Let's Talk About Sex - Sebastien Tellier

It’s not very often you meet someone as downright unique as Sebastien Tellier. But in an East London boozer on a mid-February evening, Gigwise had the pleasure of meeting the man who personally penned arguably one of the songs of this decade; the masterpiece ‘La Ritournelle.’ Sporting his trademark beard, unkempt hair and casual winter attire, the first thing we notice is how god-damn shiny his shoes are. Seriously, they’re phenomenal. Friendly, eccentric and talking in an impossibly broad French accent, he apologises for his broken English, (even though, accent aside, it’s near impeccable) before we get down to the serious business of discussing his new album ‘Sexuality.’ An album almost entirely about love-making and with Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo from Daft Punk at the helm, it’s an electro delight that reveres the subject of sex. Each question we pose to Sebastien is received with an almost boyish enthusiasm as he twitches on his seat and gestures with his hands. 

Gigwise: I just want to start with the album cover. It’s probably one of the best album covers I’ve seen in a good while, what was your inspiration?
Sebastien: “It’s my sexual fantasy! It’s my sexual vision of ze adventure of sex. Because we have to think about sex as a kind of adventure, it’s a big thing to have a beautiful sex life.”

Gigwise: Weren’t you worried that the image of a naked woman getting straddled by a small man on a horse could come across as pretentious?
Sebastien: “(Laughing) No, no, no! It’s not so pretentious as I am very small on ze front cover! In fact I’m a very egocentric person though, my natural character is to be very egocentric.”

Gigwise: Why did you decide to release an instrumental track, ‘Sexual Sportswear’, as the lead single?
Sebastien: “Zis is not the first single, it was just a kind of appetiser for my audience. Sexual Sportswear is special because it’s not about sexual sportswear. For me music is about ze body and mind so ze song doesn’t need any lyrics.”

Gigwise: What is it you like about sexual sportswear then?
Sebastien: (Mimicking a few compromising tennis poses) It’s about zis and that! Doing that with ze skirt. (Does a Martina Natratilova-esque pose waiting to receive a serve) For me zis is ze story of ze origin of life! When you see a shot that creates in me a desire. Zis desire seems very superficial because you just see an image. But for me that is story of ze origin of ze world - that is why there is life, because there is zis desire. So it’s a very superficial song and at ze same time, a very deep song.”

Gigwise: Obviously ‘Sexuality’ is all about making love, have you had sex while listening to it?
Sebastien: “No, no, no, it is impossible to listen to my music!! (laughs) I recommend others to listen to Sexuality. I have two things to propose to ze audience. First you have to be in love, then you have to wait until ze beginning of night and then you have to open a bottle of champagne! If you display your sexuality with these things, then it will be a perfect moment, I promise.”

Gigwise: How does it differ to, say, R & B artists when they sing about sex?
Sebastien: “We have lots of sex records, we live in a sexual society, but ze message is not a good message. To really have a good sensation, you have to be a sweet person with a very open mind and be very generous, because with sex to give some pleasure you have to take some pleasure. You want to have to give pleasure. Sex for me is not because I’m a big fan of Snoop Doggy Dogg or Timbaland, it is always the same image of sex (gestures with his hands) For me it‘s not a beautiful story I want to tell.”

Gigwise: Would you ever consider letting one of your songs be used on an adult movie?
Sebastien: “Yes, that’s okay for me. For me I have a dream, to see a porno, adult movie, made by a nice person, a good person! It’s very sad when you see a dirty movie and you can imagine ze horrible destiny of the woman and ze men are like that (makes a lecherous noise) I hate ze violence. I have no problem with ze body, ze naked body like that or that (makes small and big hand gestures). Ze only problem is to imagine the life of these people in dirty adult films - it’s so dirty and it’s not good for me.”