It’s the story of an email that changed everything. Or almost. Until the summer of 2020, the Strasbourg group Funkindustry knew nothing about its success outside Alsace. And then… “We were contacted in August by a dance teacher from Osaka, Japan, who wanted to use one of our songs,” recalls Nathan, the guitarist-singer of the sextet. “I thank him again because without him, we would not be aware of anything! “
This real phenomenon revolves around their title “Do It”, which has become a classic for lovers of “locking”, a type of funk dance. “It looks a bit like hip-hop and it’s very popular in Asia,” explains François-Xavier, the ensemble’s keyboardist, still surprised by this unexpected and fairly unexplained echo. “We know that these are Instagram influencers who shared their locking videos on our track and that it took like that. Afterwards, we think they stumbled upon it while typing on a “funk” streaming platform, it’s pretty close to Funkindustry. “
A clip with 65 South Korean and Japanese dancers
Since this revelation, a romance has been born between the group and this part of the world. So much so that the new and second album, eponymous in the name of the sextet and coming out this Friday, includes a featuring with a Japanese rapper and a clip was shot with… 65 South Korean and Japanese dancers.
Would Strasbourg have wanted to ride the wave of this unexpected success? “We did not necessarily adapt the album to locking, quite simply because it was already well under way when we learned all that, specifies“ FX ”. But it is sure that all of this opened up other perspectives and we tried to integrate them. “To the point, too, of linking up with a manager on site and preparing a tour there“ perhaps in March-April ”.
By then, “Funkindustry” will have already performed all over France, as was still the case recently at the Belfort International University Music Festival (Fimu). “We are really starting to integrate into the networks of Current music, who manage a lot of rooms ”, appreciates Nathan, he who has had more confidential years within a group founded“ around 2013 ”.
“We know each other from the college of the Gymnase Jean-Sturm (in Strasbourg), where there were music workshops”, enlightens his lifelong sidekick, François-Xavier. “There were initially three of us with Nathan’s brother, Jean-Mathieu, who is my age (27) but we quickly grew to six. By dint of loving funk and listening Jamiroquai, Earth, Wind and Fire Where James Brown, we set up a project together. “In eight years, training has evolved over departures and arrivals, without forgetting to become more professional as well. Today, the six, including David on drums, Cédric on trumpet and Rémi on saxophone, all experience music.
“As much for the first album, we did everything ourselves. There, we really worked on the sound and the leg of the group is found there ”, continues the singer-songwriter with a voice close to Jamiroquai. “It’s an album with a lot of little hits that give you a smile. Between funk, pop and RnB. “Locking” dancers should still find their way around.