mexican slang.)

“Soldado”, featuring Chido again, is an English-language rap with an intoxicating Arabic riff behind it. I mean, I’m a softie for Arabic riffs anyway, but this track hits the aural G-spot.

Michel loves his alternative versions, so “Soldado”, which means “soldier”, gets run through The 420 and the inimitable Rosy’s interpretation too.

“La Preciosa” is a bit hip hop, bit smoky bar singing, with Rosy telling us, convincingly, that she’s the bad girl. And if there’s ever a Beverly Hills Cop 5, then the theme song is already done, right here. The radio edit for “La Preciosa” is a faster beat track with Style’s vocals more prominent now, lighting it up aggressively. 

I love the poetically titled “War of Love” — maybe because I’m a veteran of that particular war — which is gorgeously rendered by Mademoiselle Lily, singing in French.

“I used a lot of different machines to get the different sounds I wanted, from India, the guitar, etc. I used machines [like] Suno, and Fadr. People will say it is done by AI, well, I use it just as a tool. Like I said, I wrote all the songs. Took me a  year.” 

Haddi lived in Los Angeles, at Venice Beach, for several years and regularly returns for shoots, and writes in the press release for Hollywood Boulevard that “Fires will never bring down the resilience of Los Angelinos.”

“This album is made for the release of my [photographic] book The  Legend, Hollywood coming out in May, June,” he says. “In the spirit of giving back, we are dedicating half of all proceeds from downloads on Apple and other streaming services to support the Los Angeles community recovering from the fires.”

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