Sebastian (French electro artist)

SebastiAn

SebastiAn in 2007 in Madrid
Background information
Birth name Sebastian Akchoté
Also known as SebastiAn
Born 1981
Origin Boulogne, France
Genres Electro house, experimental, avant-garde, industrial, glitch
Occupations Producer, DJ
Years active 2005–present
Labels Ed Banger Records
Associated acts Busy P
Uffie
Mr. Oizo
Sebastien Tellier
Krazy Baldhead
Feadz
Kavinsky
Justice
Website Sebastian (French electro artist) on Myspace

SebastiAn (born Sebastian Akchoté in Boulogne, France) is a French musician affiliated with Ed Banger Records. He has worked as a solo electronic musician, as a producer for artists Kavinsky and label-mate Uffie, as a film-music composer, and as a remix artist for musicians and bands such as Daft Punk, Kelis, and Klaxons.

Contents

Early life

Akchoté is of Serbian-French heritage and was raised in Paris and Belgrade by a single mother.[1] His early musical history included both jazz and experimental influences from his older brother as well as hip-hop influences from artists like DJ Premier.[2] He first started producing music around the age of fifteen,[2] with two members of the rap band Cercle Vicieux.

Career

While working with a hip-hop band in 2005, Sebastian was given the phone number for Ed Banger Records by one of the band's members, who had found it in a newspaper. After a cold call to label owner Pedro Winter, SebastiAn was signed, and they released the EPs "H.A.L." and "Smoking Kills (?)" later that year.[2] 2005 also saw his remixes for Annie, Benjamin Theves, and Daft Punk, whose "Human After All" remix by SebastiAn is said to be the band's all-time favourite remix of their own work.[1]

In the summer of 2006, Ed Banger Records released the EP "Ross Ross Ross". That year also saw more remixes by SebastiAn than any other.

In 2007, SebastiAn composed the soundtrack for label-mate Mr. Oizo's feature film Steak alongside Sebastien Tellier and Mr. Oizo himself.[3] Also that year, as well producing numerous remixes and releasing his "Walkman 2" EP, SebastiAn joined Kavinsky in opening for Daft Punk on their Alive 2007 tour. An original song called "Greel" was also released in 2007 on Ed Rec Vol. 2.

There were two SebastiAn releases in 2008: "Motor", an EP with three original tracks, and Remixes, a 17-track compilation featuring various remixes produced by SebastiAn. His track "Dog" was also included on that year's Ed Rec Vol. 3.

In 2009, SebastiAn played his first live set as an exclusive performance at the Sónar Festival in Barcelona.

SebastiAn produced the single Difficult for label-mate Uffie in 2010 on her debut album "Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans" and provided a remix, titled "Difficult (2006 Parties Remix)", which landed at number one on The Hype Machine the first day of its release. He also had his experimental track "Threnody" released that year on an Ed Banger Records Christmas compilation.

In early 2011, SebastiAn provided the track "Enio" for the Ed Banger compilation album "Let the Children Techno". Later, his debut album Total was announced, followed by the release of a video for the title track featuring a series of violent and sexual images.[4] A video for SebastiAn's new song "Embody" was also released, along with the song's release as a single. The album Total itself was sebsequently released on May 30 in Europe and June 7 in North America. It was followed by releases of singles "C.T.F.O." and "Love In Motion" from the album. 2011 was also the year of SebastiAn's "Primary Tour", a tour visually themed as a political campaign and spanning Europe, Australasia, and North America from August to December.[5]

SebastiAn has confirmed plans for a future album.[6]

Popular Culture

SebastiAn's remix of Kavinsky's "Testarossa Autodrive" is featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV.[7] This song is also included in the game Gran Turismo 5: Prologue along with his original track "Dolami" from the "Smoking Kills (?)" EP. The video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles also featured a SebastiAn track: "Momy", from the "Motor" EP.

On television, the song "Walkman" has appeared in promotional spots for the Cartoon Network programming block 'You Are Here'. In November 2011, a previously unreleased track titled "X Hollow" was used in an advertisement for the HTC Sensation XL mobile phone. In Pro Wrestling NOAH, "Enio" is used as wrestler KENTA's entrance theme.

Releases

SebastiAn Releases

Year Title B-sides Format Label
2005 H.A.L. (split with Time Period by Krazy Baldhead) 7" Ed Banger Records
2005 Smoking Kills (?) - EP Dolami, Shoot 12" Ed Banger Records
2006 Ross Ross Ross - EP Head/Off, Walkman 12" Ed Banger Records
2006 Ross Ross Ross / Productions & Remixes CD Ed Banger Records
2007 Walkman 2 - EP Killing in the Name of SebastiAn 12" Ed Banger Records
2008 Motor - EP Momy, Army 12" Ed Banger Records
2008 Remixes LP, CD Because / Ed Banger Records
2010 Notre Jour Viendra OST (Our Day will come) CD Ed Banger Records
2011 Embody - Single Remixes by Kavinsky and DJ Premier MP3, 12" Ed Banger Records
2011 Total LP, CD Ed Banger Records
2011 C.T.F.O. - Single Remixes by Nero and DMX Krew MP3, CD Ed Banger Records
2011 Love In Motion - Single Remix by Skrillex (Skrillex's Funkt-Out Remix) MP3 Ed Banger Records

Compilations

Year Title Track(s) Featured Format Label
2006 Ed Rec Vol. 1 Dolami, H.A.L. CD, 12", MP3 Ed Banger Records
2007 Ed Rec Vol. 2 Greel CD, 12", MP3 Ed Banger Records
2008 Ed Rec Vol. 3 Dog CD, 12", MP3 Ed Banger Records
2010 Ed Banger Xmas/2010 Threnody Promo CD Ed Banger Records
2011 Let the Children Techno Enio CD, MP3 Ed Banger Records
2011 The Bee Sides Total 7" Ed Banger Records

Remixes

Year Artist Title
2005 Annie "Happy Without You"
Daft Punk "Human After All"
Benjamin Theves "Texas"
2006 Revl9n "Walking Machine"
Cut Copy "Going Nowhere"
Uffie "Pop the Glock"
(two remixes: one on Arcade Mode (3:24), the other on Ed Banger (2:42))
Play Paul "La La Land"
(Ed Banger's Allstar Remix, remixed with Xavier de Rosnay from Justice)
Kelis "Bossy"
Mylo "Paris Four Hundred"
Nâdiya "Tous ces mots"
Ali Love "K Hole"
The Rapture "Get Myself Into It"
Fields "If You Fail We All Fail"
Kavinsky "Testarossa Autodrive"
2007 Editors "Camera"
Klaxons "Golden Skans"
The Rakes "We Danced Together"
Bloc Party "I Still Remember"
Shesus "Debbie's Shoes"
Rage Against the Machine "Killing in the Name"
Sébastien Tellier "Sexual Sportswear"
Fuckpony "Ride The Pony"
(SebastiAn Tellier Remix, remixed with Sébastien Tellier)
Das Pop "Fool for Love"
2008 Scenario Rock "Both Gotta Move On"
The Who "Baba O'Riley"
The Kills "Cheap and Cheerful"
Sneaky Sound System "UFO"
(unreleased, pre-version of Kindercut track from Total)
2010 Uffie "Difficult"
Titled "2006 Parties Remix By SebastiAn"
2011 Toddla T featuring Roots Manuva "Watch Me Dance"
Beastie Boys feat. Santigold "Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"
Spank Rock "DTF DADT"

See also

References

External links