Biography
French producer SebastiAn, born Sebastian Akchote in Boulogne, France, first began crafting tracks at age 15 while sharpening his abilities alongside local rap crews. A 2005 referral from one such group led him to Ed Banger Records head Pedro Winter; a direct call secured his signing without prior meetings. Between 2005 and 2008 he issued a 7" split alongside Krazy Baldhead plus the four EPs Smoking Kills, Ross Ross Ross, Walkman 2, and Motor, while simultaneously supplying remixes for Daft Punk, Annie, Cut Copy, Revl9n, Uffie, Kelis, and Kavinsky. Those reworkings filled the 17-track 2008 collection SebastiAn Remixes, also issued as A Fine Selection of Remixes. His early output, particularly the 2006 EP Ross Ross Ross, shaped the raw yet club-ready identity of the Parisian label, a direction he furthered on the 2011 full-length Total, which featured M.I.A. on “C.T.F.O.” and Mayer Hawthorne on “Love in Motion.” He also scored the 2010 film Notre Jour Viendra before the limited 2012 box set The EP Collection gathered his singles and added a 12" holding two unreleased cuts.
Known for glitchy, distortion-heavy electro-house alongside scoring duties and studio work for various pop acts, SebastiAn stepped back from front-line releases through much of the 2010s. He helmed Katerine’s 2014 album Magnum, produced the title track of Fall Out Boy’s early-2015 release American Beauty/American Psycho, and contributed several productions to Frank Ocean’s 2016 projects Endless and Blond as well as the bulk of Charlotte Gainsbourg’s 2017 album Rest. Music for Yves Saint Laurent’s Winter 2018 campaign preceded his 2019 return with Thirst, an album that incorporated prior collaborations and the sonic approach he had helped establish; guests included Gallant, Mayer Hawthorne, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sparks, and Sevdaliza. He continued supplying quarterly Saint Laurent campaigns, later gathered as Saint Laurent Shows, and placed “Don't Tread on Else Matters” on The Metallica Blacklist.
In 2023 he issued a cover of “What a Wonderful World” with Ehla, joined London Grammar for “Dancing by Night,” and delivered the synthwave-leaning soundtrack Tropic for the film of the same name.
Known for glitchy, distortion-heavy electro-house alongside scoring duties and studio work for various pop acts, SebastiAn stepped back from front-line releases through much of the 2010s. He helmed Katerine’s 2014 album Magnum, produced the title track of Fall Out Boy’s early-2015 release American Beauty/American Psycho, and contributed several productions to Frank Ocean’s 2016 projects Endless and Blond as well as the bulk of Charlotte Gainsbourg’s 2017 album Rest. Music for Yves Saint Laurent’s Winter 2018 campaign preceded his 2019 return with Thirst, an album that incorporated prior collaborations and the sonic approach he had helped establish; guests included Gallant, Mayer Hawthorne, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Sparks, and Sevdaliza. He continued supplying quarterly Saint Laurent campaigns, later gathered as Saint Laurent Shows, and placed “Don't Tread on Else Matters” on The Metallica Blacklist.
In 2023 he issued a cover of “What a Wonderful World” with Ehla, joined London Grammar for “Dancing by Night,” and delivered the synthwave-leaning soundtrack Tropic for the film of the same name.
Singles