Vitalic is the alter ego of
Pascal Arbez, a French programmer/multi-instrumentalist who blends electro, techno, and house -- as well as elements of classical, rock, Italo-disco, and '70s electronic music -- into a sound that recalls the work of fellow countrymen
Daft Punk and
Air, but has its own hard-edged playfulness.
Arbez played trombone as a child and young adult, but became fascinated with dance music when he heard
Daft Punk in the mid-'90s. Inspired by them as well as
Giorgio Moroder,
Arbez switched to analog synths and began writing and recording as
Dima. He released his first 12" in 1996 on Citizen Records, a label started by
Arbez and likeminded friends.
Arbez used the
Dima moniker (as well as the alias
Hustler Pornstar) until 2000, when he switched to the name
Vitalic.
After sending a demo to International DJ Gigolo, the label released
Vitalic's
Poney EP in 2001. The EP's expansive yet hard-hitting sound made its three tracks staples in sets by DJs as varied as
Aphex Twin,
Princess Superstar, and
2 Many DJ's. However, despite some collaborations and remixes,
Arbez took a while to release any new
Vitalic material. The
Fanfares EP arrived late in 2004, signaling a heavier, less atmospheric bent to
Arbez's work than the
Poney EP; spring 2005 saw the release of the single
My Friend Dario, by far the poppiest
Vitalic track yet. Most of
Vitalic's key singles and tracks were collected on the long-awaited debut album
OK Cowboy (the title of which alluded to
Vitalic's maverick stance and
Arbez's preference to live in the French countryside), which arrived in Europe later that spring and was released in the U.S. that summer. Early in 2007, the mix album
The Sound of Citizen -- which included tracks by
Arbez's inspirations as well as artists on the Citizen roster -- was released. Late that year
V Live arrived. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide