Were you aware that they were going to be huge?
I was confident, but you don’t write on a piece of paper, “In 15 years, I’m going to be a legend.” The only thing we knew was that we had something strong on our hands and something fragile and something precious.
Were you surprised how big the comeback has been?
Maybe the boys wouldn’t share this, but me, yeah. The minute I saw the show I was like, “They killed the comeback.”
You felt it. I was doing a night that was mostly indie rock and hip-hop, but it changed overnight after the Coachella set. The clubs, the hipster-indie-whatever-was-going-on, changed quite obviously to dance music.
I completely understand; the club scene changed and electronic live shows [were] taken seriously again. Before, you had electronic artists showing up onstage [with bands]. No, you have to understand where electronic music is coming from. It’s coming from your computers, and you don’t need to especially adapt it to a stage.
It also marked the return of the French scene that had really burnt itself out.
From 2002 to 2006, the French scene was failing because we put out crap music. When I say we, hopefully not my crew, but French producers in general. So many Daft Punks, so much filtered disco. The same thing we’d been doing for the past few years. This is a mistake we have to avoid doing again. Another “Justice sound.”
How do you avoid that?
We’re in 2008. I can play LFO. I can play Snoop Doggy Dogg. I can play Justice and the new whatever. It wasn’t like that 10 years ago. I’m trying to educate. The fans trust us if we want to introduce them to something by Carl Craig.
Do you find yourself doing this a lot?
You know me. I’m the funny guy of the crew, getting drunk and jumping around onstage. But I take it really seriously inside of me and I feel really responsible I’m trying, but not as a boring teacher, which for me, is what was wrong in electronic music. I think we’re succeeding, and this is why, in my clubs, I can play anything I want.
Is there a leadership role you can take when you are airbrushed on a t-shirt?
[Ed Banger art director] So Me came up with this painting exhibition of my face 20 times. I didn’t know about it. It was the craziest thing! I knew about the exhibition, but I was thinking he would draw all of my crew. I have no problem taking it on my shoulders. We are doing this cover and putting me next to Obama and Jay. I like this out-of-context thing. If it helps the label, if it helps me to headline a show in Hollywood and play whatever music I want to 1,000 kids tonight.
It’s interesting that after a decade of being the guy behind the guys with no face, you have now become the guy with THE face…
Ten years ago, not only Daft Punk, but the whole French scene was hiding behind the music. It was all about concept and direction and all that. But today, Justice, they are rock stars; girls have Justice posters in their bedrooms. I’m walking and signing autographs. It’s a need of the kids of today, the kids of MySpace, to link the music and the way of life they choose with some people. This is why I insist it’s not an empty celebrity. We’re not famous because they see us in a magazine or MTV. They know what we are doing and this is what interests me. I don’t want to be famous like, ‘Oh, I’ve seen you in this magazine, but, I don’t know exactly what you’re doing. I don’t want to be famous for being a friend of Daft Punk.
Now you’re famous for being a friend of Justice.
Yes, I am.
So what is the plan for’09?
My goal is to be part of the game next year, the year after, and maybe come back bigger the next year. Maybe smaller. I’m working now on the Mr. Oizo album, which is crazy. We’re gonna try to bring some new stuff, not to make the same mistake as the French scene 10 years
ago. I’m not gonna do another album that sounds like Justice. I’m not that stupid.
You’re still the unofficial Daft Punk spokesman though…
This is a role for life, being Daft Punk’s right hand man. This is something I will not take off. This is my life.
Give us something for the bloggers.
People are saying I’m launching rumors. I think Daft Punk and Kraftwerk should do something together, and…what if? It’s not going to happen. We have a proposed stadium tour-Daft Punk and Kraftwerk–but it’s not happening.
Leave A Comment!