Feuding individuals can often be a source of amusement, especially if you're the outsider observing a childish argument that has no real point apart from pride for the victor. But from time to time, entire nations can dust off the boxing gloves and throw verbal punches at each other. For the English, they like to taunt local neighbours, France.
An Englishman without any intelligence will associate bicycles, baguettes and garlic with France. Likewise, French inhabitants will go on the assumption that our teeth are wonky, that we have the Queen on speed-dial and dine on nothing but roast beef.
We know that this isn't the case. So what can the two countries actually bicker over whilst not looking stupid? Why, music of course! Are you fan of merry English dubstep from acts like Scuba and Joy Orbison? Or jolly French electro with new comers such as Sebastian?
Dubstep and electro can't really compared to each other, thanks to the total difference in pace and energy. Dubstep generally starts off slow and wobbly before progressing into something a bit more uptempo, all before crashing and slowing down once again. People typically found at dubstep clubs have phenomenal neck muscles due to their ability of being able to head-nod in every direction known to man. And even the ones man hasn’t properly discovered yet.
On the total opposite of the spectrum, electro gets people on to the dancefloor due to its overwhelming energetic vibe. French artists Justice have been in control of the scene with their ridiculously catchy releases. Despite not being strictly electro, fellow French acts Daft Punk have created more hits than you can shake a stick at.
Whilst the two acts are long established, it's time for someone else to muscle them out of the way, place complicated looking machinery down and extract a series of digital noises that make our ears happy. Sebastian might only just be releasing a debut album, but he's been on the remix scene for years, making run of the mill indie bands sound better than they are. His album Total comes with a generous serving of twenty-two tracks, ranging from thirty second ditties to full on club bangers that should generate loads of awkward dance moves around England and France, hooray!
With so many tracks on one album, the perception could be that Sebastian released all of his studio workings and couldn't be arsed to cherry pick the better cuts. But listening to this record, it sounds more like a mix album, only, with Sebastian providing all of the material, switching genres varying from the aforementioned electro, to funk, soul and drum & bass. The largely instrumental album does have some guest vocals, most notably from the ace M.I.A. who you’ll find in typically fine form.
With the dubstep scene reaching saturation point, could this be a shot in the arm for the dance scene? Sebastian is yet to hit the mainstream masses, but will fill dancefloors around theworld with a debut album that is one of the finest of the year.
Take your pills now.
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