My Friend Dario

{{Infobox song

| name = My Friend Dario

| cover = Myfrienddario.jpg

| alt =

| type = single

| artist = Vitalic

| album = OK Cowboy

| released = March 29, 2005

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| genre = Electronica, electroclash

| length =

| label = Different/Pias

| writer = Pascal Arbez-Nicolas {{cite web|url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#/ace/search/workID/887654228|title=ASCAP Songview repertory entry for this song |work=|accessdate=December 17, 2023}}

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| misc = {{External music video|1=[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3EXHdT8DKM "Vitalic - My friend Dario"] at YouTube}}

}}

"My Friend Dario" is the first single from Vitalic's debut album, OK Cowboy. It is the first single from Vitalic to use "Brigitte", a vocal synthesis program.{{AllMusic|class=album|id=r744629|pure_url=yes}} "No Fun", which is another track on OK Cowboy, also uses Brigitte.

The music video for "My Friend Dario" features a band mimicking instrumentation; the guitarists play air guitar and the drummer air drums. The lack of band instruments in the video reflect a statement made on Vitalic's website; that the instruments on his album OK Cowboy are entirely synthesized and that "the only thing he can't fake is the emotion that galvanizes his music."

The maxi-CD version of the single includes a live cover of Daniel Miller's "Warm Leatherette", performed on BBC Radio 1.{{Discogs release|title=My Friend Dario|id=440033}} The cover was later included in a collector's edition of OK Cowboy.

In an interview with Pascal Arbez in CMJ New Music Monthly, Arbez dialogued:{{cite magazine |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tCoEAAAAMBAJ&q=Dario&pg=PA23 |page=23 |website=Google Books |title=Now known as VITALIC, Pascal Arbez's robotic rhythms prove he's still top dog|year=2005 }}

:[Interviewer:] What can your alterego "Dario" do that you haven't been able to do?

:[Interviewee:] When he finally has a crash, because he drives like a brainless kid, he dies. But it is not real because it is just a song. It has no impact. As far as I am concerned, I try to make my own excesses, which are real, not leading to a sad end.

:[Interviewer:] But you've gotten a few speeding tickets lately. So are you and Dario becoming the same person?

:[Interviewee:] Sometime we are. Dario is just the concept name of a part of myself. It is convenient to have these names to point out in an easy way how I feel or how my behavior is at a precise moment. Instead of saying, "Oh, you are acting like a stupid drunk and please don't take the car," my friends would say, "Arrête de faire ton Dario!" ["Stop acting like Dario!"]

The song appears in the EA video games FIFA 06 and Need for Speed: Carbon (plays only when driving a tuner car). It also features in Riders Republic, developed by Ubisoft Annecy.

It was also used as a catwalk soundtrack for both Versace and Chanel’s Fall/Winter 2005 show.

Single track listing

;12"

  1. "My Friend Dario" (extended mix) – 4:38
  2. "My Friend Dario" (Dima prefers new beat mix) – 5:30

;CD

  1. "My Friend Dario" – 3:37
  2. "My Friend Dario" (extended mix) – 4:38
  3. "My Friend Dario" (Dima prefers new beat mix) – 5:30
  4. "Warm Leatherette" (as heard on Radio 1)

References