Vintage Synth Explorer - Analog Artist Feature

One night I'm watching the tele in a daze, and then it appeared. A simple Levi's commercial - hypnotic bass and grooves, a shadowy figure driving the car and a ragedy puppet in the passenger seat that's groovin it up to the beat! And that was it, the world's introduction to the music of Mr. Oizo and a puppet named Flat Eric.

Flat Beat is the song, Flat Eric is the puppet and Quentin Dupieux is Mr. Oizo. Dupieux is a French film-maker and musician. He has used the puppet (Flat Eric) in other films and when the duo were hired to make an ad for Levi's, Dupieux came up with its now famous theme song, 'Flat Beat'. Since then it has become pretty popular worldwide and has even inspired a dance called the 'Eric'!

The song's bass and scratch sounds were made on a Korg MS-20, the drums on a TR-606 and an Akai S1000 was used to sample everything including the MS-20 bass. No effects were used. The rest of Dupieux's minimal kit-list includes a Roland SH-09, Roland Space Echo, Moog Rogue and simply a Mackie 1202 mixer. He's proving once again that you don't need anything fancy, just a few pieces of analog and a sampler to create killer, even breakthrough tracks like Flat Beat!

Listen to some samples in RealAudio!

You can buy these titles online at CD-NOW.COM!

Flat Beat [Real Audio]
Hear the song from the commercial here! Read above to find out more about how the song was made using little more than a Korg MS-20, Akai S1000 and Roland TR-606.
From: Analog Worms Attack (© 1999, F-Communications)

No Day Massacre [Real Audio]
This track is from the new Analog Worms Attack album. Though not as groovy as Flat Beat, it is still a unique and minimalist approach with punchy, in your face results.
From: Analog Worms Attack (© 1999, F-Communications)

LEGAL BIT: The music presented on this page is the copyrighted property of their respective owners (the record labels and writers noted). Unauthorized reproduction, distribution, public performance or derivitaive works are prohibited by law (domestic and international). These files are short excerpts at reduced sound qualities and are intended for demonstrative purposes only, presented for Fair Use.

Discography
Releases

1997 #1 EP, F-Communications
1998 M-seq EP, F-Communications
1999 Flat Beat EP, F-Communications
1999 Analog Worms Attack, F-Communications

Mr. Oizo Links

More Artist Profiles

Original images from Future Music and Levi's (Europe).
Printed January, 2000.