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Having released one of the best electronic albums of the year in the shape of the damn spectacular 'Flashmob', we caught up with Vitalic himself - 32-year-old French dance hero Pascal Arabez - for nine quick-fire questions.
Gigwise: Welcome back Pascal! Making 'Flashmob' aside, what have you been up to the past four years?
Pascal: "Thanks. I was not too far away but it's true it was a long time since I release a new LP. Over these years, I've been touring and enjoying it a lot. I travelled, met people, had fun, discovered many new places, new restaurants, friends and took care of my my dogs and exotic plants."
Gigwise: 'OK Cowboy', of course, received huge critical acclaim upon its release - did you feel any pressure when recording 'Flashmob' to live up to surpass your debut?
Pascal: “Whatever I do, I feel a pressure. My team is always taking the piss out of me because I'm still so stressed before I get on stage. As you can imagine, an album is a long process so there is a big pressure. I was thinking mostly about finding new directions and sounds. I'm not afraid of a failure, even if it is not pleasing of course. I'm happy with Flashmob, even if I can hear some things I'd like to correct on some songs.
Gigwise: In my humble opinion, 'Flashmob' is much more accessible than 'OK Cowboy' - I know people who love it even though they're not big dance music fans. Was that your aim?
Pascal: “I have no real aim in fact. With music I'm quite self oriented. I make it as if it will never be released. I am conscious that it's gonna be released once it's mastered. I'd like to be able to evolve, not to be stuck in one sound, to make music that's both fun, dance, but with some sense. My aim is to tell about me, my life and my tastes, in a coded way that's not straight understandable.”
Gigwise: Unlike many other electronic acts, both your records are extremely cohesive works. What's the secret to achieving this?
Pascal: “I don't know because it all comes without thinking too much, like 'the next one is gonna be disco with this and that'. I do a first track, then a second one, and so on. After a while, it happens there are some common things between them; I suppose it's because I make them over a short period of time, with the same equipment.”
Gigwise: There are a number of hands in the air moments on the record - do you write your records with the dance floor in mind?
Pascal: “Not really. it depends on my mood. If I had the dancefloor in mind only, I'd do EPs. Even if it sounds a bit old fashion, I like the idea of playing the whole thing in your car for 1 hour and you go through different moods. If I plan to make a dance track, then yes., i have the dance floor in mind. If I feel blusey or nostalgic, then no.”
Gigwise: There are a lot of vocals on the record compared to 'OK Cowboy'. Who did them?
Pascal: “On 1 Above 1, the singer is Linda Lamb. On all the other tracks, I used my voice and then processed it to sound kind of technologic Donna Summer. Voices are in those tracks because I wanted to tell some stories and had a kind of strange humanity, because they remind of a human but sound fake. It is a way to tell stories without going totally into pop.”
Gigwise: It's a record that stirs up a lot of emotions in the listener. From the euphoria of the title track to the haunting beauty of 'Still'. Is this one of your main intentions when writing music?
Pascal: “Again, there is no intention when I start making music. The album just compiles some pictures of precise moods over one year in the studio. Because I go through different wills and moods, you have this patchwork of music and emotions.”
Gigwise: How would you say electronic music has evolved over the past four years, and does 'Flashmob' reflect this?
Pascal: “There are so many different electronic musics that it is difficult to say. Flashmob may reflect the changes in production by the way it sounds. Musically wise, I don't know. One the one hand you have minimal music that lost ground in many countries, the French sound is declining a bit too, even if popular; you have this English 90s stuff that's fun and designed for party. I don't know where i am precisely, and that's not very important in fact.”
Gigwise: Finally, 'OK Cowboy' was voted by Gigwise staff as amongst the greatest albums of the decade. Anything you'd like to say about this?!
Pascal: “Yes, that's cool. I'm very happy you think that. Let's see in 10 years what we will say about it!”
Vitalic's new single is out now. See where 'Flashmob' came on Gigwise's 40 Best Albums of 2009 here.
