Chromeo

P-Thugg and Dave 1 of Chromeo like to brag that they are the only successful Arab-Jewish partnership since the dawn of time. And what a partnership it’s been, as Chromeo has practically singlehandedly revived the sound of 1980s funk with its analog synth riffs, talk-box vocals, cheesy effects, and funky slap bass and guitar licks. Think Cameo, Prince, the Time, Sheila E., Midnight Star, Hall & Oates, late Bar-Kays—Fancy Footwork is the slickest, most sexed-up romp this side of Purple Rain.

PLAYBOY: What’s the most exciting thing you did last year in the musical realm?
DAVE 1: Jamming with Daryl Hall.

PLAYBOY: Who was your favorite new band from last year?
DAVE 1: It’s objective. The best new band of 2008 was Vampire Weekend.

PLAYBOY: What provides the charge that bands used to get from, say, having one of their songs enter the Top 40 or hearing themselves on their favorite radio station—those things that are all part of a bygone era at this point?
DAVE 1: The shows. We just finished a few sold-out tours and felt validated like never before. And I think sustainability and longevity is something I admire as well. Critics can say what they want about the new albums by Bloc Party or Hot Chip, for instance, but these bands can still come out and headline major festivals four or five years after they first impacted. That’s something we strive for.

PLAYBOY: What about when things go bad onstage? What’s the worst thing that’s happened?
P-THUGG: I once repeatedly got electrocuted during a show. Something happened with the power onstage because it was so humid and because I happen to have 50 watts of music going through my talk-box straight to my mouth. It really hurt, but I did finish the show—in pain. I kept thinking about Rocky fighting Drago in Rocky IV and being in pain but insisting on finishing the fight. I kept repeating in my head: “The…Show…Must…Go…On….”

PLAYBOY: Whose shows have you guys enjoyed watching?
P-THUGG: The best live show I have ever seen was Bootsy Collins in 1994—September 23 to be precise. That show changed my life. I was there, first row, with my bass in hand waiting to get it signed after the show. That night I saw the funk, I felt the funk, I became the funk. I had never seen such presence, outfits, show intro, musicianship and groove. I had all Parliament and Bootsy’s Rubber Band records and knew them all by heart. Seeing this show was just the missing part of the puzzle. It’s one thing to play and mimic the funk, but you gotta have it in you.

PLAYBOY: How did you go about creating the design for your RTR T-shirt?
DAVE 1: We got our friend Stéphane Manel, the French illustrator who did our “Momma’s Boy” video. What he did reflects our aesthetic in that it’s sleek and classic. As funny as our music may seem, we were really aiming for sophistication on the Fancy Footwork album. Stéphane’s illustration also reminds me of Milo Manara’s erotic cartoons, which I used to, um, enjoy as a kid.

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