The French artist’s debut album – OK Cowboy, was released in 2005 by Different Records. 20 years later, on the occasion of the release of an anniversary boxset commemorating this event, we talk to Vitalic about his career and advices for young creators.
Dominic Leix: Hey Pascal, nice to meet you! You’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of OK Cowboy this year and are preparing a special edition. What made you want to revisit this material now, and how do you view the album two decades later?
Vitalic: OK COWBOY is my first LP and has a special place in my heart. I think in the heart of a lot of young people of that time too. This anniversary is the occasion to let ourselves have a little nostalgic moment, but also to remaster the songs and search for more material of that time, like videos and photos.
Cool idea! Will this edition feature remasters or previously unreleased versions? Which specific materials from the archive were the most emotional or revealing for you in this process?
Yes we remastered the full LP – in fact we remastered it three times to get the sound we wanted. We also included some rare or unpublished music like the special tracks for the Japanese edition, and there is also a line version of Fanfares that evolved a lot over the years.
I produce music for movies, as well as post punk stuff with Kompromat. I move all the time and I am never bored.
When you look back on your career – from “OK Cowboy” to your current projects – what elements of your music do you consider most important, and how have they evolved?
I think the most important element in all my carrer is freedom. I moved from techno to electro clash, then faking instruments with synth, then mixed rave and disco, then cosmic stuff… I produce music for movies, as well as post punk stuff with Kompromat. I move all the time and I am never bored.
Your film music is fantastic. I especially remember the black-and-white picture The Legend of Kaspar Hauser, which I’ve watched many times. This year, you had the opportunity to perform at the Summer Contrast Festival in Poland – what impression did that performance make on you, and how would you compare it to other festivals in this part of Europe?
Summer Contrast is my favourite festival in Earth so far. I love the size, and its connection with nature also. The public is educated, nice and its a place of freedom. This year i played and it was totally crazy. I am very connected with the underground polish scene, and this festival is perfect.
I was there this year listening to your performance and it literally blew me away! Looking back: your debut album was created in 2003-04 on a simple, punk setup in Dijon. How much has your approach to production changed since then, and what do you still consider constant from that era?
I think my production patterns didn’t really change. I gather ideas and sketches of songs, then i get the skills to achieve these ideas, and always try to break my routine as much as possible. What has changed i think that i spend more and more time on producing the music as and engeneer, rather than jamming around. Music has become more and more demanding in terms of providing, the level has raised a lot over years.
My collaboration with Rebeka Warrior for our band Kompromat is something I am really happy with and very proud of.
Throughout your career, you’ve collaborated or been in contact with various artists – could you name a collaboration that was groundbreaking for you and why?
My collaboration with Rebeka Warrior for our band Kompromat is something I am really happy with and very proud of. I love our creativity and our elegant impoliteness. Playing live together is really fun and intense. We have a beautiful connection.
Yeah, you look and sound really great as a duo, I said it many times to my friends. At a time when electronic music is changing, do you have any new projects or experiments planned that might be a complete departure from what you’ve been doing so far? If so, what can we expect?
In fact i plan to take some time off for me. Maybe 9 months or something. And then i have 2 movie soundtracks to write. I need to rethink my project, away from that techno scene, that is miles away from my values.
From the perspective of a musician who has been active for many years, what three pieces of advice would you give to your younger self or to young producers just starting out in the world of electronic music?
I would say:
1. Invent your own vocabulary wondering: what makes you special or different
2. You will find creativity in the places you are afraid to go, not the ones you know already
3. Work with people you can trust. I engaged myself with some wrong partners and many years later I am still committed to them. You don’t want that.
In the context of the OK Cowboy anniversary, looking at the electronic music scene today, what do you think are the biggest challenges and the biggest opportunities for techno/electro artists in the next decade?
I don’t have any clue. There is so much music, and so many projects, and so many new tools. I think it’s impossible to predict the future. On my side, i hope there will be soon a new scene. More musicians and less clowns.
Thanks for the honest talk and see you next time on stage!
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