A highly entertaining education.

Lollapalooza starts tomorrow and we are jazzed to see the vintage Marshall amps and beaming cross up on Chicago’s biggest stage. You probably had D.A.N.C.E. stuck in your head sometime between now and 2007, and this weekend you have the chance to sing along while ‘the other’ French duo cranks it out live. It’s been quite some time since the these wild and crazy guys have been back in America, so allow us to catch you up on their awesomeness; let the disco opera begin.

Xavier is the shorter of the two with short-ish black hair. Gaspard is the tall, curly mop-head, usually rockin a killer ‘stache.

Both were studying graphic design when they met at school. (Lightbulb: that is why the video for D.A.N.C.E. is so dope.)

 

Justice was intended to be pronounced just-EEEECE – added Frenchification of the English word – but never caught on in the US.

They made a movie. A Cross the Universe documents the last leg of their 2008 US tour and is nothing short of being completely irreverent: gluttony, blood, vomit, trashed hotel rooms, general chaos and lots of live music. In the film Gaspard marries a band-aid he met hours before and Xavier sings Under the Bridge to Anthony Keidis (who is a huge fan of Justice). The bash brothers also set a chick’s hair on fire. Some might call it a rockstars-touring cliche but it is wild and entertaining as all get out. Watch it with your friends, you’ll all be looking at each other for confirmation that indeed, ‘that just happened.’

 

They do, in fact, play live. Lots of controversy surrounded the pair when a snapshot of Gaspard ‘playing’ on an unplugged MIDI drum pad hit the web. Backlash began that Justice’s live sets were faked but Gaspard answered critics, explaining the picture was taken in the few seconds the USB had fallen out. The cable is right near the control in the photo; Gaspard went on to say he realized the issue instantly and plugged it back in. How many people were satisfied with that quick-fix response? Enough for them to come back to America this year and play to a sold out Ultra, Coachella and Lollapalooza.

Their remix of MGMT’s Electric Feel won a Grammy.

We. Are. Your Friends! In 2003 the Parisians entered a radio contest submitting a remix of  the Simian (later to be called Simian Mobile Disco) track, Never Be Alone. Once in the hands of Pedro Winters aka Busy P, the guys were signed on to Ed Banger Records. The song eventually saw another release in the UK in 2006, under the title We Are Your Friends.

Birdy Nam Nam’s track, The Parachute Ending was produced by Justice.

After playing Hard Haunted Mansion (same year of deadmau5′s hard intro & DJ AM’s Daft Punk costume) and Voodoo, Justice rang in the 2009 New Year at the Congress Theater in Chicago.. where were you?

BONUS! Jman and C Lion’s favorite songs are Waters Of Nazareth and the live edit of Phantom Part II.
In-cred-i-ble.
Just got SO excited.
Chedddddar face.