Madeon

Madeon first became known in 2011 when he live sampled 39 hits to create his frantic yet

perfectly sculptural “Pop Culture,” which instantly propelled the then-17-year-old to the

international stage. By the time he released his debut album Adventure in 2015, Madeon was a

globally beloved artist with production credits for Lady Gaga and Coldplay. Soon after, he

teamed with Porter Robinson for “Shelter,” an immersive, ecstatic single he calls their “victory

lap.”

Now, Madeon is perhaps a more deeply seasoned artist than wide-eyed dreamer from Nantes,

France -- but he’s just as ambitious as ever.

“All My Friends” is the radiant introduction to this new era. It’s the sort of pop song that by any

other artist, would have required work from a team of writers and producers. Madeon, of course,

wrote and produced it himself. Following the path he began on Adventure with songs like

“Home,” he is the lead vocalist on the track.

Madeon began working on “All My Friends” when he booked a studio for three days in New York

“just to see what would happen,” he says. “I remember I was walking alone, and the sun was a

particular shade. It struck me all at once, vividly. It was like a flavor: sounds and sights and

smells. I felt impossibly confident and enthusiastic.”

Madeon can seem as much a musician as a world-building architect, and there’s no question his

full vision for what comes next will soon shine through. But for the moment we have a single

song, a brilliant statement of new purpose.

The group is comprised of four former fashion design students Ary Warnaar, Luke Silas, Peter Berkman, and James DeVito. However three of its members actually got their bachelor’s degree in Music Technology at NYU. Before the four friends formed Anamanaguchi they all interned for fashion houses, which included Armani, Prada, and Gucci. Rumor has it that the band’s alias derived from melding the names of these three companies together; however, differing theories have stated otherwise.

The initial stages of the band’s formation took place in Chappaqua, NY, US. Members Peter Berkman and James DeVito went to the town’s high school and eventually started to collaborate on musical projects.

At Pulsewave NYC the two later came in contact with 8bitpeoples, the label through which they would release their debut EP “Power Supply”. During Berkman’s time at NYU he met fellow music technology major Ary Warner, who joined the band along with Luke Silas by the release of Anamanaguchi’s 2nd EP, “Dawn Metropolis”.

The group released this EP for free on their website and received almost instant recognition for their unconventional and innovative recording tactics. One technique they used involved programing sounds on their computer, throwing tracks built from traditional rock instruments over the previously existing mix and filtering it through a NES console.

Their eccentric style caught the attention of video game developer Ubisoft who requested that the group compose the soundtrack for the Scott Pilgrim vs. The World: Game. The group accepted the challenge and issued the soundtrack on 24 August 2010. The album was a hit and entered at No. 3 on the Billboard’s Heatseekers chart. This was followed by a string of free mp3 releases through their website, which were accompanied by gif cover art created by animator Paul Robertson.

After this release the band was ready to record their studio debut “Endless Fantasy”. The members sought financial support through Kickstarter and though their goal was to raise $50,000, the campaign managed to bring in a sum total of $277,399. The album certainly lived up to its hype, peaking at No. 2 on the Dance/Electronic Albums Chart and No.1 on the Billboard’s Heatseekers Albums. The band promoted the release with an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon and subsequently embarked on a US tour.

In the Summer of 2014, Anamanaguchi issued their single “Pop It” a bubble gum pop composition, which garnered comparisons to J-pop singer Kyary Pamyu Pamyu and demarcated a departure from the group’s chiptune style. The group announced that their next studio album would be released in 2015 and have stated that it will continue in the stylistic direction of “Pop It”.