Chromeo is an electrofunk duo from Montreal, Canada formed by musicians P-Thugg (Patrick Gemayel) and Dave 1 (David Macklovitch).

They have always done their own thing. From their first hit single “Needy Girl” in 2003, the former hip hop producers rode the wave of the Vice Records boom to national acclaim and beyond, blending classic beat architecture and talkbox vocals for a sound somehow both familiar and new. Three albums later, Chromeo is back with “Business Casual”, a blend of their beloved hard funk and soft rock that is all their own.

Their music has been featured in video games like FIFA11, FIFA 09, FIFA Street 3, Sims 2, NBA Live 09, and Need For Speed ProStreet, to name a few. Fasten your Velcro high-tops, pop your collar, and hop in your Delorean for a funky ride to a smooth musical destination!

GD: We know you guys make music that has been showcased in video games, but we also heard you guys are gamers… so which of you is the bigger gamer - Pee Thugg or Dave 1? What do you guys play?

PT: Well we're not really gamers. I would be the one playing the most games though. I do have a PS3 and a Wii. I haven't had as much time to play games as I used to. I used to kill it on those good old NES games like Punch Out, Metroid, Contra, Super Mario and my favorite - Zelda, good times... The latest games I've tried that I really liked were Sonic Spinball, Skate it, Yahtzee, Rock Band, NBA Live 09 and FIFA. Oh yeah, Dave keeps pretending he's great at Street Fighter, but I have yet to see that.

GD: When you're on tour, what is your video game of choice, and when do you get to play?

PT: We don't get to play much at all, on or off tour... We've got a pretty tight schedule and all spare moments are spent with more music, videos, remixes, press and accounting.

GD: Would you ever consider making a Chromeo video game, ala Journey's 1983 classic arcade game?

PT: Wow what's that game?? I would love to try it. It would be crazy to have a Chromeo video game. I think the game would be a mix of Zelda and Mario Bros. knock off where Dave and I are both going through the land of funk to save the princess (that would be Evelyn Champagne King) and all bosses are artists that we love. The bosses would be, John Oates, MC Hammer, George Clinton, Art Garfunkel and I think the final big boss would be Rick James.

GD: A lot of old-school video games are being remade these days.  Which old-school video game remake would you like to write the soundtrack for, and which old-school game would you like to see remade?

PT: I would love to remake Zelda and write the music for it; this game is ingrained in my brain. When I was a kid I hand-drew the complete Zelda map with all secret doors and worlds, I was dedicated... I could finish the game in 27 minutes. I would love to see a remake for Skate or Die, Excitebike, California Games, Contra, Metroid... These games were so fun. But let's concentrate on the Chromeo game for now, let's make this happen.

GD: Speaking of old-school, you've said you're heavily influenced by 1980s R&B, and you use a "talkbox" onstage and in the studio.  What's your first memory of hearing a talkbox?

PT: Yes, the talkbox is an essential part of our sound. We use it as much as we can for live and studio performances. I just fell in love with the instrument the first time I heard "More Bounce To The Ounce" and "Computer Love" by Zapp. I just remember saying: I HAVE to learn how to do that... And I did.

GD: Desert island album pick: New Edition's "New Edition" or Bobby Brown's "Don't Be Cruel"?

PT: It's a hard pick man... I would bring my iPod to have everything... But, gun to my head, I would choose Bobby Brown "Don't Be Cruel".

GD: Ever get mistaken for or accidentally booked as the classic funk band Cameo?

PT: That's a funny question.. No, it's never happened.

GD: You recently worked with Daryl Hall of Hall & Oates.  Are you taking your sound in an even smoother direction with your latest release, "Business Casual"?

PT: Business Casual is somehow split in two, with smoother songs and ballads on one end, and classic Chromeo funk on the other. We wanted to start with the basics of song structure before we went straight into developing the sounds that would fit. These songs were focused on chords played on a piano, taking the songs down to their raw elements, which we later beefed up with our signature sounds.  I feel that the songs have more depth than some of our older stuff, a bit more musical. But we tried to keep the fun and dancy side of Chromeo of course. It's all a balance between evolution and not loosing your sound.

GD: John Carroll, guitarist from Minneapolis dance group Dance Band, once told me he thought your early hit "Needy Girl" was really about your pet dog. Any truth to his theory?

PT: Wow, this interview is full of surprises... Neither Dave or I have or even like dogs... We both grew up in heartless animal-less families so we're not really into animals at home. I had a budgie once and almost starved it to death because I had no discipline to feed it and change the cage, or whatever you need to do to it... So I gave it up to a great family and that was the first and last time I took care of an animal.

GD: If our readers were going to listen to one non-Chromeo album, what would you recommend?

PT: I would recommend a typical entry level funk album to get introduced to funk music, Parliament "Tear The Roof Off 1974-1980". You're pretty much all set with that. When you've memorized the whole thing, come back to see me and I'll let you know what your next step is.