If his previous singles haven't done it already, Sebastien Devaud's, a.k.a. Agoria, eagerly awaited debut album is set to secure him a place on techno's list of luminaries.
He has only been producing his own material since 1999, and his rise from obscurity to star status following the release of his first e.p. 'La 11eme Marche' has been nothing short of meteoric.
Hailed as a "techno anthem" and caned all over by top international DJs, the e.p. thrust his career into fast-forward and he hasn't looked back since.
The album takes the triumphs of the preceding singles another step forward. From the first sounds of the rumbling bassline on 'Think Different', it is apparent that this isn't just another techno album.
Agoria's music is filled with depth, richness and an understanding of all the intricacies that go into making a track exceptional. There are what seems like a hundred different sounds going on at once, but he pulls it all together into one stunning success.
He tackles a broad spectrum of different styles with ease. 'Stereolove' is tough and awash with rolling waves of buzzing synths. Following that, 'Presque Un Ange' is a sombre march of melancholy electronics. The gentle and soothing 'Haiku' provides an easy place for the listener to rest.
He has wasted no time in gathering some top class vocalists to work with.
The bristly electro of 'Spinach Girl' features the vocals of Sylvie Marks of Berlin's BPITCH Control label. Off the back of his extraordinary remix of Inner City's 'Big Fun', he teams up with Kevin Saunderson's wife, Ann (who provided the vocal on Octave One's 'Blackwater'), to record the emotive 'Worth It'.
Agoria departs from familiar territory and enters the world of breaks on the murky '2thousand3' that features Tricky. Shadowy breaks and Tricky's menacing vocal come together splendidly in what could resemble a soundtrack to sinister sci-fi film.
The thumping singles 'Kofea' and 'La Onzieme Marche' are both included here. He works that supercharged style like no one else. 'Organic' is the aural equivalent of a throbbing mass on the dancefloor. It pulsates with energy, seemingly generated from pounding beats that fire off, then radiate away like sonic beams. 'All I Need' is more restrained, shining with gleaming waves and shimmering cascades of synths falling over the beats. A cool, liquid bassline runs underneath giving plenty of depth to this very Detroit-influenced track.
The music is extremely diverse, particularly for an electronic album. It is not only filled with technological brilliance and creativity, but also with feeling and passion. 'Blossom' is an astonishingly accomplished debut, with a level of maturity that takes most other artists years to reach, but for Agoria, this is only the beginning.
by Mimi Eclectic Electric