Pitchfork

One hardly needs to see Pascal Arbez DJ in order to have a good sense of what he sounds like live. As thrilling as most of Vitalic's recorded material is, it's not exactly nuanced. Given that Vitalic's best songs-- tracks like "La Rock 01", "Poney", and "My Friend Dario"-- are quick-hit adrenaline rushes that build and crest with the dancefloor in mind, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that the best way to present them live is to turn the volume up and cordially step out of the way. Since Arbez doesn't have the technical aptitude or the layering sensibilities of your average techno DJ, nor the desire to mash up his tracks with anyone else's, that's pretty much exactly what he does. All things told, it's the right way to play it. Arbez might be crude, but if the reactions of the crowds I've seen him play to are anything to go by, he's definitely effective.

A live album, though-- that's another thing entirely. Forgetting for a second that Vitalic has only one full-length record to its name and that the easy availability of free mp3 bootlegs of DJ sets has largely rendered the live electronic album a gratituous and pointless gesture, what in the world made anyone think that Vitalic's live show was interesting enough, purely as a listening experience, to warrant its own release?

Well, it's not. While they might sound a bit brighter and pulse a little harder, there's ultimately nothing significantly improved about these songs on Live. If anything, this recording detracts from a lot of the material; for some inexplicable reason, Arbez has made the aesthetic decision to insert the audience's reactions high in the mix. The end effect is similar to watching a sitcom with canned laughter; each subtle shift in the audience's mood is so front and centre that you end up feeling like you're being prompted to respond in kind. (And the less said about the weirdly incongrous football chants that pop up from time to time, the better.)

Of course, the sugar rush nature of Vitalic's best tracks mean there are some thrills to be had here; the goosebump-inducing buildup to "La Rock 01", for example, is one of those rare moments where Live works in spite of itself. Ultimately, though, as a listening experience, it's a tough sell. Without the communal feeling that comes from standing in a crowd of people and the visceral thrill that comes from having these songs blasted at you in the context of a physical space, what's the point? Your guess is as good as mine.