Chromeo facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Chromeo
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Chromeo performing at the Monolith Festival in 2009. From left: David Macklovitch, Patrick Gemayel
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| Background information | |
| Origin | Montreal, Quebec, Canada |
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| Years active | 2002–present |
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| Members |
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Chromeo is a Canadian music duo that plays electro-funk music. They are from Montreal, Canada. The group started in 2002 with two musicians: David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel.
Their music mixes sounds from different styles. These include blue-eyed soul, dance music, rock, synth-pop, disco, and funk. As of 2021, Chromeo has released five studio albums. Three of these albums made it onto the Billboard 200 music charts. In 2018, Chromeo was nominated for a Grammy Award for their album Head over Heels. This was a big achievement for the band.
Contents
The Story of Chromeo
How Dave 1 and P-Thugg Met
The two members of Chromeo first met in the mid-1990s. They were students at Collège Stanislas in Montreal. They often joke about their different backgrounds. Dave 1 is Jewish, and P-Thugg is Arab. They call themselves "the only successful Arab/Jewish partnership since the dawn of human culture."
When they were about 15 years old, Dave 1 joined P-Thugg's band. Around this time, Dave 1's younger brother, A-Trak, became a famous DJ. A-Trak won the DMC World DJ Championships in 1997. After their band broke up, Dave 1 and P-Thugg started making hip hop music together. A music producer named Tiga worked with Dave 1 at a record store. Tiga asked them to make music for his record label, Turbo. That's when Dave 1 and P-Thugg officially became Chromeo.
First Albums and Hits
Chromeo released their first album, She's in Control, in 2004. Most critics liked it. They said Chromeo's sound was like popular 1980s groups such as Hall & Oates and Prince. One song from the album, "Needy Girl," became a hit in clubs around the world. Dave 1 said that "Needy Girl" was like a "musical passport." It helped their music reach many different places. Another song, "You're So Gangsta," was used as the theme song for the video game Space Colony.
In 2005, Chromeo released a mix CD called Un Joli Mix Pour Toi. This means "A Nice Mix for You" in French. In 2006, they were featured in a song by DJ Mehdi called "I Am Somebody." In 2007, Chromeo went on tour in Britain with the indie rock band Bloc Party.
New Music and Performances
After three years, Chromeo released their second album, Fancy Footwork. This album also received good reviews. In 2008, they performed with Daryl Hall from Hall & Oates on his online show, Live from Daryl's House. They also performed together at the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2010. Chromeo even appeared on the children's TV show Yo Gabba Gabba! in 2009, singing a song called "Nice 'N Clean."
Their third album, Business Casual, came out on September 14, 2010. The music video for their song "Night by Night" from this album has been watched millions of times on YouTube. Chromeo has been featured in Future Magazine and played sold-out shows in places like London.
In 2011, Chromeo announced a very small album called Drive Time. It had 55 songs but only lasted 183 seconds! Later, they revealed it was a special Nokia satellite navigation pack for cell phones. It gave directions using their voices and music.
Recent Projects
In September 2013, the group announced their fourth album, White Women. It was released in May 2014. Chromeo also performed at the famous Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in April 2014.
On November 2, 2017, Chromeo announced their album Head Over Heels. The first song from it, "Juice," came out on November 7, 2017. This album earned them their first Grammy nomination in 2018.
In May 2020, Chromeo started their own record label called "Juliet Records." Then, in June 2021, they announced a live album called Date Night: Chromeo Live!. This album features songs recorded during their 2019 tour. It was the first time Chromeo performed live with a full band.
Meet the Members
- Dave 1 (real name David Macklovitch, born June 7, 1978) is the lead singer and plays guitar. He is also studying French Literature at Columbia University and teaches at Barnard College.
- P-Thugg (real name Patrick Gemayel, born in Lebanon on July 31, 1979) plays keyboards, synthesizers, bass guitar, and a special voice effect tool called a talk box. He moved to Canada when he was eight years old.
Chromeo's Albums
Here are the studio albums Chromeo has released:
- She's in Control (2004)
- Fancy Footwork (2007)
- Business Casual (2010)
- White Women (2014)
- Head over Heels (2018)
- Quarantine Casanova (EP) (2020)
Awards and Nominations
Chromeo has been recognized for their music with several awards and nominations:
| Year | Award | Category | Work | Result |
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| 2007 | Bucky Award | Best Sweatin' to the Indies Workout Song | "Fancy Footwork" | Won |
| 2008 | Woodie Award | Left Field Woodie | N/A | Won |
| Juno Award | Dance Recording of the Year | Fancy Footwork | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Business Casual | Nominated | ||
| MTV Video Music Award | Best Special Effects | "Don't Turn the Lights On" | Nominated | |
| 2019 | Grammy Awards | Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical | Head Over Heels | Nominated |
See also
In Spanish: Chromeo para niños
