Green Label Sound, a free singles label is proud to present its latest exclusive track “Night By Night” from Montreal electrofunk duo Chromeo. “Night By Night,” is a heroic, guitar-laden, macho-disco masterpiece, and is available as a free download exclusively at http://www.greenlabelsound.com on September 23, 2009.

Chromeo, comprised of P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) and Dave 1 (David Macklovitch), are known for their sultry-synth sounds, funk-throwback jams and disarmingly candid lyrics. “Night By Night” is their first original song since 2007 and it offers a sneak peek of their upcoming album. Dave and Pee reunited with Philippe Zdar, of the French dance act Cassius, for the masterful mix. Zdar is the mixing wiz behind Chromeo’s previous album, Fancy Footwork, as well as the most recent Phoenix album.

“We wanted to come back out with something ballsy, which stayed true to our sound, but added something new, in this case, all the classic rock guitars and Dave singing falstetto,” says Pee.

“At the same time, the song has a driving disco bassline that evokes tight leather pants rubbing up against each other,” adds Dave. “And the best part is that we can just give it away for free. That’s the future right there.”

“Night By Night”
http://www.greenlabelsound.com/artists/chromeo/

Green Label Sound (GLS), supported by Mtn Dew, is a music label designed to elevate and empower independent artists. To date, GLS has released tracks and videos by Matt and Kim, Holy Ghost!, The Cool Kids, Flosstradamus and U-N-I to name a few. Stay tuned for exclusive new tracks from Solid Gold and more.

The Montreal duo Chromeo continues in hot pursuit of the funk on the latest installment of DJ-KiCKS, !K7’s acclaimed DJ mix series that has resulted in classic, definitive sets from artists like Kruder & Dorfmeister, Playgroup, Tiga, Erlend Oye and Hot Chip, to name but a few. (It’s first DJ-KiCKS, in fact, since Booka Shade’s 2007 contribution).

True to the series’ standard, Chromeo’s selection takes in sounds you’d be hard-pressed to hear almost anywhere else: early ’80s disco and R&B that sound little like the Italo and space disco currently enjoying a rise in hipster cred. Bursting with robo-funk basslines and plastic handclaps, swollen with strings and keyboards and vocals, it celebrates an oft-derided side of ’80s pop. Amidst gems from the likes of Leo Sayer, France Joli and even The Alan Parsons Project, the mix also features new tracks from current artists like Lifelike and Chateau Marmont-not to mention Chromeo’s own cover of the Eagles’ “I Can’t Tell You Why.”

And why not? Chromeo have never been afraid of looking uncool. Dave 1 and P-Thugg got over that when they quit making hip-hop beats and gave into their love of obscure, electro-infused funk, disco and R&B, trading sampled drum breaks for lean 808 patterns slathered with vocal effects and sticky-sweet keyboards. The approach got them signed to Turbo (then Vice and V2) and has given the world singles like “Needy Girl” and “Fancy Footwork,” as well as two albums and a passel of remixes by artists like Etienne de Crecy, The Juan Maclean and Playgroup (aka Trevor Jackson, who is actually responsible for this release’s artwork.) Their DJ-KiCKS mix goes to the heart of the Chromeo story.

“We’ve been buying vintage records since our teens,” says Dave 1. “That’s what fueled our inspiration when we started doing Chromeo,” attempting to recreate the sound of early ’80s records they hadn’t found ways to sample, as hip-hop producers. “Usually, for DJ mixes, we dig up records and do a little selection of the cream of the crop of super unknown records,” chimes in P-Thugg. “For this one we just wanted to put on funk that we like and that’s it.”

“I doubt there are many records on the mix that are worth more than a dollar apiece,” says Dave 1. The crucial difference is that these are “obscure dollar bin records,” plentifully available yet all but forgotten, even in their native Quebec. Appropriately, given Montreal’s rich history as a disco hotspot, there’s a French Canadian theme woven loosely into the mix, taking in tracks from Pierre Perpall (aka Purple Flash), France Joli, Diane Tell, Cheri and the one-hit wonders Soupir. Some of the songs were in rotation on the adult-contemporary radio stations the musicians grew up listening to, says P-Thugg, “and now, 15 or 20 years later, we’re finding our way back to that.”

In addition to Quebec’s finest well-aged cheese, there are also selections from Italo legend Kano, Floridian funkstress Donna Allen and the little-known Carmen, whose “Time to Move” is an infectious and all-but-unheralded track recorded when she was only 16. Even Rick James makes a proxy appearance, in the form of his protégé Val Young.

“When we started Chromeo, people thought we were maybe being ironic,” says Dave 1. “But it goes deeper than Rick James,” he insists, recalling the critics who were eager to cast Chromeo as Vice’s answer to “I’m Rick James, bitch!” “We listen to unknown guys from the ’80s who tried to copy Rick James! It’s a very scholarly approach. We do these mixes to show our erudition.” But with heavy hooks and heartfelt songs like these, their “scholarship” is the opposite of egg-headed.

Just listen to their version of “I Can’t Tell You Why,” which recasts the soft-rock staple in drum machines, synths and talk box. “What’s weird is that if you listen to the original record, they’re trying to sound like Al Green,” explains Dave 1. P-Thugg goes even further: “It’s a slow song, a great song, super soulful. We knew the song, but when you cover it and try to go deeper and listen to everything happening, you discover so many little things in there.” Those earnest declarations don’t sound the least bit tongue in cheek, and neither does the end result. In fact, the overriding vibe of Chromeo’s DJ-KiCKS might be described as innocent. Mixed in with its glossy synthesizers and belted soul vocals, its one-hit wonders and outmoded drum machines, there’s a sense of sheer delight. Simply put, Chromeo really just want to big up a side of popular music that deserves way more credit.

“Of course, man!” explains P-Thugg. “It’s the same as when we started with ’80s funk music. It’s not ironic. It’s not a joke. It’s really sincere! Guys like Prince, they really had it in their heart. He feels it! Same with the Doobie Brothers’ ‘What a Fool Believes,’ this is a real song! It’s sincere music, and that’s what the best music is. It’s non-calculated.”

Just like the mix, which is calculated only to make you move, maybe to swoon a little; it’ll definitely change the way you think about ’80s pop. Count on Chromeo to pull all that off with ease.

Written by Philip Sherburne

Aug 28 2009 4:00P
SAN DIEGO STREET SCENE Festival……..San Diego, California

Sep 13 2009 4:00P
MONOLITH Festival………………………………..Morrison, Colorado

Oct 16 2009 8:00P
Irving Plaza…………………………………………….New York, New York

Lotus & Troy Dunnit – Nu Flava video featuring P-Thugg of Chromeo from the Anti-Cupid EP

Vice Records’ own Chromeo will be making a cameo performance on the latest episode of Yo Gabba Gabba! on Friday, February 27th. The popular children’s television show is broadcast on Nick Jr. and wil also guest star Rachel Dratch and Biz Markie. Check your local listings for showtimes.