A faithful member of the label Ed Banger since the 2000s, SebastiAn has seen his profile skyrocket in the last decade thanks to the sonic explosions and hybridisations that featured on his 2011 album Total (and its famous album cover shot by Mondino on which he kisses himself), which solidified his position as a top tier craftsman of sound. This has allowed him to work in recent years with Charlotte Gainsbourg, Philippe Katerine, Woodkid and — most prestigious of all — Frank Ocean.
Thirst marks the solo return of the Frenchman, who has made a real “producer’s album”, with a feature on nearly every track. The casting logically leans towards Californian talent, where SebastiAn has consistently been networking: Mayer Hawthorne, the Stones Throw label soulman, on Better Now, reminiscent of sunny Beach Boys music, Syd from the Odd Future collective on the squeaky and glitchy Door Man, LA pop band Sparks on Handcuffed to a Parking Meter, yet there is also an appearance from Charlotte Gainsbourg who lends her whispering vocals to the guitar-heavy Pleasant. SebastiAn has also worked here with several rappers (Allan Kingdom from Canada, Loota from Japan, Bakar from France…) whose vocals he mixes with unusual beats, separating his music from the norm in contemporary American hip-hop. Even more material to further prove his talent… © Smaël Bouaici/Qobuz