FYI.

This story is over 5 years old.

Vice Blog

LONDON - SEBASTIAN TELLIER WANTS TO MAKE YOU MOAN

You know Sebastian Tellier. French guy? Beard? Shades? Loads of hair? Yep, that’s the one. While he remains best remembered for "La Ritournelle," there are more strings to the hirsute Parisian’s bow than you may realise. Not least of all an appetite for fucking that makes Ron Jeremy look like a convent school kid with penis hatred. This prominent preoccupation of young Sebastian’s formed the central influence and subject for his third LP entitled erm‚Ķ Sexuality. We caught up with Tellier in a Bloomsbury hotel where he was sipping vodka and orange with his shirt splayed alarmingly.

Advertisement

Listen: Sebastian Tellier - "Sexual Sportswear" (Remix)

Vice: Hey Sebastian. How’s things?
Sebastian Tellier: Very good. I feel filled with life. But I must apologise for my English - it is very bad. I am sorry.

That’s OK. Why do each of your records have a titular theme? Surely that just narrows down what you can write about. Like only singing songs about green socks or something.
I try to take inspiration from a single thing. For example on Sexuality I took inspiration from my own sexual fantasies and my own sexual experiences. I think that is the challenge for the artist to translate everyday things into something universal.

Have you reached the state of perfection yet?
"La Ritournelle" is an example. I have not reached that again. That song was written when I was in love with a girl who did not love me. That was a powerful state of emotions, a mix of happiness and sadness. In general I prefer to make special things out of the mundane.

What is about sex that made you want to dedicate a whole album to it?
Sexuality is natural, no? I want to make music that excites women. For me sex is very involved with love. Sexual love is the greatest feeling. The album is my musical representation of perfect sex.

Do you have a girlfriend?
Yes. She is my muse. On the record there are many samples of female moaning. That was my girlfriend. I took her into the recording booth and fingered her sensually. Those moans are moans of sexual pleasure.

Advertisement

The record was produced by Guy-Man from Daft Punk, how was that?
It was the first time I had worked with him and for me to work with the man who has achieved such great things with Daft Punk was a dream. In the studio he gave me confidence and allowed me to achieve my dream.

Did he wear his helmet in the studio?
No. It would be very hot.

Do you ever hang out with all the Ed Banger guys and Cobrasnake and have a big Paris party?
I am not part of that, but I am a very big fan of Sebastian. In his music you hear the night; the dance and the sweat. I like Oizo, Air and Phoenix too.

You recently posed for Playboy. I missed that. Did you get stuff out?
No. It was just a fashion shoot.  And Playboy is for the guys. They do not want to see guy’s stuff. They want to see a beautiful woman.

James Ford from Simian Mobile Disco once told me that he gets musical inspiration from space through his jew-fro. Do you get yours through your beard?
No, my face is just in need of covering.

You look a little like The Dude from The Big Lebowski.
That is better than saying I look like a fat Vincent Gallo. A girl once said that to me. I was not happy.

JAMES KNIGHT