Electrosexual’s sound channels the raw, analogue energy of electroclash peers Miss Kittin, The Hacker, and Vitalic, with the French-born, Berlin-based artist having worked alongside the likes of Peaches, David Carretta, and Hanin Elias from Atari Teenage Riot over the last 20 years as a songwriter, composer, arranger, and musician.
They have just released the EP Like That, featuring Franco-Vietnamese vocalist Nicky Miller, with UK synth duo Hence, led by Daryl Bamonte, on remix duties – ‘acid lines flash, serrated synths bring sharp angles, and slapping drums demand a physical response,’ as a press release put it. The five-track EP also features Aquatic Love and Lèvres Roses, both of which also feature Nicky Miller. You can check it out here.
For this week’s #MyRecordBag, Electrosexual presents their top early-2000s French electro and electroclash classics – “Here’s a non-exhaustive soundtrack to the formative years of my ecstatic French electronic music journey. These are tracks that shaped me, inspired me, and made me believe I could bring my own personality, queerness, and DIY energy into electronic music.”
Mirwais – Never Young Again (2000)
“When Mirwais’s album Production came out in 2000, it blew me away — inventive, genre-defying, and utterly ecstatic. I grew up listening to the complex electronic soundscapes of Jean-Michel Jarre and François de Roubaix, both genius composers. I began clubbing during the first French Touch wave — Cassius, Daft Punk, Étienne de Crécy — artists who felt revolutionary yet untouchable. But it was only in the 2000s that I discovered an alternative: a world where I could also create something different, personal, and raw.”
David Carretta – Lovely Toy (Electrosexual Remix) (2006)
“I met David in 2003 after one of his gigs in Toulouse. I was immediately struck by his music, his vast discography, and his kindness. I always found the title of his maxi Toulouse Is On The Map hilarious — especially since I was desperate back then to meet like-minded people in that city. David was the first person to believe in my music, and I am eternally grateful for that. I later remixed his track Lovely Toy for his Kill Your Radio Remixes EP, alongside The Hacker and Kiko.”
Kiko – Italomatic (2001)
“Kiko is another driving force in French electronic music. In 2003, he founded the label Hot Banana, home to a range of underground hits. He also helped spark the early 2000s Italo Disco revival with his duo Sinema (with Stéphane Deschezeaux, aka Gino’s).”
Lab Insect – Fill For Me (2003)
“Lab Insect is Olivier Rossi, one half of Nomenklatür and founder of the Parisian label Electrofon, which released music from the electroclash band I was part of at the time, Volksmusik. I played Fill For Me in every one of my early DJ sets — a gorgeous track, dark and luminous at the same time.”
Miss Kittin & The Hacker – 1982, Vitalic (aka Dima) Remix (2001)
“This one’s a triple threat: three of the most inspiring French electroclash figures of the era. The track perfectly captured the spirit of the genre — borrowing from the past while pushing toward the future.”
Worker Poor – Paradis (2003)
“I discovered Worker Poor on David Carretta’s Electro-Dash mix CD. The lyrics of Paradis are hilarious — a story about meeting God in a solarium. I’ve always loved storytelling on the dancefloor. Worker Poor later remixed my track The Soul of the Machine in 2014.”
Hypnolove – Eurolove (2003)
“Hypnolove – composed of Chiquinho, Henning (Monsieur Club) and Sentos, live between Toulouse and Berlin, much like me. Eurolove originally came out in 1998 and was reworked by Jacques Lu Cont for his Fabric mix. A new version appeared on their debut album in 2006.”
Sexy Sushi – Sex Appeal (2006)
“Fronted by Rebeka Warrior (now half of KOMPROMAT with Vitalic) and produced by Mitch Silver (aka College), Sexy Sushi were the wild soundtrack of my nights out in Toulouse. Their lyrics were hilarious and unapologetically bold, and their live shows were absolute mayhem — chaotic, explosive, and unforgettable.”
The Micronauts – Sweat feat. Nathalie Saphier (2005)
“The Micronauts is Christophe Monier’s project – he’s also the founder of eDEN, the cult French house music fanzine. eDEN was the mouthpiece of a certain conception of hedonism, held aloft by writers who are now confirmed and recognisable figures in the world of French electronic music journalism and entertainment. It is now a treasure of infos and a time capsule of the early french rave days.”
Choice – Acid Eiffel (1994)
“I couldn’t finish this list without mentioning Laurent Garnier’s immense influence on my generation. His passion, integrity, and genre-blending spirit deeply inspired me. Acid Eiffel, produced with Shazz and mixed by Ludovic Navarre, is one of my all-time favourite tracks. I have ecstatic memories of dancing to it on many mornings at Berghain — a 13-minute acid eargasm released on Fragile, a sub-label of Derrick May’s Transmat.”
Thanks to Electroclash for their selections. The Like That EP is out now on Rock Machine Records and can be downloaded/streamed here.
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