Although the depicted environments of Algerian youth next to present-day Romani communities might seem far from our Western media perspective, they touch something as simple and complex as humans. And that is exactly the idea behind the duo of cousins, formed by Guillaume and Jonathan Alric, who’ve been on everyone’s lips since they first released Virile in 2016. Since then, their poetic and emotionally nuanced tracks exploring the notions of what makes us humans have spread all over.
How did it all start though, before their global success? As relatives, destiny brought them together when Jonathan was studying film in Belgium and had to create a music video for which he needed a soundtrack. Naturally, he approached Guillaume, the only other artist in the family and who had been a producer for a long time. They launched Virile, their first hit, followed by Territory and an EP. As of Fall 2018, they launched their debut album, Dancehall, which immediately turned into a massive success that has made them tour North America and, currently, Europe. We were lucky enough to catch them the day after their Parisian concert (and celebration of Jonathan’s 30th birthday), when they played in Copenhagen, for a chat about humanity, masculinity and the casting for their videos.