I was recently introduced to my latest obsession, Benoit & Sergio, through one of ISO50‘s many top notch playlists which included their highly addictive track “Let Me Count The Ways”, a new release on Ghostly International’s Spectral Sound sub-label which just came out on May 31. Reading into their backstory, one of the most interesting things I’ve learned is how these boys have made a point to not take their adventures too seriously. This DC/Berlin duo has successfully managed to balance this “laissez faire” attitude with some of the most brilliant and sophisticated production work in dance music today. Drawing inspiration from such names as Talking Heads, Pavement and Roxy Music, Benoit & Sergio effortlessly build elegantly-structured soundscapes, all the while emitting their infectious and highly-addictive “my body can’t stop moving” pop-electro signature. And to think, it all began with a chance encounter:
Benoit & Sergio grew up thousands of miles apart, in Paris and Iowa respectively. In 2008, they met at a party in Washington DC and began making dance tracks in the long winter of 2009. Right from the start, they had an insatiable artistic chemistry that kept them in the studio for ten to twelve hours at a time, riffing on each other’s ideas until they had created something even more sexy and epic than they had anticipated. Typically beginning with just a few short minimal loops, their marathon sessions inevitably result in what can only be described as a “full-blown pop orgy.” (by Will Lynch, Thesongsays)
Ghostly International recently profiled the group’s impressive and rapid rise up the dance ladder: “Benoit & Sergio debuted in 2009 with ‘What I’ve Lost’, a trippy, colorful EP released on Bruno Pronsato’s boutique label, Thesongsays. The EP displays a sleazy, romantic pop sensibility, with lyrics about loneliness, French girls, wine, and cocaine. ‘What I’ve Lost’ received a deluge of praise upon its release, including a 4.5/5 from Resident Advisor and support from DJs including Seth Troxler, Shaun Reeves, and Ryan Crosson (who eventually became Sergio’s partner in another Spectral duo, Birds & Souls).” To read the full profile be sure to visit Ghostly International. To listen to and learn more about Benoit & Sergio you can follow them on Facebook and Soundcloud.
