Classixx is an American
electronic music
Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...
record production and DJ duo, based in
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
, composed of Michael David and Tyler Blake.
History
Tyler Blake and Michael David, childhood friends, started a
DJ duo in the suburbs of
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
. The name Classixx came from their liking of classic compilations of different music. The DJ duo is influenced by a plethora of music, ranging from old school R&B to
Paul Simon to
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize t ...
.
The duo currently reside in the greater
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
metropolitan area. Michael David married Katie Gravette in 2011. David and Blake are childhood friends and attended the same middle school and high school together.
Career
David spent the first half of the 2000s releasing his own music and touring in a band as a guitar player while Blake attended the
Berklee School of Music
Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cou ...
.
[Giambalvo, Carole (August 7, 2009). "SoundCheck: Hippiefest II, Tides of Man, Classixx, Emery, Candy Bars", '']St. Petersburg Times
The ''Tampa Bay Times'', previously named the ''St. Petersburg Times'' until 2011, is an American newspaper published in St. Petersburg, Florida, United States. It has won fourteen Pulitzer Prizes since 1964, and in 2009, won two in a single ...
'', p. 39. In 2005, David left his previous band and Blake dropped out of music school. Soon after, Classixx was formed. In their early twenties, Classixx were part of the new wave of the
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
electronic music
Electronic music is a Music genre, genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or electronics, circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromech ...
. A change from the banger-driven
electro that had been dominating dance floors, their sound was a smooth blend of disco, new wave, funk, house, and indie rock. Recent remixes for groundbreaking and diverse artists include
Phoenix,
Mayer Hawthorne
Andrew Mayer Cohen (born February 2, 1979), better known by his stage name Mayer Hawthorne, is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. Cohen perform ...
, Holy Ghost,
Ladyhawke,
Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in Chicago after meeting in school. The name is a combination of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner.
Career
Originally a duo formed by classi ...
,
Groove Armada
Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...
,
Yacht
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
,
Beni,
Drop the Lime
Drop the Lime (born Luca Venezia in New York City) is an electronic producer and DJ and founder of dance label Trouble & Bass. Drop the Lime's new material and DJ sets also feature live vocals on original compositions.
With roots in breakcore mu ...
and
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...
.
According to
Chicagoist
Gothamist LLC is the operator, or in some cases franchisor, of eight city-centric websites that focused on news, events, food, culture, and other local coverage. It was founded in 2003 by Jake Dobkin and Jen Chung. In March 2017, Joe Ricketts, ...
, Classixx "became staples in DJ sets all over the world".
Pitchfork Media
''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog.
Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...
wrote that the duo gave Phoenix's "
Lisztomania
Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on ...
" "a gorgeously pillowy synth-disco framework". The ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' called it "pure disco cotton candy".
Classixx's debut single, "I'll Get You" featuring Jeppe (Junior Senior),
was released in the summer of 2009 on Paris based
Kitsune Records
In Japanese folklore, , are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. According to '' yōkai'' folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of employin ...
.
Classixx's first album, ''Hanging Gardens'', was released on May 14, 2013 via Innovative Leisure.
Classixx announced their second album ''Faraway Reach'' via Instagram on February 17, 2016. The album features guest appearances by
Passion Pit,
T-Pain,
De Lux
De Lux is an American post-disco musical duo from Los Angeles, consisting of Sean Guerin and Isaac Franco. Guerin and Franco began creating music together at the age of 15. , the group is signed to Innovative Leisure. The band released their firs ...
,
Alex Frankel,
How to Dress Well, Nonku, Harriet Brown, Isles and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
and was released on June 3, 2016.
In 2017, they worked with
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
on his EP 'Hope for Something'.
Discography
Studio albums
*''
Hanging Gardens
The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World listed by Hellenic culture. They were described as a remarkable feat of engineering with an ascending series of tiered gardens containing a wide variety of tre ...
'' (Innovative Leisure · 2013)
*''Faraway Reach'' (Innovative Leisure · 2016)
Singles
*"Cold Act Ill" (In Stereo · 2008)
*"I'll Get You (feat. Jeppe)" (
Kitsune Records
In Japanese folklore, , are foxes that possess paranormal abilities that increase as they get older and wiser. According to '' yōkai'' folklore, all foxes have the ability to shapeshift into human form. While some folktales speak of employin ...
· 2009)
*"Into the Valley" featuring Karl Dixon (
Green Label Sound
Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a combi ...
· 2011)
*"Holding On" (Innovative Leisure · 2013)
*"All You're Waiting For" featuring
Nancy Whang
LCD Soundsystem is an American rock band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 2002 by James Murphy, co-founder of DFA Records. The band comprises Murphy (vocals, various instruments), Nancy Whang (synthesizer, keyboards, vocals), Pat Mahoney (d ...
(Innovative Leisure · 2013)
*"Santa Domino" (Innovative Leisure · 2013)
*"A Stranger Love" (Innovative Leisure · 2014)
*"Whatever I Want" featuring
T-Pain (Innovative Leisure · 2015)
*"Just Let Go" featuring
How To Dress Well (Innovative Leisure · 2016)
*"Safe Inside" featuring
Passion Pit (Innovative Leisure · 2016)
*"I Feel Numb" featuring
Alex Frankel (Innovative Leisure · 2016)
*"Possessive" (Innovative Leisure · 2017)
*"Love Me No More" (Innovative Leisure · 2019)
*"What's Wrong With That? (
Silly Love Songs
"Silly Love Songs" is a song by the British–American rock band Wings that was written by Paul and Linda McCartney. The song first appeared in March 1976 on the album '' Wings at the Speed of Sound,'' then it was released as a single backed wit ...
Rework)" (Innovative Leisure · 2020)
*"One More Song" featuring
Roosevelt (Innovative Leisure · 2020)
*"Francesca"/"Weekends" (collaboration with
Local Natives
Local Natives is an American indie rock band based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The band consists of Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, backing vocals), Matt Frazier (drums) and Nik Ewing (ba ...
) (Innovative Leisure · 2020)
*"Big Rhythm" (Potion Records · 2021)
Original production
*Mayer Hawthorne - "No Strings" (Produced by Classixx) (
Stones Throw Records
Stones Throw Records is an American independent record label based in Los Angeles, California. Under the direction of founder Peanut Butter Wolf, Stones Throw has released music ranging from hip hop to experimental psychedelic rock. '' LA Week ...
· 2010)
Remixes
*2009: "
Lisztomania
Lisztomania or Liszt fever was the intense fan frenzy directed toward Hungarian composer Franz Liszt during his performances. This frenzy first occurred in Berlin in 1841 and the term was later coined by Heinrich Heine in a feuilleton he wrote on ...
" by
Phoenix
*2009: "Starts With One" by
Shiny Toy Guns
*2009: "My Love Sees You" by
Beni
*2009: "I Will Come Back" by
Holy Ghost!
Holy Ghost! is an American synthpop duo from Brooklyn, New York City. Founded in 2007, the duo consists of Nick Millhiser and Alex Frankel.
History
Millhiser and Frankel both grew up on the Upper West Side of New York City and attended Trevor D ...
*2009: "Riddle of Steel" by
Guns N' Bombs
*2009: "Green Eyed Love" by
Mayer Hawthorne
Andrew Mayer Cohen (born February 2, 1979), better known by his stage name Mayer Hawthorne, is an American singer, producer, songwriter, arranger, audio engineer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist based in Los Angeles, California. Cohen perform ...
*2009: "Cash Flow" by
Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. It originates from Kingston, Jamaica, and was founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after t ...
*2009: "We Are Electric" by
Fischerspooner
Fischerspooner were an electroclash duo and performance troupe formed in 1998 in Chicago after meeting in school. The name is a combination of the founders' last names, Warren Fischer and Casey Spooner.
Career
Originally a duo formed by classi ...
*2010: "Psychic City" by
Yacht
A yacht is a sailing or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a , as opposed to a , such a pleasu ...
*2010: "Devil's Eyes" by
Drop The Lime
Drop the Lime (born Luca Venezia in New York City) is an electronic producer and DJ and founder of dance label Trouble & Bass. Drop the Lime's new material and DJ sets also feature live vocals on original compositions.
With roots in breakcore mu ...
*2010: "Paper Romance" by
Groove Armada
Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles " At the River", " I See You Baby" and " Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of ...
*2010: "When Your Love Is Safe" by
Active Child
*2011: "Reginald's Groove" by
Cosmic Kids
Cosmic commonly refers to:
* The cosmos, a concept of the universe
Cosmic may also refer to:
Media
* ''Cosmic'' (album), an album by Bazzi
* Afro/Cosmic music
In music, the terms Afro/cosmic disco, “Looking over to the blogosphere, the ...
*2011: "Buzzin'" by
Shwayze
Aaron Smith, better known as Shwayze (born May 29, 1985), is an American rapper. His first single " Buzzin'" peaked at No. 46 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100. His second single "Corona and Lime," reached No. 23 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 in t ...
*2011: "
Blue Velvet" by
Lana Del Rey
Elizabeth Woolridge Grant (born June 21, 1985), known professionally as Lana Del Rey, is an American singer-songwriter. Her music is noted for its cinematic quality and exploration of tragic romance, Glamour (presentation), glamour, and melan ...
*2011: "
Lucky Star" by
Madonna
*2012: "
Take a Walk" by
Passion Pit
*2012: "
Move in the Right Direction" by
Gossip
Gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of others; the act is also known as dishing or tattling.
Gossip is a topic of research in evolutionary psychology, which has found gossip to be an important mean ...
*2012: "Am I Real?" by
Nite Jewel
Ramona Gonzalez (known professionally as Nite Jewel) is an American singer-songwriter from Los Angeles, California.
Biography
Ramona Gonzalez began as Nite Jewel in 2008 as the result of her juggling music with undergraduate studies.
*2013: "You Can't Run From My Love" by Munk &
Peaches
The peach (''Prunus persica'') is a deciduous tree first domesticated and cultivated in Zhejiang province of Eastern China. It bears edible juicy fruits with various characteristics, most called peaches and others (the glossy-skinned, non-fu ...
*2013: "
Is This How You Feel?" by
The Preatures
*2013: "Penny" by
Hanni El Khatib
Hanni El Khatib (born June 8, 1981) is an American singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist songwriter and producer as well as visual director and co-owner of the Los Angeles-based independent record label Innovative Leisure. His 2013 sopho ...
*2014: "
Always
Always may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Always'', a 1985 film directed by Henry Jaglom
* ''Always'' (1989 film), a 1989 romantic comedy-drama directed by Steven Spielberg
* ''Always'' (2011 film), a 2011 South Korean film, also known as ''O ...
" by
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
*2014: "
Sundream" by
Rüfüs Du Sol
Rüfüs Du Sol, stylised as RÜFÜS DU SOL and formerly known as simply Rüfüs (stylized RÜFÜS) from 2010 to 2018, is an Australian alternative dance group from Sydney, that consists of Tyrone Lindqvist, Jon George and James Hunt. Their debu ...
*2015: "
The Pleasure Principle by
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson (born May 16, 1966) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and dancer. She is noted for her innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows. Her sound and choreog ...
*2017: "Dark Days" by
Local Natives
Local Natives is an American indie rock band based in Silver Lake, Los Angeles. The band consists of Taylor Rice (vocals, guitar), Kelcey Ayer (vocals, keyboards, guitar), Ryan Hahn (guitar, backing vocals), Matt Frazier (drums) and Nik Ewing (ba ...
*2017: "Undertow" by
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Co ...
(with Turbotito)
*2018: "Wolves Still Cry" by
Lawrence Rothman
*2021: "Good Old Days" by
JR JR
JR JR (pronounced "junior junior"; originally named Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.) is an American indie-pop band from Detroit, Michigan, consisting of Daniel Zott and Joshua Epstein. The band also includes drummer Mike Higgins.
History
Zott and Epst ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
American electronic music duos
DJ duos
Male musical duos
Record producers from California
Nu-disco musicians
Remixers
Kitsuné artists