Sebastian Akchoté better known as SebastiAn (born in Boulogne, France) is a French actor, DJ, and musician affiliated with Ed Banger Records. Musically, he has worked as a solo electronic musician, as a producer for artists Kavinsky and label-mate Uffie, as a film-music composer, and as a remix artist for musicians and bands such as Daft Punk, Kavinsky, Kelis,and Klaxons.

Early life

Akchoté is of Serbian-French heritage and was raised in Paris and Belgrade by a single mother. His early musical history included both jazz and experimental influences from his older brother as well as hip-hop influences from artists like DJ Premier. He first started producing music around the age of fifteen with two members of the rap band Cercle Vicieux.

Career

While working with a hip-hop band in 2005, Sebastian was given the phone number for Ed Banger Records by one of the band's members, who had found it in a newspaper. After a cold call to label owner Pedro Winter, SebastiAn was signed, and they released the EPs H.A.L. and Smoking Kills (?) later that year. 2005 also saw his remixes for Annie, Benjamin Theves, and Daft Punk, whose "Human After All" remix by SebastiAn is said to be the duo's all-time favourite remix of their own work.

In the summer of 2006, Ed Banger Records released the EP Ross Ross Ross. That year also saw more remixes by SebastiAn than any other.

In 2007, SebastiAn composed the soundtrack for label-mate Mr. Oizo's feature film Steak alongside Sebastien Tellier and Mr. Oizo himself. SebastiAn also acted in the film, playing the role of Félix. Also that year, as well producing numerous remixes and releasing his Walkman 2 EP, SebastiAn joined Kavinsky in opening with DJ mixes for Daft Punk on their Alive 2007 tour. An original song called "Greel" was also released in 2007 on Ed Rec Vol. 2.

There were two SebastiAn releases in 2008: Motor, an EP with three original tracks, and Remixes, a 17-track compilation featuring various remixes produced by SebastiAn. His track "Dog" was also included on that year's Ed Rec Vol. 3.

In 2009, SebastiAn played his first live set as an exclusive performance at the Sónar Festival in Barcelona.

SebastiAn produced the single Difficult for label-mate Uffie in 2010 on her debut album Sex Dreams and Denim Jeans and provided a remix, titled "Difficult (2006 Parties Remix)", which landed at number one on The Hype Machine the first day of its release. He also had his experimental track "Threnody" released that year on an Ed Banger Records Christmas compilation.

In early 2011, SebastiAn provided the track "Enio" for the Ed Banger compilation album Let the Children Techno. Later, his debut album Total was announced, followed by the release of a video for the title track featuring a series of violent and sexual images. A video for SebastiAn's new song "Embody" was also released, along with the song's release as a single. The album Total itself was sebsequently released on May 30 in Europe and June 7 in North America. It was followed by releases of singles "C.T.F.O." and "Love In Motion" from the album. 2011 was also the year of SebastiAn's "Primary Tour", a tour visually themed as a political campaign and spanning Europe, Australasia, and North America from August to December.

SebastiAn has confirmed plans for a future album.

Popular culture

SebastiAn's remix of Kavinsky's "Testarossa Autodrive" is featured in the video game Grand Theft Auto IV. This song is also included in the game Gran Turismo 5 Prologue along with his original track "Dolami" from the Smoking Kills (?) EP. The video game Midnight Club: Los Angeles also featured a SebastiAn track: "Momy", from the Motor EP. Additionally, SebastiAn's remix of Kavinsky's "Nightcall" is featured on the soundtrack of the motion picture Drive (2011 film).

On television, the song "Walkman" has appeared in promotional spots for the Cartoon Network programming block 'You Are Here'. In November 2011, a previously unreleased track titled "Holloback" was used in an advertisement for the HTC Sensation XL mobile phone. In Pro Wrestling NOAH, "Enio" is used as wrestler KENTA's entrance theme.

SebastiAn's track "H.A.L." was used in the song "Incredible" by rapper Mickey Factz in 2008.

Releases

SebastiAn releases:

Year

Title

B-sides

Format

Label

2005

H.A.L.

(split with Time Period by Krazy Baldhead)

7"

Ed Banger Records

Smoking Kills EP

"Dolami", "Shoot"

12"

2006

Ross Ross Ross EP

"Head/Off", "Walkman"

12"

Ross Ross Ross / Productions & Remixes

CD

2007

Walkman 2 EP

"Killing in the Name of SebastiAn"

12"

2008

Motor EP

"Momy", "Army"

12"

Remixes

LP, CD

Because / Ed Banger Records

2010

Notre Jour Viendra OST (Our Day will Come)

CD

Ed Banger Records

2011

"Embody" single

Remixes by Kavinsky and DJ Premier

MP3, 12"

Total

LP, CD

"C.T.F.O." single

Remixes by Nero and DMX Krew

MP3, CD

"Love in Motion" single

Remix by Rustie and Skrillex (Skrillex's Funkt-Out Remix)

MP3

Compilations:

Year

Title

Track(s) featured

Format

Label

2006

Ed Rec Vol. 1

"Dolami", "H.A.L."

CD, 12", MP3

Ed Banger Records

2007

Ed Rec Vol. 2

"Greel"

CD, 12", MP3

2008

Ed Rec Vol. 3

"Dog"

CD, 12", MP3

2010

Ed Banger Xmas/2010

"Threnody"

Promo CD

2011

Let the Children Techno

"Enio"

CD, MP3

The Bee Sides

"Total"

7"

Remixes:

Year

Artist

Title

2005

Annie

"Happy Without You"

Daft Punk

"Human After All"

Benjamin Theves

"Texas"

2006

Revl9n

"Walking Machine"

Cut Copy

"Going Nowhere"

Uffie

"Pop the Glock", (two remixes: one on Arcade Mode (3:24), the other on Ed Banger (2:42))

Play Paul

"La La Land", (Ed Banger's Allstar Remix, remixed with Xavier de Rosnay from Justice)

Kelis

"Bossy"

Mylo

"Paris Four Hundred"

Nâdiya

"Tous ces mots"

Ali Love

"K Hole"

The Rapture

"Get Myself Into It"

Fields

"If You Fail We All Fail"

Kavinsky

"Testarossa Autodrive"

2007

Editors

"Camera"

Klaxons

"Golden Skans"

The Rakes

"We Danced Together"

Bloc Party

"I Still Remember"

Shesus

"Debbie's Shoes"

Rage Against the Machine

"Killing in the Name"

Sébastien Tellier

"Sexual Sportswear"

Fuckpony

"Ride the Pony", (SebastiAn Tellier Remix, remixed with Sébastien Tellier)

Das Pop

"Fool for Love"

2008

Scenario Rock

"Both Gotta Move On"

The Who

"Baba O'Riley"

The Kills

"Cheap and Cheerful"

Sneaky Sound System

"UFO", (unreleased, pre-version of Kindercut track from Total)

2010

Uffie

"Difficult", Titled "2006 Parties Remix By SebastiAn"

2011

Toddla T feat. Roots Manuva

"Watch Me Dance"

Beastie Boys feat. Santigold

"Don't Play No Game That I Can't Win"

Spank Rock

"DTF DADT"

2012

Nero

"Must Be The Feeling"

The Shoes

"Time To Dance"

See also

Ed Banger Records

Biography from Wikipedia