Fortress Festival Artist Spotlight: Chromeo
Written by Tiffany Noviski on April 18, 2018
Chromeo, a duo from Canada consisting of Dave 1 and P-Thugg, is breathing life into an otherwise dead genre and still
photo: Tim Saccenti
carving out their own spot in the music genus with their funky, electronic, pop grooves. Chromeo is bringing disco back. Their name, while inspired by their favorite photographer, inspires the image of a disco ball itself. If the name “Chromeo” doesn’t create the image of shiny disco balls in your mind’s eye, consider that the source of their name is from Helmut Newton’s 1976 book White Women published during disco’s prime.
White Women is also the title of Chromeo’s album released in 2014. This album sustained the overall position of #21 on the 2014 Dance/Electronic Album year end chart. It peaked as #11 on the Billboard 200 for two weeks in May, 2014. This album personifies the marriage of the disco, funk, electronic and Chromeo styles. Songs such as “Over Your Shoulder,” and “Hard to Say No,”conjure remnants of Donna Summer’s “Bad Girls,” and KC and the Sunshine Band’s “I’m Your Boogie Man.” Then there are songs such as “Come Alive,” featuring Toro y Moi and “Jealous (I Ain’t With It),” that showcase Chromeo’s originality. Another treat on that album is “Lost on the Way Home,” which features Solange.
In total, Chromeo has released four albums – She’s In Control, Fancy Footwork, Business Casual and White Women. Their fifth album, Head Over Heels, is scheduled to release June 15, 2018. “Must’ve Been,” featuring DRAM is its premier single. Released on April 6, 2018, its official video already has over 150,000 views. Chromeo is already on tour, the “Head Over Heels Tour,” in anticipation of this new album, you can catch them in Houston on April 18th or in Fort Worth at Fortress Festival the weekend of April 28th, 29th.
Their music is fun, groovy and stands out from the typical electronic dance music and pop. They consider themselves the “only successful Arab/Jew partnership since the dawn of human culture.” They are blazing trails. From their unique personal partnership to collaborations with artists to their creation of art they stand out like the disco ball harkening to their name.
