Interview: FEARCITY

Part 1: 80’s Future nostalgia

It’s no secret that we live in an age where culturally, nostalgia rules overall. We seem to be at a standstill, or at least at an awkward limbo where we teeter between the past and present in order to create the future of our music, art, and fashion industries. When artists recreate with no real passion for the art that’s being recreated, the result is our culture’s odd incestuous relationship with itself.  In his book, “Retromania: Pop Culture’s addiction to its own past”, Simon Reynolds points out that:

“Not only has there never been a society so obsessed with the cultural artifacts of its immediate past, but there has never before been a society that is able to access the immediate past so easily and so copiously.”

This concept proves its relevance more now than ever, after all, the internet is often used as a playground for those who create nostalgia-based content capable of propelling what at first seem like small fashion fads into the mainstream. For instance, at the peak of the pandemic, an article popped up containing photos of trendsetters and early-adopters such as Bella Hadid wearing 2000’s inspired low-rise jeans that slung just below the hip bone, and my god, did the people revolt.

Those old enough to remember the horrors of their underwear revealing itself whenever they sat down rushed to protest by retweeting the article with google image sourced pics of yesteryear’s celebrities donning the hip-huggers of the day, most of which were captioned with one simple anecdote: “NO”.

This is my first memory of what would become the ‘Y2K revival’. Four years later, and every Primark in the UK looks like it’s getting ready for a slightly gaudy but very pubescent 2002 school formal, every new pop-diva is producing a timberland re-hash, and as Y2K slowly yet surely fades into history for the second time, people are searching for the next big nostalgia wave, questioning what decade will rise above the strange-mush-of-everything that is our culture to prove itself worthy of that title.

While on an insomnia driven instagram deep dive, I got sucked into the very niche rabbit hole of folks dressing in a windbreaker, frying their hair in search of that permed effect and driving to their local abandoned shopping centre to take very cute but kitschy photos of themselves slurping on a slushie or doing something to add that 80’s je ne sais quoi. This 80’s style once would have been dismissed as “fancy dress”. But in the age of the internet, where the lines between fantasy and fashion are blurred, I couldn’t help but find myself admiring the style, no matter how derived it is from the sleek, monotone and slender-shouldered trends of today.

– Cantbuyme80s_, bebebardot87, and 80smarisa on Instagram.

This is when on one of these posts, I heard a tune that was just so catchy. I usually just scroll away from the songs I hear online, paying them little attention in my blur of brain rot. But, alas, when you hear a song so nostalgic and perfectly situated in a feed, you have to give it a listen.

This song was none other than FEARCITY and Preston Knight’s single “Crush On You”, and by the time the song had finished, I asked myself: Wait… are the 80’s coming back full swing?

FEARCITY’s instrumental is reminiscent of thriller nights and neon lights, and Preston’s silky smooth vocals elaborate on this to create a song that brings to life a funky vampy paradise. After listening to a selection of FEAR’s other songs and remixes, such as “Midnight Rendez-Vous” and “Taboo and Lingerie” I knew I had to reach out to him. I had to know… who is this mysterious musician with such a flair for nostalgia?

Well, FEARCITY, the producer of this sexy, funky VHS music is a guy from Paris in France, who lives at night and who only drives a Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 in the dirty streets of the 18th arrondissement of Paris and who drives on the same road as the pioneers of funk music, those who paved the way. Like the sound of him? You’ll like the sound of his music even more. If you’re interested in the pioneers on this modern take on a decade gone by, sit back, relax (on your waterbed, of course) and enjoy this interview with the man himself!

Part 2: The Interview

You’ve been uploading 80s style music for about 8 years. If I’m not mistaken this was way before “Stranger Things” brought back aspects of 80s culture for a Gen Z audience .What originally brought you to this sound? Was there a certain level of escapism to a different era, or perhaps the sound is nostalgic for you personally?

Indeed, “Stranger Things” is not for me a striking element or a starting point, even if I appreciate this series for the nostalgia that it brings to children of the 80’s but also to new generations.

What led me to broadcast this kind of music is quite simply that I am a child of the 80’s and that I grew up listening to the pioneers of the genre.

How would you describe your sound and vibe in five words?

EVTFR : Erotic, Vhs, Terminator, Funk & Romance.

When most people think of 80s music, I’m sure it’s mostly pop artists like MJ, Blondie, etc. that come to mind. However, I’m sure your personal taste is a combination of many genres of the time. I would like to know which artists in particular inspire you.

It’s a very good analysis and I’m happy that you asked it because my inspirations are indeed very varied!
I’m as much inspired by Wu-Tang Clan as by Megadeth by Billy Idol than by Ice-T, by Nina Hagen than by Fabio Frizzi, by Prince than by Compton Most Wanted and I forget a lot like Gangstarr, Eric B & Rakim, Black Sabbath, Paul Hertzog, Iron Maiden, Nonphixion & Necro, Huey Lewis and the News, of course Michael Jackson etc…

-Wu-Tang Clan

There are so many references to different facets of 80s pop culture in your music… Ferris Bueller in “Daddy’s Ferrari”… a song in homage to the Kickboxing champion, and of course Mel Gibson. How do you choose from so many moments and how does that translate into the music you create?

My music exudes what I grew up with, I devoured with my brothers and sister films like Ferris Bueler, BeetleJuice, Karate Tiger, Terminator, The Goonies, Maniac, Purple Rain, Moonwalker, Mad Max and elsewhere.

I would like to emphasize one point in particular, my passion for French comedies like “Les Visiteurs”, “Le Pere Noel est une Ordure” “Les Freres
Petards” and I am sorry that the rest of the world does not know these films because when we understand French, they are masterpieces of fine humor. I advise you to learn French because you are missing something!

Coming back to 80’s pop culture, I would say that I can transcribe a movie poster, a movie scene, a moment that I liked, whether it’s a cool moment from a movie like “Spaceballs” or even a difficult and hard moment like in Terminator when Kyle Reese dies.

I can have a very positive atmosphere but also a very negative and dirty one, it all depends on what I am experiencing in my civilian life.

Honestly, today’s pop culture is a little bland. Because most music consumption happens on a screen, music videos are a dying art, pop stars stand still on stage, and fashion and visuals seem to lean toward the minimalist. But your music takes us back to a time when nymphomaniacs, sports cars and neon lights reigned supreme. If a return to the 80s is on the agenda, do you think a colorful culture of “going out” could also make a comeback?

We see every day that the pop culture of this cursed era is bland and they spend their time giving us remakes of our childhood classics. I’m thinking of Fright Night, Robocop or Ghostbuster…

I am also sorry for the new generation that they do not have the chance to discover music or films through the “object” : a CD with a booklet, a vinyl with a great cover with a drawing of a master like Melki or Repka.

Looking at the credits in the booklet while you discover the music is aunique sensation! I think the object is essential to immerse yourself in music and culture. I saw one day that Michael Jackson had written to himself on a piece of paper “I want to be Magic”, that’s the big difference between the artists of the 80’s and those of today, Magic!

I don’t think that the 80’s can resurface in our time, I mean that the way of dressing and speaking or even living is no longer compatible with the time because it was a very innocent and pure time, we are no longer in purity today!
But I salute and I respect a lot of the people who bring this era to life through the networks. I think of 80’s Marisa whom I kiss!

You worked alongside singer Preston Knight for your new single “Crush On You.” Who contacted who first and what was the songwriting process like?

Preston, my brother, it was very magical and completely unexpected. I had released the song “Crush On You” for a while and one day a guy named Preston Knight tagged me on a post where he sang on my song, it was incredible, he loved the song and what’s more of the song there was a cover with a photo of Michael in “thriller” which must have inspired him because like me he is a lover of Michael Jackson.

So we started discussing a studio recording of the song and I must say that when I received the demo I had chills while listening to the song!

The writing is done very quickly, Preston is very prolific, he works quickly and well, he is a very demanding guy and I am just as demanding!

We had to work a lot on the mix because we didn’t want to mess up and release something tasteless, besides I thank my brother Venom for having
made so many modifications and for bringing his touch to the mix!

Preston had the idea of making this piece our “thriller” where it would be Michael and I Quincy, without wanting to disrespect their genius.

We wanted to create “Magic” things, in the same approach! And I think we succeeded, it’s a very beautiful piece with an extraordinary video clip, we published it on “Friday the 13th” it was very well received by the public who didn’t expect us at all, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you that a CD, a tape and a vinyl will soon be released on the Marvel Records label!

– Preston Knight

The song itself tells the story of a vampire, bloodthirsty for a girl named Jenny, and the lyrics themselves detail his pursuit after her. What were the inspirations behind the theme?

The song actually tells the story of a vampire, because when Preston and I are together, we form a Vampire duo, inspired by Fright Night for me and by
The Lost Boys for Preston.

As I said previously, this piece is inspired by Michael’s Thriller, it’s our tribute to his genius with our touch.

Watch Fright Night with Jerry Dandridge who wants to conquer Emmy by blood and you will understand the theme of this song!

It seems that little music, especially dance music, has a coherent history these days. Are songs that do this a favorite of yours?

I’ve always liked music that tells a story, linked to powerful images. I’m thinking of “Push it to the limit” by the genius Giorgio Moroder which matches perfectly with the bank scene in Scarface.

My music always has a link with a film, because when I compose music I always let a film run in the background!

What do you want people to feel when they listen to your music? What images do you want them to conjure up in their heads?

Well it all depends on the music they listen to but if it’s a piece about Jean Claude Vandamme like “This is Van Damme” I want them to see Van Damme raising his leg in front of Menahem Golan, that he
sees a conqueror.

I want when they listen to an erotic song like “I Want U Back” that they think of sexy things, fog on the windows, lace torn off with their teeth, feminine
or masculine moans, I want let them imagine themselves in a hotel room covered in green velvet with yellow neon “Marked for Sex”.

I want that when they listen to a song like “Hard to Kill” they become paranoid in the streets, that they open their eyes to the dirty and violent world around them and that they protect themselves from all the rotten cops or even hard drugs.

It seems that in recent years we have seen a strong return of 90s/2000s nostalgia. However, I first came across “Crush On You” when seeing it advertised on many 80s fashion TikTokker’s videos. Now I see more and more of these accounts every day. Do you think the next big thing in fashion could actually be the 80s?

I think the 80’s are making a big comeback via influencers but I always distrust influencers because they are often deceptive about who they really are and they are often there only to ride the wave and their approach is not passionate but financial!

Now I don’t spit on these people who are a new way of discovering things to as many people as possible! But I want to tell you the best influencers are the artists who create concrete things and who are part of everyone’s life moments like a film soundtrack.

Speaking of TikTok, what do you think of its ability to bring songs like Sade’s “Smooth Operator” and Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” back into the mainstream? Never before in music has a 30-year-old song risen to number one. Do you see this as positive or negative for the industry?

In truth, it’s a very good thing for the new generation because it allows them to discover extraordinary music that we grew up with as children of the 80’s.

It gives visibility to artists who are a little forgotten in our time like Kate Bush.

For major players in the music industry I think there is no need to say whether it is beneficial to them or not, we already have the answer!

On the other hand, I don’t like the fact that it hypes certain synths which, since “Stranger Things” exploded, people are suddenly interested in
synthesizers like the Oberheim Two Voice, Prophet-5, Roland SH-2 and ARP 2600 because it makes prices explode at the same time and we as
musicians dream of having these synths, a dream which now becomes a fantasy.

Why do you think our modern culture has such a talent for nostalgia? Do you think this reflects the difficult times we are experiencing?

I think that we need to live in another world because the world in which we live is far too cruel and it does not release anything good for our sensitive soul and sensitive to art.

We can say that we have a lot of talent but that the majority of artists in this “Synthwave” culture only repeat the codes of other artists already well established in the 80’s or even in the 90’s.

You have to bring your paving stones to the already marked road and not just drive on them!

Now that “Crush On You” and Preston have attracted a whole new audience to your music, what types of projects would you like to get into next?

I’m happy that this piece was able to help us discover more and I welcome those who discovered me through “Crush On You”, it’s only the beginning!

We want to create with Preston an album based on a character, slightly dark and with a vampire background.

I won’t say more but it will be romantic, sexy and funky at the same time, everything that is the claw of fearcity!

Thank you for this interview, I thank you
for shining your headlights on me and my music!

……………………………………………………………………………………………

I’d like to say a huge thank you to the brilliant FEARCITY for allowing me to interview him, and for his patience in waiting for me to get this interview out!

Please go and check out the single ‘Crush On You’ by FEARCITY and Preston Knight, as well as their other music available on all streaming platforms. Their instagram handles are: @fearcitypigalledemon and @presknight

To end this post, I’d like to share some of the recent 80’s trends gracing the runway…

These Isabel Marant pre-fall 2024 boots, fit for a prowling she devil such as Joan Collins’ Alexis Colby from ‘Dynasty’:

The double denim ensembles that will be everywhere this summer:

– KOTON Lebanon Spring/Summer 24′

These glorious shoulder pad moments that put a much needed spin on the ‘power suit’ trend of recent…

– Saint Laurent Fall/Winter 23′

If in five years time we’ve retreated to taking Aerobic fitness classes instead of Pilates and start wearing Jane Fonda style neon leotards in place of Lululemon, thank me later. In the meantime: bye!