Single of the week

The toy done good

It's a techno single based on an advert starring a puppet. And surprise, surprise, says Ben Osborne, it's actually rather good

guardian.co.uk, Friday March 12 1999 17.21 GMT

Mr Oizo

Flat Beat EP (F Communications)

Having already stolen a march on house music over the last two years, the French are about to do it again with techno.

Mr Oizo's Flat Beat EP, the brainchild of film director and music producer Quentin Dupieux, is set to become the most unlikely hit of 1999. Unlikely not because of its quality, but because this superbly crafted piece of bumpy minimalist techno is the kind of music that would normally sell only in specialist vinyl shops. Alongside releases on labels such as R&S, Pharma, Red Planet, Warp or Underground Resistance, Flat Beats might not stand out. But as a chart hit it's deeply refreshing.

The difference is that Mr Oizo is the soundtrack to the latest Levi's Sta-Prest advert, the one in the car with Flat Eric, a furry yellow muppet. Released on Laurent Garnier's F Communications, it will be the label's first big UK hit, which is surprising given Garnier's more accessible brand of techno.

Dupieux, who made the ad, will undoubtedly create a video commensurate with Flat Beat's new Top Of The Pops status and Eric will join the dubious ranks of chart-topping cuddly toys such as Roland Rat and Orville. The only difference is you won't feel embarrassed about having bought this in 10 years' time.

Whether Levi's new Sta-Prest range will be as successful is less obvious.