There’d be no better way to describe the French electro revolution, with all its noise, hedonism and fun, than by the following statement from Vicarious Bliss, DJ/ producer from the Ed Banger crew. “There is nothing worse in late 2007 than wanky DJs playing wanky music, as they concentrate hard like chess players over the decks. They just look like they are having difficulty going to the toilet. It’s absolute bollocks when you hear these pretentious dicks talk about their sets ‘telling a story’ or ‘musical journeys’. Tell that to the guy who’s just done 3 pills and wants to get laid.”
So it’s French electro versus German minimal, by the looks of things! You’ll be able to see for yourself when Vicarious Bliss hits Australia this weekend for a series of festival and club shows around the country. ITM has a chat to find out what sort of French-themed madness we can expect!
Firstly, what kind of vicarious bliss do you hope people get out of your music?
I just hope they enjoy it. It’s always really interesting to see how people react or interpret what you do. Sometimes it’s totally the opposite from your own mindset and so much the better for it. It’s sometimes quite embarrassing when people want to talk about your tunes and are really into it and you can’t even remember how, where, when or why you did what you did. The magic of music I suppose: once it’s out there, it’s no longer yours and so much the better!
All the Ed Banger guys we’ve talked to get a real thrill out of touring and DJing. Are you the same?
Definitely. Anybody in this line of work who complains or sulks about the job is either a complete wanker or seriously deluded. They deserve instant unemployment! You’d have to be mad to not enjoy this job.
Has the global success of Ed Banger surprised you? Was world domination always the game-plan?When Justice released Never Be Alone the first time way back, it did look like something ‘could’ happen. But, really, Pedro has got all this up and running with lots of love and passion, and a huge attention to detail. His experience with Daft Punk has surely helped too. He just set up a label to release records that nobody else wanted to by only unknown artists.
French electronic music has gone through many transformations, and now it’s in a really strong, exciting position. Can you sense that refreshed excitement in the clubs at home?
Yeah, though we’re always more taken aback when you see the madness abroad! The clubs in Paris are cool for that last drink at 4am but as there is so much happenning here, the people are a little bit blasé and self-controlled. Having said that, get 150km outside of Paris and the kids are mad for it.
You must be thrilled to be working with Ladytron on their fourth album. What are those studio sessions like?
It’s brilliant! Going really well. In fact, as I’m writing to you, I’m listening to yesterday’s mix before we start another track and it sounds f**king amazing !
You’re also currently at work on your own artist album. How’s that coming along, and are any of your fellow Ed Bangers helping out?
Everything’s going great, though I am more concentrated on Ladytron until end of December. They’ll be a couple more EPs before the album nearer end of 2008. There are also a load of remixes ready to go too.
Do you always have the dancefloor in mind when you’re working on tracks?
Not at all! And not with all the remixes I do either (much to the consternation of certain A&R people at labels!). I’m much more into the musical aspects of things and if that means doing something at zero BPM, then I’ll do it!
You’ve chosen some challenging artists to remix, from techno producers to hip hop groups. Do you see remixes as integral in defining your sound and approach to music – or are they just a bit of fun?
It’s quite a good way of getting stuff out without having all the existential bullshit of your own art! The more you do, the more you define certain aspects of what you do I suppose.
Another thing that has come with this new wave of French producers is a loosening of the strictures of DJing. For you, is it more about the ‘performance’ than pulling off tight mix after tight mix?
Definitely! It’s all about the vibe and the music, and obviously, throwing yourself into the crowd. There is nothing worse in late 2007 than wanky DJs playing wanky music as they concentrate hard like chess players over the decks. They just look like they are having difficulty going to the toilet. You should be able to mix, sure, but it’s all in the
exchange between the crowd and the performer. It’s absolute bollocks when you hear these pretentious dicks talk about their sets ‘telling a story’ or ‘musical journeys’. Tell that to the guy who’s just done 3 pills and wants to get laid.
Soon you’ll be landing in Australia for a handful of club gigs. We’ve almost had the full Ed Banger roster visit our shores now. What sets your DJ sets apart from your labelmates?
I play everything backwards…
Wanna catch Vicarious Bliss railing against wanky DJs? He’ll be playing at the following dates…
Fri 30th Nov: Shape (Bourgeois Bogan), Perth
Sat 1st Dec: Stereosonic Royal, Melbourne Showgrounds
Sat 1st Dec: –Onelove, Sydney
Thurs 6th Dec: Monastery, Brisbane
Fri 7th Dec: Onelove, Electric Circus, Adelaide
