News Reading & Leeds Festival 2009: Vitalic

With Reading & Leeds Festival just days away, we caught up with a few of the bands playing to see how they’re getting on, what they’re currently up to, and what we can expect from them over the festival season.

Vitalic, also known as Pascal Arbez, releases his new album ‘Flashmob’ on 28th September through Different Recordings. He answers a few of our questions, typing all his answers out on his mobile.

Firstly, thank you for speaking to us - how are you? And where are you?
Hello. All is fine, thanks. I have a 4 day break in a remote area. There’s no internet connexion and I’m using my mobile to reply to this interview.

There’s a bit of a foreboding element to putting a countdown on your website for the forthcoming album Flashmob, what can we expect to happen when the clock runs down to 0?
First you can expect the record to be available both in shops and on line. You can also expect the website dedicated to Flashmob to be online. We were often asked about the release date of the album, so the countdown is a way to answer.

There are a few names that crop up when we compare your contemporaries in dance music production, in particular Justice and MSTRKRFT, but it seems to me that your style is a bit more aggressive and techno focussed - how do you see yourself in relation to other artists?
I dont think at all my sound is more aggressive than Justice and Mstrkrft. It is certainly more disco, more techno and sometimes faster but less saturated. Also people mostly remain of the hard stuff but ok cowboy also included ballads and contemplative stuff, just like Flashmob will. Anyway I left the rock stuff for a while and new album is not that hard I think.

What did you get up to in your 4 year break? Did it give you a sense of re-focussing on the music, what you wanted to achieve and did you get to grips with what was going on in other genres/how did you see gaps for what you were doing?
It was not really a four year break as I toured a lot for three years. Then I almost stopped touring and I worked on the second LP and set up the new live. Of course over four years music changed and there was no way I would make the same music again. It was akso no way I would just copy Boys Noize or Crookers and and say it’s the new Vitalic. I tried to find my own way. Over these four years I really had the feeling everybody was into this distobass + click and cut technique. I wanted to find something still dancable but smoother and warm.

You’re set to play both Reading and Leeds Festivals - which do you think will come out with more of a party vibe?
No idea. I better know Reading because I stayed there until the end when performed with 2 Many DJs four years ago, while stayed only a couple of hours at Leeds. I can answer that next Monday.

Do you think the British festivals can ever compete with those in Europe? I’m especially thinking of the weather problems when we look to events such as Sonar and Calvi on the Rocks!
I remind I had some sunny ones in the UK! On the other hand, Glastonbury was also a great experience for me. My car was left without battery, windows open, behind my stage, and covered with mud inside… Not only the sun can make a festival unforgettable…

What’s your favourite tune to drop when you think the set needs kicking up a gear?
For a live set, it’s gonna be Dario, la Rock or Bells. For a DJ set, Raven of Proxy is just crazy.

As festivals seem to bring out the survival mentality in campers, what would be your best tips for staying energetic over the weekend?
Sleep enough + eat enough + vodka redbull + Perrier.

Thanks very much! Best of luck with the rest of your summer and we hope you have a great time in the UK.
Thanks.