THEE FFF
A CONVERSATION WITH FRANCOIS LEBARON AND FREDERICK LAURIER
What happens when Felix Da Housecat stops by the studio of Montreal’s dynamic duo Hoopalaï (Francois Lebaron and Frederick Laurier)? Groovy Chicago House and dark, minimal techno and infectious electronic tracks, which would later come to be the base of their work as Thee FFF.
“We met Felix in Mexico and shared some meals which led to us booking him to play Montreal,” Lebaron and Laurier explain. “We invited him the following year for a BBQ and we all started jamming on synths in our studio. Actually, it was those synths that ended up going into ‘All This.’”
The zippy synth lines of “All This,” the second track on the trio’s freshly released two-track EP, Contradiction (November 24, 2017) follows up Thee FFF’s debut release “It’s So Much Fun,” a remix on Lee Foss’ Repopulate Mars label.
“All This” immediately hooks the listener with its catchy chorded melody and erie, buzzy effects. “The vocals on ‘All This’ are actually Francois’ filtered vocals,” says Laurier. “And we like to use live percussion samples in our tracks.” These samples bounce over a hypnotic bass line, adding a certain je ne sais quoi to the mesmerizing track which contrasts the moodier title track, “Contradiction.”
Thee FFF use Abelton Live and analogue synths on their tracks. “We always try to lay down the ideas in person as a trio,” says Lebaron and Laurier. “But we share tracks digitally given that we are not always in the same place.”
While live dates for Thee FFF are forthcoming, the trio will be polishing up some music in the studio. “We’d love to play Electric Island next year if possible along with some club dates,” says LeBaron. “We just have to figure out Felix’s schedule,” he says laughing.
In the interim, the vinyl EP of Contradiction can be ordered online HERE. For Hoopalaï fans, a new track came out on December 4, 2017.
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