Sebastien Tellier - "Politics" (Le 80's Pomp)

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I've just given this album a spin and it really caught me off guard (although seeing the ridiculous album cover should've tipped me off). For some reason he has COMPLETELY abandoned the 70s prog-ambience of his debut and made a huge sounding, shiny 80s pop record (complete with slap bass and lots of synth brass). Where the hell did this come from? If you're interested, I would search out "Zombi" and add this to the Rough Guide to Trevor Horn....

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 09:33 (twenty-two years ago)

Great, great album. Tony Allen is on the drums, and Philippe Zdar of La Funk Mob/Motorbass/Cassius is the producer. "La Tuerie" is actually a new M. Oizo track. A short record, but that's not a bad thing.

― Aaron Krickstein, Wednesday, 28 January 2004 11:09 (twenty-two years ago)

i really liked the 1st one, and this sounds even better!

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 11:19 (twenty-two years ago)

he has some really funny tv spots here, where hes addressing his audience in various scenic locales in a very pompous manner

the cover is scary

― amateur!st (amateurist), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 12:59 (twenty-two years ago)

ok so i dled it and it's as good as i imagined from yr descriptions here! i have to choose which song will fit the most beautifully on my ice t/vanessa paradis/history/sylvester tape. ah what wd i do without french fashion pop.

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 13:05 (twenty-two years ago)

http://www.sebastientellier.com/img/cover.jpg

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 13:10 (twenty-two years ago)

when i saw him live in december he managed to make half of the crowd leave the show. the place was packed, every body wanted to see him and everybody really wanted to like him (it seems it's the cool thing to do in france this year), but after three songs most of the crowd couldn't stand his pompous moves, his fake pseudo-ironic 80's AOR...
i prefer mercury rev as supertramp followers.
and what was poor tony allen doing there????

― joan vich (joan vich), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 13:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Just listened to this again...so much fun. An early contender for trash pop album of the year!

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Wednesday, 28 January 2004 23:57 (twenty-two years ago)

I like it. He's like the French Andrew WK!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 00:02 (twenty-two years ago)

Ha! Minus the metal guitars.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 29 January 2004 00:17 (twenty-two years ago)

The cover is very WK.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

Ah, touche.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 29 January 2004 00:37 (twenty-two years ago)

I just listened to this straight through and it's kind of beautiful! I hope people take it seriously beyond the INSANE cover art.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 01:23 (twenty-two years ago)

Well, the cover art for his last album raised a couple of eyebrows too. I find both of them irresistible.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Thursday, 29 January 2004 03:01 (twenty-two years ago)

I really liked the other one too! It was like Count Leonard Cohen, and then the pool shot was also absolutely weirdo crazy.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 03:09 (twenty-two years ago)

yeah the pool shot made it, with ws it a blow up killer whale? cheeky

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Thursday, 29 January 2004 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

a porpoise?

― jeremy jordan (cruisy), Thursday, 29 January 2004 03:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Special Porpoise would be a great band name, btw.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 04:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Spencer, you must make it happen. (And you must share this album too.)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 29 January 2004 05:38 (twenty-two years ago)

I dl'ed the first and last tracks - completely horrible but points for trying, they may well 'grow on me'.

― Tico Tico (Tico Tico), Thursday, 29 January 2004 10:43 (twenty-two years ago)

Tom, the first and last tracks are interesting, but the meat is in the middle! Try "Wonderafrica" and "Broadway".

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 18:39 (twenty-two years ago)

I haven't been this "on the fence" about a record in a long time. Loved his last album but this one's teetering between greatness and fucking awful. Is that possible? I mean - the thing reeks of self-aware ain't-I'cleverness, esp. in the lyrics. Yet it's done with such, how you say, panache? I think it's edging toward greatness overall.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 29 January 2004 23:01 (twenty-two years ago)

there's nothing overtly clever in the lyrics or music. Perhaps there's something clever in a meta sense (a criticism some leveled at Daft Punk's 'Discovery'), but it's lost in cultural translation for me and I get to enjoy it on my own terms (does that make any sense?).

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Thursday, 29 January 2004 23:13 (twenty-two years ago)

It does make sense. And now that you mention "Discovery" I recall feeling almost the same way then as I do towards "Politics" on the se first few listens. I revere "Discovery" now, btw.
Well... most of it.

― Jay Vee (Manon_70), Thursday, 29 January 2004 23:22 (twenty-two years ago)

So being a non-dl'er, is this commercially available somewhere?

― Erick H (Erick H), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:30 (twenty-two years ago)

According to Amazon.fr, it was released on 1/6, but it's not listed on amazon.com or .co.uk

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 30 January 2004 00:44 (twenty-two years ago)

You can find a copy at GEMM...that's where I got mine.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 1 February 2004 07:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I've heard one song so far and it was low key enjoyment. :-)

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Sunday, 1 February 2004 16:42 (twenty-two years ago)

one year passes...

This is a great lost album. I've still never seen it for sale.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:41 (twenty-one years ago)

i'm gonna get an ipod just to play 'wonder africa' to new people i meet, and if they don't like it then just never bother with them again...

― noizem duke (noize duke), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:49 (twenty-one years ago)

haha, that might be a bit extreme. But yeah, I'd be suspicious of their worth. It's really a beautiful song (and hilarious too).

"eating bananas, under the sun!"

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Wednesday, 2 February 2005 21:54 (twenty-one years ago)

ive heard 'la ritournelle' and quite dig it. it hasn't been released in the states, i don't think

― come on sock it to me, Saturday, 12 February 2005 19:27 (twenty-one years ago)

this was the first thread I ever made!

Yeah, a great lost album that I've never seen for sale either. It came out at an awful time too (first week of January.)

Reinghard Voigt played "La Ritournelle" in his DJ set when I saw him.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 13 February 2005 02:30 (twenty-one years ago)

i didn't like "La Ritournelle".

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 13 February 2005 02:37 (twenty-one years ago)

It is sort of the odd track out on the album.

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Sunday, 13 February 2005 03:35 (twenty-one years ago)

well i didn't exactly not like it - it's just that kind of well made but dull mid 90's electronic that K&D and Jazzanova did very well and a whole host of others did not so well.

― jed_ (jed), Sunday, 13 February 2005 04:13 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

'la ritournelle' is on the new superpitcher mix album and sounds very nice in that context ...

― dh, Monday, 14 March 2005 09:24 (twenty-one years ago)

it's just that kind of well made but dull mid 90's electronic that K&D and Jazzanova did very well and a whole host of others did not so well.

I've always thought of it as much more orchestral, like Scott Walker or something. There's nothing really electronic about the track.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 14 March 2005 09:46 (twenty-one years ago)

Kompakt totally love "La Ritournelle," they've even been playing it in their live sets...

― Michael F Gill (Michael F Gill), Monday, 14 March 2005 17:48 (twenty-one years ago)

xpost, I should note that I was talking about "La Ritournelle" specifically.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:27 (twenty-one years ago)

Also, "Lenny" sounds like the song near the end of The Haunted Mansion at Disneyland!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Monday, 14 March 2005 18:28 (twenty-one years ago)

'la ritournelle' is on the new superpitcher mix album and sounds very nice in that context ...

could you maybe tell us more about the contents of that context...? :-)

― willem (willem), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 13:44 (twenty-one years ago)

i bet there's quite a bit electronic about it ;)

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 14:28 (twenty-one years ago)

at any rate i quite like the track now.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 14:29 (twenty-one years ago)

until the singing starts.

― jed_ (jed), Wednesday, 16 March 2005 14:32 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

i was so wrong about this track :)

― jed_ (jed), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:32 (twenty-one years ago)

Yay!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Tuesday, 26 April 2005 21:47 (twenty-one years ago)

one month passes...

The Superpitcher mix made me pick up this record again...I want to like it, but what is it?

― the PSB signal (nordicskilla), Friday, 17 June 2005 02:32 (twenty-one years ago)

OK tehn

― the Stanmore signal (nordicskilla), Friday, 17 June 2005 16:56 (twenty-one years ago)

It's a very strange record. I actually still listent to it a lot trying to figure out what he's saying. "Wonderafrica" is so Toto and then that Haunted Mansion song is so gleefully strange.

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Friday, 17 June 2005 17:13 (twenty-one years ago)

Skipping 66 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

i <3 u sebastien tellier

― max, Friday, 28 September 2007 18:10 (eighteen years ago)

im ready

― chaki, Friday, 28 September 2007 18:11 (eighteen years ago)

It's kind of atmospheric. There is a SebastiAn remix too.

― Spencer Chow, Friday, 28 September 2007 18:31 (eighteen years ago)

jesus christ: from forthcoming album called "Sexuality" produced by guy manuel de homem-christo

― Bangelo, Friday, 28 September 2007 18:32 (eighteen years ago)

wow this is goood

― max, Friday, 28 September 2007 18:44 (eighteen years ago)

This has totally made my day.

― Telephone thing, Friday, 28 September 2007 20:38 (eighteen years ago)

ugh. i don't know, I thought this track was boring in exactly the same way I find the ed banger stuff boring--but i don't like l'incroyable verite or the 'steak' stuff or 'universe' either, so I guess maybe 'politics' is it for me

― Bangelo, Saturday, 29 September 2007 04:07 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

loooove sexual sportswear

― max, Monday, 12 November 2007 20:11 (eighteen years ago)

Record Makers has just reissued his full score for the film Narco. There's already a soundtrack out there, featuring about half of the score padded with pop tunes; I'm kind of curious to hear the whole thing now. The stuff I have heard is very much in the style of L'Incroyable Verite.

― Telephone thing, Monday, 12 November 2007 22:20 (eighteen years ago)

http://bp1.blogger.com/_-Ll7Tusj_F4/RznPXiKUx8I/AAAAAAAAAT4/X-v5zSWhEJg/s400/Credit-L.Brancovitz.jpg

― Telephone thing, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 13:18 (eighteen years ago)

I think if a robot came onto me, I'd be pretty freaked out.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 14 November 2007 13:42 (eighteen years ago)

RFI: Did La Ritournelle appear in Narco or is it merely obligatory to include it on all Tellier releases?

― djh, Thursday, 15 November 2007 20:40 (eighteen years ago)

Prett fun playlist-type feature in the Guardian: http://music.guardian.co.uk/playlist/story/0,,2213702,00.html

― baaderonixx, Friday, 23 November 2007 13:21 (eighteen years ago)

one month passes...

"Sexual Sportswear" is the rox of the sox.

― The Reverend, Monday, 14 January 2008 03:00 (eighteen years ago)

Really liking the album so far.

― baaderonixx, Monday, 21 January 2008 23:34 (eighteen years ago)

probably time for a new thread actually

― baaderonixx, Monday, 21 January 2008 23:34 (eighteen years ago)

Need new album leakage.

― Spencer Chow, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 08:00 (eighteen years ago)

lots of heavy breathing all over this one

― jaime, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 08:06 (eighteen years ago)

The thing has leakaged and, yes, heavy moaning throughout the album prevents it from being an adult dinner accompaniment.

― baaderonixx, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 09:07 (eighteen years ago)

Better for a kids' tea party?

― Alba, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 10:00 (eighteen years ago)

Good God, the cover!

http://www.residentadvisor.net/images/news/2008/sebastientelliersexualityartwork.jpg

― Telephone thing, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 20:42 (eighteen years ago)

Only found 3 new tracks yet, all without moaning.

― StanM, Tuesday, 22 January 2008 20:47 (eighteen years ago)

there's females on like, 3 or 4 out of 11 tracks.

that cover is amazing

― jaime, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 02:05 (eighteen years ago)

I know! It's like Desertshore, only with tits!

― Telephone thing, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 03:53 (eighteen years ago)

Where are you seeing this cover?

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 04:06 (eighteen years ago)

I can't find it.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 04:06 (eighteen years ago)

5 posts up?

― deej, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 04:08 (eighteen years ago)

I nabbed it from Resident Advisor, try looking there if it won't load for you here:

http://www.residentadvisor.net/news.aspx?id=9029

― Telephone thing, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 04:15 (eighteen years ago)

Oh, very nice. It wasn't showing for me before.

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 04:31 (eighteen years ago)

embiggened version:

http://i31.tinypic.com/2woyf14.jpg

― StanM, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 06:53 (eighteen years ago)

I'm now in love with the opener "Roche"

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 09:11 (eighteen years ago)

so far 'roche' is my fave too...

"je sens le chaleur de l'ete ... c'est aaaahh! c'est aaaahh!"

― jaime, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 09:28 (eighteen years ago)

For those who haven't heard it: Roche

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 09:32 (eighteen years ago)

http://www.johnnyhockin.com/images/tellieretchristo.jpg

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:07 (eighteen years ago)

Guy-Man looks kinda crepey in these pix

― The Reverend, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:15 (eighteen years ago)

oh this is gonna be good.

― gr8080, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:16 (eighteen years ago)

"I tell you what to play, human boy"

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:19 (eighteen years ago)

Not sure how I feel about the Beach Boys pastiche though:
http://www.johnnyhockin.com/audio/sebtell-Divine.mp3

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:19 (eighteen years ago)

Thanks a lot for Roche, Baaderonixx, me like it. Is it the only song in french on it ?

― Snowballing, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:50 (eighteen years ago)

No there are a few others I think. (does he say "je rêve de Biarritz en été" ou "je rêve de Clarisse en été" ??)

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 10:58 (eighteen years ago)

Here's another song in French, album closer L'Amour et la Violence

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 11:14 (eighteen years ago)

Is the version of sexual sportswear on the album the 8 minute one?

― StanM, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 16:42 (eighteen years ago)

Not sure, I'll have to check, although I'm quite certain that it's longer than the 2:30 single mix. He's playing at Nuits Botanique in May, btw.

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 16:47 (eighteen years ago)

Great! (and phew, that 2:30 version was way too short)

― StanM, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 16:52 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, I always have the impression that somebody randomly decided to fade the track out half-way through.

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 16:56 (eighteen years ago)

Yes, "Sexual Sportswear" is indeed 7:30

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 21:34 (eighteen years ago)

Er, where are people finding this? I NEED it.

― Spencer Chow, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 21:41 (eighteen years ago)

guys talking about the new album on the thread for the old one is mad gay:

Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality
Sebastien Tellier - Sexuality

― gr8080, Wednesday, 23 January 2008 21:44 (eighteen years ago)

nonsense, this is the best thread ever.

― Michael F Gill, Thursday, 24 January 2008 01:01 (eighteen years ago)

nine months pass...

Allow me to share this with my fellow french-speaking ilxors

― baaderonixx, Wednesday, 19 November 2008 15:56 (seventeen years ago)

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