We are mere days away from a new Justice album after the duo’s lengthy five year hiatus. In the time since the bloghaus factotums went dark, electronic dance music has become a sprawling global enterprise, though if there truly is an “EDM bubble,” Gaspard and Xavier are here to pop it. The duo are quiet, minimal, and enigmatic so the press junket for one of the most highly-anticipated dance records of the year has been atypical to say the least.
Impromptu pop up shows in New York and Berlin, along with a slow trickle of singles over the summer, have carried the wait along, but in a new interview with French media outlet Clique, Justice take a moment to reflect on everything from their new album, to their friendship, production method, being late bloomers, hip-hop, and most importantly, how integral love is to the central message of Woman just ahead of the record’s release.
“This mix of romance, sincerity, and more violent stuff is part of us and what we like.”
Xavier has always been the group’s speaker. He’s descriptive and articulate, while his counterpart Gaspard is much more reserved and introspective. Xavier is wearing a vintage New York Jets bomber, Gaspard is representing the Giants. They are yin and yang, and unimaginable apart. Xavier describes how the project began over a decade ago in the third basement of a dilapidated club. The lack of oxygen in their dark underground studio churned out hypnotic hits like “Stress” and “Newjack,” whereas now, in 2016, you can hear the sunshine and fresh air resonating off of tracks like “RANDY” without even paying attention. The duo are growing up, and when questioned about the dynamics of Woman, they are quick to admit that it will not invoke nostalgic feelings from their older records, this one will feel more matured, just as they have over the last decade.
“There’s so much time between each album, it’s hard for us to keep the same enthusiasm and follow the same path.”
Gaspard and Xavier admit their love for one another, and how brotherhood and camaraderie are major factors in their production method. They discuss hip-hop’s pioneering cultural influence and their relation to it, from clearing Jay Z’s famous sampling of “D.A.N.C.E.” over a grainy international phone call to accepting that perhaps they play no role in merging hip-hop and techno as some may have previously expected. The pair also discuss Justice’s tenuous relationship with commercialism and an almost inadvertent fear of mainstream success.
Justice are expected to blow people’s minds on their third album; they are well aware of that. They always have been. But rather than try to be ahead of the curve, a trait that has always seemingly come naturally to the pair, this record is about expressing emotions passionately, especially love, in a challenging manner without overthinking it. Watch the interview above, and prepare for Justice’s return on November 18 with the release of their third studio LP, Woman.
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