The emergence of Ed Banger Records in 2002 showcased to the world the potential of underground French electro music. With acts like Justice, Uffie and Kavinsky rising to prominence over recent years, label has proved beyond a doubt that French house is more just another fad. Renowned DJ/producer SebastiAn signing to the label in 2005, earning a strong reputation following the release of his Ross Ross Ross EP. Since that release he’s remixed acts ranging from Daft Punk to Rage Against the Machine and everything in between, as well as gracing our shores as a part of the NeverEver Land tour in 2007. His new Remixes album is a collection of his reworks from over the past two years that have been dominating DJ sets both locally and internationally.

SebastiAn’s style of mixing is reminiscent to that of his contemporaries Justice and Mr. Oizo, providing a crunchy and hardcore style that also has something in common with the sound developed by our local Bang Gang DJ posse. It defies the conventional sound of dance music by focusing on factors other than loud drum and bass, providing arrangements that require a precise approach to musical knowledge and mixing. Walking Machine and Cheap and Cheerful are two great example of this, and are quite simply French electro at its best. We Danced Together is dominated by a heavy and drowning beat that’s complimented by the off-beat inclusion of orchestral arrangements that assures the song doesn’t drag, while Gotta Get Myself Into It adds to the original song by speeding up the tempo and creating more depth which in some instances sounds better than the original recording. However, the only weak track on this album was the remix of Sebastian Tellier’s Sexual Sportsware which quickly became repetitive and lacked the upbeat approach of Camera . But overall, these tracks show the ability of SebastiAn to transform a track from any particular genre into a dirty electro beat while still maintaining its’ original sound.

The only disappointing aspect of this release is the lack of new material. Most of these tracks have received considerable airtime in clubs across Australia and anyone looking to sample new French electro sounds will be disappointed. My suggestion would be to get your hands on the label’s Ed Rec. vol 3 or wait for the release of the new Justice album that’s reportedly in the works. SebastiAn’s touring schedule over the next couple of months is a busy one, which hopefully means that new material will be on its way in time for the summer. Nevertheless, SebastiAn has earned a following that places him in the ranks with Justice and the other heavy weights of French electro. Therefore Remixes is more of a best of compilation of SebastiAn than an album, and we can only wait in anxious anticipation before we are blessed with future releases and remixes.