My Forever Studio: Chromeo’s subterranean synth-funk studio
With the duo’s sixth album out now, we learn about their most prized studio possessions.
Dave 1 (left) and P-Thugg (right) of Chromeo. Image: Fiona Garden for MusicTech
The journey to studio foreverdom continues! Canadian funk duo Chromeo joins us for the inaugural episode of the sixth season of My Forever Studio, presented in partnership with Audient.
Dave1 and P-Thugg of Chromeo, AKA the Funklordz, create their fantasy Forever Studio following the strict rules of the show: they’re allowed one computer, one DAW, one audio interface, and just six other pieces of music gear. And, crucially, “NO BUNDLES”.
With the 2024 release of Chromeo’s sixth album, Adult Contemporary, the duo is fresh out of their real-life studio with an abundance of creativity. My Forever Studio hosts Chris Barker and Will Betts sit down with Chromeo in TYX Studios to learn about their real velvet-walled studio in LA, and discover which famous monument they’d manifest their Forever Studio beneath.
David ‘Dave 1’ Macklovitch and Patrick ‘P-Thugg’ Gemayel are celebrating two decades of funk on Adult Contemporary, with their distinctive blend of tongue-in-cheek lyrics, talkbox melodies, and punchy disco drums. Their hard work in the scene has liberated Chromeo, giving them confidence that their signature sound will keep dancefloors moving for years to come.
As they told us in our cover feature interview, “The way we’ve crafted our DNA is the least restrictive thing. We restrict ourselves to our references and the tropes, but have so many infinite ways to use them, that there’s no restriction.
“I think we can pull off whatever we want, as long as it’s got groove. It’s gonna be our sonic palette, we’re gonna sing our themes, it’s gonna have our touch, we’re not worried about that.”
The My Forever Studio podcast sees artists, producers and engineers create their dream fantasy Forever Studio, wherever they want in the universe. However, there are strict rules in the Forever Studio. Our guests are permitted a limited number of items in their creative space, so they must choose carefully. There will be nostalgia. There will be anecdotes. There may be gags. But there will be no bundles!
