ye olde VITALIC myths and rumours thread

I know as regards the live show he changed from hardware to Ableton in the last year or so.

His mixes are weird. He doesn't really give a shit about rhythm, his drum programming is really square and basic. Most of the action takes place in the synth which sounds huge and takes up most of the space in the mix. I really like how he uses volume dynamics and pitch shifting/portomento to build energy into his tracks. That is kind of his catch 22, he can work a crowd because his sounds are so extreme, but he isn't all that funky.

I have a definite Detroit/Black American prejudice there. For me to really appreciate something it has to be a lot more clever in the low end. I would rather hear a track with a simple bassline and some good drums than crazy rave noises. It is also an age issue, back in my day we had Neil Landstrumm to do the same thing with a pro-one and a 909. I still don't consider those records good "music", but for crazy rave noise to lose your mind to it works pretty well.

Again, As I age I tend to move more towards the jazz axis in dance music. I want more complex chord structures, polyrhythm, and heavy drum. I think Vitalic is working the rock axis, simple structure, simple rhythms, and and emphasis on crazy noise. I don't privledge one over the other, but I prefer electronic music that works off of jazz.

I think Deep Space by Model 500 on R&S is the best electronic music album of the 90's bar none. Deep Space is a heavy music record and nobody knows this. Between Deep Space and Mill's Every Dog has It's Day records most of my dance listening slots are filled. I just can't get down with 4/4 beats and screech anymore, unless it is fueled by nostalgia re:Landstrumm.

I see what you mean I guess Mike, I suppose I'm not rigidly in the rock or jazz side these days. Do you not feel a strong emotional thing running through the Vitalic stuff? His drums are bizarre, I agree, not pretty by any means, but I think there is a really massive Moroder influence on the whole record, which I guess fits the "high camp" description some others on this thread have offered.

I think some of the stuff is "crazy noise" and some is definitely more relaxed instrumental downtempo stuff, but then there's a middleground which is really strong on emotion but also quite hard/crazy occupied by Poney Part 1/2, and U&I, in my opinion.

yes and no. I was thinking about you and this record while I took my daily walk this afternoon. I was thinking about what it must be like to be in your early 20's in 2005, getting fucked up at clubs, living in Barcelona, the whole trip of being young right now. If I were in your shoes this record would mean a lot to me.

I remember when Rolling and Scratching and Rock n' Roll by DP were making their rounds on old Robert Armani and Mike Dearborn mix tapes(this was back in the old days before internet/p2p when there was a underground tape network and heated discourse about mixtape ethics) and how me and my buddies would drive around the city on ghetto cruises and rock out to those tracks mixed with ghetto house bangers from Chi. I look back on those days so fondly. I remember how exciting it was to get the new Cristian Vogel 12" on Saetiva or the Polaris 12"s on Sonic Groove or the early Subhead Records. That was the coolest stuff in the world to me at the time.

Now I am 28 (and 8 years is about three generations of youth culture,) I cannot relate to what is going on these days. I can understand why Vitalic gets love, but it just doesn't speak to me. That particular window of time in my life is closed. I think there is emotion there, but it isn't an emotion that speaks to me. To me, Vitalic is music for younger club people who haven't lost the passion yet. I try to hang out at clubs these days, but I am just not feeling it anymore.

I think the drums are the worst part of the record. Those tinny reverbs with long reflection times just don't work for me. His programming seems really stiff to me. The whole record doesn't project any kind of vibe that I am looking for in my records. While I was listening to the tracks on my monitor headphones I was impressed by how blistering the tracks were when they were played loud. Those tracks rock, no doubt about it. Vitalic makes you want to pump your fist in the air.

There might be a moroder influence, but it doesn't touch moroder. The writing isn't there, the production/engineering isn't as good, and the playing programming isn't there either. I find the tracks I have(and I only have the 1st seven tracks) to be aurally ascetic and unsensual. I know I am going to sound like a lame analogue wanker, but records just don't sound good anymore. They just don't sound as full as my old disco records or 70's soul. I know older House and Techno suffer from lower production quality but I can still get with those records.

Don't worry about my opinion though, I think I am just getting to old to be relevant these days. Also, living in Texas is a lot different from Detroit. The harsh machine vibe just doesn't translate as well down here. For whatever reason, I have developed a strange infatuation with Cleveland since I moved down here. Go figure...

http://www.f135.com/2step/f135?0=1&tplt=musNews&id=11386&beg=

(in spanish)

Vitalic first unveils and remixes Daft Punk!

Our favorite cowboy is quickly becoming included in Lucky Luke and his shadow (?) and, in an able maneuver, has now released more rapidly than anyone else in the duel of the most juicy remixes of the moment and he has won. It’s only been a couple day since Vitalic advised us was preparing to remix Bjork, concretely (?) for the song “Who is It?” and now we come with another similar and equally lucrative story: a remix for Daft Punk. How cool. The most fashionable Frenchman got his hands working on the most fashionable French duo from 1997 and 2001 and has completed a remix for the theme, “Technology” that, as he explained to us in an interview with out own Pascal Arbez that you all can read on the web very soon, he’s done a little work and reconstructed the original from Daft Punk. Certainly: “Ok Cowboy” his debut album, goes on sale this week. We have no problems with him it so far…

Hispanohablantes, I'm sorry I mangled your language... (my brain hurts)

It's quite Ferry Corsten big arena-synth-tranceish at times isn't it? Very *bright* sounding.

I'm probably making a fool of myself & will discover in 2006 I shouldn't have ignored this at the time. Or maybe next week. Will see.

it is, but how is that bad

COLETTE N°7 - 2CDS

The new installment of the colette cd compilation series has been inspired by the number 7 and the french philosophy of art forms represented as numbers, particularly cinema which is recognized as number 7.

On cd 1 Michel Gaubert and Marie Branellec delivers their track selection as the soundtrack to an imaginary film.
Cd2 is mixed courtesy of french electro sensation Vitalic who offers for the fisrt time on cd an electic and very personal selection of his all time favorite tracks.

Tracklist :

Colette n°7 CD1

1 Roisin Murphy : Ramalama (Bang Bang)
2 Minotaur Shock : Vigo Bay
3 Isolée : Schrapnell
4 Joy Zipper: Go tell the world
5 Lorenzo Fragiacomo : Kirby
6 Gang 90 & as absurdettes : Jack kerouac
7 Soulwax : NY Lipps (Kawazaki Dub)
8 Bumblebee Unlimited : Lady Bug (disco remix by Larry Levan)
9 Donald Byrd : Steppin Again (Madlib remix)
10 Whitey : Can’t go out can’t stay in
11 Harmonic 33 : Optigan
12 One Self : Be your own
13 Gary Wilson : Debbie Debbie
14 The Dears : 22 The death of all the Romance
15 Prince Paul : Flattery
16 Gustav : Rettet die wale

Colette n°7 CD2 VITALIC MIX

1 Vitalic : Sunny DAY (intro)
2 Wim Mertens : FERnglanzend
3 Whitey : Can’t go out can’t stay in
4 Colder : To the music
5 Vitalic : The Past
6 Front 242 : Ethics
7 Crash course in science : Flying turns
8 Vitalic : Repair machines (Vitalic disco mix)
9 En route pour rome (intermède)
10 Jean-Louis Murat : Au mont sans-soucis
11 Charlie : Spacer Woman
12 Rita Mitsouko : Le petit train
13 No More : Suicide Commando
14 Sophie Moleta : 10X2
15 Vitalic : The Chase

omg I didn't know that a) anyone else had ever heard this song, b) cared about sophie moleta! VITALIC I LOVE YOU.

I think that's Vitalic's remix of Moroder's "The Chase".

kinda ironic after Mike T's comments about Vitalic re Moroder influence upthread.

http://pleix.net/birds.html

...at 1:45 pm in the afternoon, in a tent?!

SAD FACE x A MILLION

He opened with it when I saw him at Warwick Uni. Built up to this 4 chord progression over yer 4/4 kick beat, with big epic synth strings and wailing, incomprehensible vocals. Felt almost uncomfortably overwhelming at the time. Didn't recognise at as being a Vitalic original, it wasn't as detuned and bleepy as most of his stuff, but I dunno.

The chord progression may have been a bit like the breakdown in "Take You On A Cruise" by Interpol. If you made that into a house record and got Enya to sing on it then made it all fucked up, it might sound like what I'm thinking of. It's uh, been a few months though.

http://www.dethlab.net/