Aggression is built into Vitalic’s DNA. One-man act Pascal Arbez has built some delightful tracks operating on the premise that house music can be just as good when it roughs you up a bit. On his previous records, OK Cowboy and Flashmob, you were often too busy dancing to notice that the music hit like a battering ram. “No More Sleep,” lead single from Rave Age, due out in October, gives this notion a battering of its own. It’s a gritty, down and dirty rager, a mostly instrumental affair with a diamond-hard exterior. Mutant cyborg house music this is not. Arbez bows to eurohouse trends, with a heaving bassline, sharp textures and pitch-shifted vocals that kick in just before the drop.
“No More Sleep” probably sounds great when you’re already about 4 or 5 drinks deep, pugnaciously working your way towards the dance floor. It still sounds like Vitalic, but for pretty much the first time in his career, he sounds less than vital.
Rave Age is out October 22nd on Different Recordings.
