The Hacker - The next step of new wave

Michel Amato, AKA The Hacker, has seen his profile rise considerably in the last few years. The Gigolo phenomenon, and Michel‚s collaborative work with Miss Kittin (resulting in their œthe First Album‚ long player), helped boost interest in his work and thrust him into his current position as one of France‚s hottest talents.

Less known, however, is Michel‚s work aside to the Gigolo tie-in. Amato co-runs the Goodlife imprint along with two colleagues from the Grenoble (his home town) techno scene one of whom is Oliver from techno-duo, Oxia, whose work also features heavily in the Goodlife catalogue.

Whilst The Hacker‚s love of 80‚s style electronic music is obviously apparent in his production work, many of his more 4/4 influences have been ignored in the hype surrounding his Gigolo releases, though they are apparent to anyone who has checked his work on other labels. It is certainly Michel‚s intention to ensure that people realise that there are many strings to his bow, and one way he puts this across is through his djing.

Like Miss Kittin, The Hacker is also a talented DJ, although his work in this field has been more prominent in mainland Europe. However, his deck skills have had years to develop, and this facet of The Hacker‚s career should not be viewed as a mere backup to his studio work.

Œthe Next Step Of New Wave‚ is The Hacker‚s first commercially available mix CD. As the title suggests, its Michel‚s take on the future of electro 'a genre which has displayed strong staying power over the years' always there in the background, until last year, when all eyes seemed to be turning it's way.

Michel‚s position as a forerunner in this form of music enables him to select knowledgeably from the growing number of producers in the field resulting in a varied, forward-facing collection of tracks. Amato‚s presentation of tracks in the mix highlights his professional touch the tracks themselves remain the focus of the exercise, while the overall flow is tight and energetic.

Release Date: 10 March 2003 Tags