In SOUND CHECK, we check in with some of our favorite musicians.
Hugo was delivering pizza when he met Jimmy, the second half of Australian DJ duo Flight Facilities. Since that fateful encounter, they’ve been releasing delicately constructed electro tracks one by one, each featuring a different female vocalist who takes their sound in a new direction. In “Foreign Language" and “Crave You,” their music charges ahead with a fun, dance-y disco beat and dreamy vocals. In the over seven-minute-long “Clair de Lune,” sounds drip like rain down a car window. In 2011, Hugo finally quit his job delivering pizza and the two boys began playing sold-out shows around the world, most recently to a packed tent at Coachella dressed in aviator jackets, flying goggles, and caps––their signature outfits.
I chatted with Hugo while the band was relaxing in LA during the calm between the two Coachella weekends. We talked about the festival, his tendency toward kids' clothes, the music scene in Australia, and when their much-anticipated album will be released.
Austen Rosenfeld: You guys have been performing with aviator jackets, flying goggles, and caps as part of your act. Can you tell me about that style decision, plus the aviation theme in general?
Hugo was delivering pizza when he met Jimmy, the second half of Australian DJ duo Flight Facilities. Since that fateful encounter, they’ve been releasing delicately constructed electro tracks one by one, each featuring a different female vocalist who takes their sound in a new direction. In “Foreign Language" and “Crave You,” their music charges ahead with a fun, dance-y disco beat and dreamy vocals. In the over seven-minute-long “Clair de Lune,” sounds drip like rain down a car window. In 2011, Hugo finally quit his job delivering pizza and the two boys began playing sold-out shows around the world, most recently to a packed tent at Coachella dressed in aviator jackets, flying goggles, and caps––their signature outfits.
I chatted with Hugo while the band was relaxing in LA during the calm between the two Coachella weekends. We talked about the festival, his tendency toward kids' clothes, the music scene in Australia, and when their much-anticipated album will be released.
Austen Rosenfeld: You guys have been performing with aviator jackets, flying goggles, and caps as part of your act. Can you tell me about that style decision, plus the aviation theme in general?
Hugo Gruzman: It was just an idea at first. We were going to wear hats to separate ourselves from the rest of the DJs so people knew it was us. It was a little gimmick, and then we took it to the next level by really dressing up… it was kind of embarrassing, but you just have to commit to it. Jimmy [wears] a more modern kind of pilot outfit; he’s got his cap on. And I’m really old school… I look like Amelia Earhart. I reckon it kind of speaks to what we do: we combine a lot modern music with old music.
Did you guys perform in outfits at Coachella this year?
Yeah, we did. It was really hot onstage because my jacket’s leather. Jimmy’s in a suit jacket which is fairly aired out but I’m cased up in leather … it’s always the same outfits, we’re pretty consistent with that. Someone asked me recently how I washed it… it’s always a different undershirt, I promise. [laughs]
You guys usually feature a different female vocalist on every track. Can you tell me a little about that decision and why? How do you find the singers you work with?
We find different singers different ways all the time. Like the first two we found in bars totally accidentally. Other times it’s been because we like their music and we wanted to work with them. The idea behind it is you get a different result each time. We want to take our music in new directions…. To make people look outside the artists they know.
You guys started by mixing other people's music. How was the transition toward making your own? Will there be more of that in the future?
Everyone seemed to get their start doing remixes for other artists. It puts you on the map and it shows that association. I don’t think it happens much anymore, but everyone did that and so it’s a good way to get your chops in music and show the association so people respected you. I wish it happened more.
People don&rs
Did you guys perform in outfits at Coachella this year?
Yeah, we did. It was really hot onstage because my jacket’s leather. Jimmy’s in a suit jacket which is fairly aired out but I’m cased up in leather … it’s always the same outfits, we’re pretty consistent with that. Someone asked me recently how I washed it… it’s always a different undershirt, I promise. [laughs]
You guys usually feature a different female vocalist on every track. Can you tell me a little about that decision and why? How do you find the singers you work with?
We find different singers different ways all the time. Like the first two we found in bars totally accidentally. Other times it’s been because we like their music and we wanted to work with them. The idea behind it is you get a different result each time. We want to take our music in new directions…. To make people look outside the artists they know.
You guys started by mixing other people's music. How was the transition toward making your own? Will there be more of that in the future?
Everyone seemed to get their start doing remixes for other artists. It puts you on the map and it shows that association. I don’t think it happens much anymore, but everyone did that and so it’s a good way to get your chops in music and show the association so people respected you. I wish it happened more.
People don&rs