Pascal Arbez, aka Vitalic, is a French programmer/multi-instrumentalist known for his electro, techno, and house sounds mixed with elements of classical, rock, Italo-disco, and ’70s electronic. Fifteen years ago, he made his entrance to techno, changing the scene with his French sensibility, mixing energy and melody to create his own style.
Aligned to the France tour Vitalic has just announced for 2022, today he shares some tracks that have inspired him through his career.
1. Crash Course in Science – Flying Turns
“A timeless EBM tune from the late 70s. Two American teachers experimenting with loops and synthesizers. ‘Crash Cours’ is one of my favorite bands ever and they are still relevant nowadays”.
2. Laurent Garnier – Wake Up
“I had the chance to live in a medium-sized city where there was one of the most influential clubs in France. A French DJ living in Manchester brought acid and techno at his residencies in Paris and Dijon at the beginning of the 90s and he became legendary Laurent Garnier. Wake Up was the very first techno track I bought”.
3. Jamie XX – I Don’t Know
“Jamie XX is a mind-blowing musician. He experiments and pushes boundaries in an elegant way. In this song I like the tempo change as well as the use of the vocoder in an innovative way”.
4. Drax Ltd II – Amphetamine
“That one was a huge rave anthem in the 90s and you would hear it at every single party by then. It’s still very modern and I realize now that the song, beyond its energy, is very well produced with a lot of variations and subtle changes”.
5. Laurie Anderson – O Superman
“Some songs are so apart and out of any hype that they become timeless. I rediscovered that one during the first lockdown in France one year ago. It’s a 14-minute trippy voyage in space with zero gravity”.
6. Bicep – Apricots
“Their recent album is fresh and beautiful. They are acclaimed and they deserve it. I really hope I will see them live soon (9Printworks would be fantastic) when we will be allowed to travel again”.
7. Tiga & Roman Flugel – Look To The Sky
“I recently discovered this track made for the 20th anniversary of Amnesia. It’s very minimalistic, distorted, and kinky at the same time. It must be perfect to blow up the dance floor with a mental electro twist”.
8. I Hate Models – Virtual Punishment
“This track is kind of mutant electro-punk as I like it. Must be heard loud on a dance floor – blinded by a stroboscope. I think its non-melodic melody is very interesting and the drop is great”.
9. Westbam feat. Richard Butler – You Need The Drugs
“This song is a strange mix of a melancholic pop song and a rave track – and it works. I can’t go tired of it even after all these years. Perfect at 6 AM or walking in the city”
Vitalic will be touring France starting January 2022. For more info and dates click here.
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