What Does It Mean to Be Human?
Single, after single––and another single. On 10/10, les deux Garçons unleashed a 10-outta-10 extended play. The two musicians’ goal was to craft a body of work, void of expectations––even their own. Be Human is an ode to life, and humanity, offering a glimmer of hope in our dystopian climate.
Behold the "Ladybug" music video below.
Are you human?
Absolutely. 100%.
What is the dynamic of creating with another person? How do you support each other’s strengths, and weaknesses?
It’s really cool. You take a mind full of ideas and influences, and add another mind with an entirely different set of ideas and influences, and blend them together. You never know where it’s going to go, but you trust each other’s gut feelings. We don’t focus on the weaknesses, we only focus on the strengths. But we’re always learning, and trying to be better I think.
Besides Fela Kuti, who else inspires your genreless soundscape?
Innovators; people who aren’t afraid to push boundaries. Frank Ocean, Amy Winehouse, M.I.A, James Brown. Influences from all over the place. We’re both really big fans of music.
I noted the reference to Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas in the Froggin video––does film, and literature, play a big role in the development of your artistry? What do you think about when you’re writing a new track, or record?
Not really. The music always comes first. Sometimes an idea for a visual might come to mind. But it’s usually later, closer to when the song is finished. We try our best to make the videos help tell the story in a different way. Most of the time, when you see a music video for a song you love, it stays in your head. So whenever you hear the song, now you see the video. That could be cool. Not always, though. Sometimes it’s best for people to use their imaginations, and do it themselves.
Does music serve a cultural purpose in society? How can artists make a meaningful contribution?
Definitely, it always has. People define generations by the music they listened to. People can remember entire chapters of their own lives based on the music they listened to. We grow, we change, and so do the things that we relate to. Music, and life, go hand in hand. An artist should be able to make any contribution they want. I don’t think there's an obligation to contribute anything if you don’t want to. But if they want to make a meaningful one, they should. If you’re honest enough to be yourself, and tell your story, it can have a positive effect. You can inspire people, give them confidence, relate to them. People are always looking for something, or someone to relate to.
Do you believe in alien life? If so, can you describe what they would look like?
Why not? There could be aliens here right now––who knows. It’s hard to believe the things you hear sometimes, but we have no idea what’s possible. They’ll probably have a lot of swag, and would be wearing colours, we’ve never seen before. And the uniforms would be sick. Imagine wearing an actual alien spacesuit on stage.
