When Patrick Gemayel answered his cell phone, I almost expected to hear a talk box greet me with a funky hello on the other end. Known more commonly as P-Thugg, one half of the infectious funk dance duo Chromeo, Gemayel has become famous for being the dude who sings with a tube in his mouth. The result, as thousands of people know and love, is a robotic “Chromeo-oh-oh-oh-oh” twang that finishes the lyrics of lead singer Dave Macklovich. Together as Chromeo, Gemayel and Macklovich have become one of Montreal’s most popular exports. Gemayel, whose voice is deep and soft sans talk box, is thoughtful, funny, and modest – the ultimate Burner Bro. SH: There’s no doubt that your music makes people want to dance and go wild. What are some of the funniest things you’ve seen your audiences do? PG: There are a lot of funny dance moves, it’s quite a nice repertoire that our fans have. Of course there’s a little bit of alcohol involved which makes things a bit funnier. People dressing up are always funny. I remember these two girls dressed up as me at a show.
I don’t even think it was for Halloween, they just wanted to dress up as Pee. It was hilarious. SH: You and Dave have been friends since school. What advice do you have for all the best friend duos out there to keep the friendship healthy? PG: It’s like a couple – you have to trust the other person, always remember the history and your friendship and rely on that to make decisions. And never, never, never have egos between each other. An ego is this thing that breaks up bands, breaks up friendships ... That’s how we work with music, too. As opposed to some bands that sometimes break up because of these problems, when we’re in the studio, we’re honest with each other. If one of us comes up with an idea and the other one doesn’t like it then it’s scrapped instantly. There’s no arguing, especially on creative decisions.
P-thugg OF CHROMEO
words by Sara Harowitz / photos by Alex Browne