Take two seemingly opposite guys ““ Patrick Gemayel and David Macklovitch ““ give them a talkbox, a guitar and a synthesizer, and you’ve got the best friends that make up the electrofunk band Chromeo. Performing songs from their album “Fancy Footwork,” Chromeo will be lighting up the stage and their trademark legs at the Henry Fonda Theater on Wednesday.
The performance will showcase Chromeo’s distinct funk sound and quirky persona, both of which are quickly gaining the band a devoted fan base. Part of the charm is that Gemayel and Macklovitch, also known as P-Thugg and Dave 1, respectively, joke about their unique Arab and Jewish collaboration.
“At the end of the day, we’re like a geeky Jewish guy and a thugged-out-looking Lebanese dude, and we’re from Canada, so I can’t really sing about the same things as Rick James,” Macklovitch said.
“I think just the fact that we’re best friends, and we’ve been best friends since we were kids, and we’re doing music together, that’s enough of an ideal. It’s beautiful and ideal enough in a way.”
Before Macklovitch and Gemayel formed Chromeo, they were hip-hop producers who bought as many ’60s and ’70s funk records as they could get their hands on.
“We bought everything, pretty much, that had a black guy on the cover, everything that looked funky, anything that had a guy with an afro,” Macklovitch said. “And that’s how we discovered soul and funk music, and jazz as well.”
Having sampled their entire collection of ’60s and ’70s records, Macklovitch and Gemayel looked to the ’80s for influence as well.
“You really couldn’t sample (’80s records), so we actually just started listening to them and discovering them and appreciating them. And that’s kind of what drew us to the funk music of the ’80s, and it all kind of came from there,” said Macklovitch.
“I think that when P heard “˜More Bounce to the Ounce’ by Zapp and Roger, it really changed his life because we were 15 years old, and we were like, “˜I’ll play that instrument, or I’ll just play the talkbox.'”
Chromeo take their own deep knowledge of analog synthesizer technology and use it to craft their songs, just as artists did during the disco-funk era. Intentionally constraining their use of technology, P-Thugg and Dave 1 achieve a vintage texture in their sound while still being innovative.
“We try to add something, because you don’t just want to sound like a simple tribute, so I add a little bit of my sincerity and my personal experience through the lyrics,” Macklovitch said.
While the band’s catchy lyrics and danceable beats give them incredible career opportunities, Chromeo’s goal for the future isn’t necessarily to be a crossover commercial success, but rather to remain independent-minded musicians. As a band that relies on its record label for very little, Chromeo is in a very powerful position.
“I think if we could just evolve on our own terms and still be happy making music, that’s more than any musician could wish for. I just want to feel like I’m doing this on my own terms and it’s kind of connecting, that’s all,” Macklovitch said.
“I wouldn’t say that we are single-handedly changing the industry, but I’ll definitely say it’s stimulating and exciting to be a part of an industry that’s changing so much.”
Chromeo never thought it would be selling out shows. The fact that almost the entire West Coast tour is already sold out has exceeded even the band’s greatest expectations.
“I really think we’re the most grateful band on the planet because we are so thankful, like we can’t believe it still. It’s a little bit cheesy, but that’s the truth,” Macklovitch said.
That modesty and gratitude is certainly part of the band’s appeal. And while their unlikely cultural makeup is another charming feature, fans shouldn’t focus too much on it: Chromeo’s common interest in electro-funk music, and their art is primary.
“Everybody should concentrate on similarities between those two cultures (Arab and Jewish) instead of differences because, in fact, we have so much in common. And that’s more important,” Macklovitch said.