The Vitalic name might not necessarily be familiar to you yet, however unless you’ve been living on the moon these last few years, there’s no way the raging synth-guitars of ‘La Rock 01’ haven’t caught your attention on a pumping dancefloor near you. Championed by electro, techno, party and trance(!) DJs alike, this amazing roller coaster ride, lifted off the legendary ‘Poney EP’ released in 2001 on International Deejay Gigolo, defined brilliantly a new kind of electronic rock to start the century with. From then on the pressure was on Pascal Arbez-Nicolas, his eagerly awaited debut album took a few years to be completed but here it is today and well worth the wait too. Sure ‘Ok Cowboy’ compiles a fair amount of previously released tracks but as a whole this is one of the most exciting techno albums of all times (ie. one you can listen to at home). A proper musician who doesn’t even deejay, Vitalic’s got a mind of his own where classical, rock, electronic disco and dark e.b.m. collide in glorious emotional outbursts.
Not to forget he’s also a seriously talented producer that expressively puts pen to paper (new single ‘My Friend Dario’ feels like having sex on a motorbike speeding on the fast lane, it has to be heard to be believed).
Isolated from all in his French province, he is for now an exciting secret shared by a chosen few but one day this lonesome cowboy will be in history books next to Kraftwerk, Giorgio Moroder and New Order.
5 Out Of 5
Reviewed By: Jerry Bouthier
