On Feb. 5 and 6, the electro-funk duo by the name of Chromeo will grace the 9:30 club for an all-out dance party. The duo, formed by Dave 1 on vocals and guitar, and P-Thugg on synthesizers, talk box, and keyboard, made a name for themselves last year when they played on Live with Daryl Hall and then recreated the performance at Bonnaroo.
In an interview with The Eagle, P-Thugg described the experience as “surreal.”
“It’s very gratifying and rewarding to play with someone you’ve admired, copied, and studied,” he said. On the show, the band alternated between playing their own songs and Daryl’s, transforming old classics and giving some folk to Chromeo’s own songs. P-Thugg remarked that the experience was similar to “when you work out and discover a new muscle – like I didn’t know that emotion existed.” The performance on a whole is an amazing mix of their contrasting music and brought a good bit of attention to Chromeo.
When he was asked about the festival experience in general, P-Thugg had only words of awe. “There are a lot of people and half of them don’t know you yet,” he said. “It’s impersonal compared to other shows where everyone in the room knows you. Festivals are purely to gain [publicity].”
For Chromeo, the festival road has definitely helped them gain success, and P-Thugg can see the evidence of that. “As we grow our career, we’re getting better slots. It becomes a status to play on a big stage. As time goes on, you see your name getting bigger, and it’s a token of all the work you’ve put in.” He went on to comment on how nice it is to look at lineups now and think “we can now read our names.”
Chromeo got started though from an early friendship P-Thugg shared with Dave 1, and he said the process was “gradual.” The two are childhood friends who took a “step towards making a living out of pure fun and pleasure in the first place and money second place, always.” This mantra has surely helped the duo as their music has been heralded as a mix of dance music, a tribute to the best of the ‘80s, funk that’s built on P-Thugg’s retro beats, and Dave 1’s sweet-talking lyrics. Through this combination, they have made three studio albums, and the latest “Business Casual” has come with critical success.
When it comes to influences, P-Thugg’s show some diversity. “Everything I’ve listened to: Snoop Dogg, Michael McDonald, the Doobie Brothers, everything, Fleetwood Mac, Vampire Weekend has influenced the music.” Of course he also cites his “family, parents, and friends.” The vast influences are probably what make the music unique.
“Though mostly from funk and pop,” P-Thugg said of the genre he strives for. “I grew up listening to hip-hop. I didn’t grow up in America, so when I came back I rediscovered music through hip-hop and collected everything on vinyl.” He went on to say that through the music used in hip-hop songs he was able to discover more and more music. Chromeo’s knowledge in music shows through their own material as songs show hints of various influences but spur off into their own groove.
When they are not on tour, Dave 1 teaches French at Columbia University and P-Thugg resides in Montreal. As far as the future goes, P-Thugg said “it’s hard to say.”We don’t really plan anything in advance, main thing is to make good music then good things will happen.”
For now they are enjoying where they are and looking forward to their upcoming tour, and P-Thugg said “it’s great to come back to the 9:30.”
thescene@theeagleonline.com
