Sebastian - Remixes (Ed Banger)

Kicking off with remixes of Revl9n and Daft Punk, it is immediately evident this young French producer has a natural affinity with dark electronic novelties. While the throttling beats of Revl9n's Walking Machine gloriously choke, and offer an open hand to the afterlife, the day-glo feathers of Sebastian's rather rambunctious peacock fan themselves early, a demonstrable statement of Sebastian's unique sound, and a warning not to fuck.

For Sebastian's niche is to take a surgical knife to segments of vocalists' breath, along with tiny snippets of vocals, and use the resulting offcuts to construct melodies. It has to be heard to be understood, and is best heard on the Revl9n and Editors remixes. And while being definitive, and no doubt impressive, the after taste leaves you craving a solid melody, something you can latch onto, and when that fails to come, it leaves Remixes sounding melodically impaired.

That is until Sebastian hints at being melodically friendly on the remix of Mylo's Paris Four Hundred, the creation flitting between edgy, chilling electronica, and subtle melodies reminiscent of Royksopp. From then on, Remixes takes on a monstrous life of its own.

Highlights include the reworkings of The Kills' Cheap And Cheerful, The Rapture's Get Myself Into It and Sebastien Tellier's Sexual Sportswear.

All plaudits, however, go to the irresistibly sassy remix of The Rakes' We Danced Together, where a deeply brooding bassline and provocative brass provide the perfect backdrop for Alan Donohoe's bleary-eyed, half-cut cockney ramblings.

At 17 songs Remixes is too long, and if it shed its deadweight, this album would be a total belter. As it stands, it's a record that offers a unique twist on some of modern music's most popular exponents that grows more compelling with every listen. A fine introduction to Sebastian, whose debut LP is due for release next year. The musicOMH appetite is definitely whetted.

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