Faux Real
It’s hard to pin down Faux Real. The Franco-American duo, comprised of brothers Elliott and Virgile Arndt, have been steadily broadening the scope of their project. Their high-octane DIY performances, involving matching cut-up boiler suits lined with fringe, barefoot dance routines, and crowd-splitting highkicks, are taking on a more established and ever more unhinged form — think Iggy Pop meets campy Eurodance boyband. Humble beginnings between Paris and London birthed their first self-t...
It’s hard to pin down Faux Real. The Franco-American duo, comprised of brothers Elliott and Virgile Arndt, have been steadily broadening the scope of their project. Their high-octane DIY performances, involving matching cut-up boiler suits lined with fringe, barefoot dance routines, and crowd-splitting highkicks, are taking on a more established and ever more unhinged form — think Iggy Pop meets campy Eurodance boyband. Humble beginnings between Paris and London birthed their first self-titled EP in 2020. Dubbed “Anti-Rock” by early onlookers, Faux Real showcased a keen ear for hooks and anthemic songwriting. The ensuing pandemic had the pair looking inwards and digging their way into a glossier pop sound.
Recorded between Paris, Provence, London, New York, and Los Angeles, Faux Ever is the boiling down of countless demos, and honors Faux Real’s love of puns. Opening track and initial single “Faux Maux” (a play on the acronym for “fear of missing out” that doubles up as french for “fake aches”) is an ode for the introverts who revel in the comfort of staying in and missing the party. They’re unafraid of injecting silliness with severity: songs like “99 Ghosts” and “Walking Away From My Demons” address psychological turmoil with deadpan humor. The contradictions between order and chaos, between the visceral and the artificial — that’s where Faux Real truly shines.
Exploring themes of pastiche, hustle culture, anxiety and authenticity with an often brutalist sound – and en franglais (s’il vous plaît!) – the band of brothers cite a broad range of references from Talking Heads to Björk, from the outsider ballads of Tommy Mandel to fellow Franco-American bard Joe Dassin, from 90s Eurodance to Prefab Sprout, the California-drenched synth bangers of Mylene Farmer to experimental pop futurists Art Of Noise or industrial dance duo Chris & Cosey.
At the core of Faux Ever, Faux Real interrogate what constitutes ‘real’ art, and seek a home within their practice. They have built an entire philosophical framework, acting as a duo of alternative jesters infiltrating the pop space. Toeing the line between undeniable pop potential and an off-kilter flair lies at the core of everything they do. That said, no one really knows what is real and what is faux, and that’s the magic of it all.