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Live Review: Agoria presents an odyssey of electro-house with 'You're Not Alone' ft. Blasé

21 January 2019 | 5:22 pm | Max Lewis

Agoria's latest cut 'You're Not Alone' alongside its Hernan Corera directed video shows this French producer has still got it after 20 years in the biz.

It's been twenty earth years since French producer AGORIA (aka Sébastien Devaud) dropped his first EP. In those two decades he's put out an unfathomable amount of releases on iconic labels like Kompakt, remixed for artists like Moby and New Order, and even composed a film score for 2011's Go Fast. His latest track 'You're Not Alone' ft. Blasé shows that even after all this time, he's still keeping things fresh and unique. It drops alongside a truly unforgettable video directed by Latin Grammy Award winner Hernan Corera.

Agoria has covered a lot of musical ground over his lifetime, but you can compile the majority of his ouvre under something simple like 'electro house'. When working alone, he tends to favour longform techno odysseys with a focus on wide sounds and danceable beats (check out 2013's Scala EP for reference). His previous single 'Embrace' with Phoebe Killdeer (and 'You're Not Alone' as well) displays his knack for more shortform and pop oriented electronica that still excels at feeling expansive.

Expansive is definitely one word for 'You're Not Alone'. Beginning with a chorused organ hook, micro-percussion and square-wave bass, Blasé's bold vocals soon swoop in to steal the show. Despite having only a handful of audible sounds, the track has remarkable thickness and presence, thanks to some minute elements added here and there, and some impeccable production.  It flows nicely from quiet breathers to bombastic moments as every good dance track should, showing that Agoria's twenty years in the biz has certainly taught him well.

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Where 'You're Not Alone' really shines, though, is the visual accompaniment directed by Hernan Corera. Merging a grindhouse film aesthetic with 50s greaser fashion and some Mad Max inspired environments, the video tells the story of an urban tribe paying tribute to a fallen member via a motorcycle-led funeral procession through the desert.  There's some truly stellar work here; the cinematography is beautiful in a gritty and grungy way, and the design of the makeup/fashion design is a marvel. Combined with the music, it feels like a long journey coming to an end. After twenty years for Agoria, it's a fitting theme - although we certainly hope there's no end in sight.

Photo By Nico M

Words by MAX LEWIS

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