Chromeo gifted their fans with a new project all about the coronavirus outbreak. The group released their pandemic-themed EP, Quarantine Casanova, Friday. They recorded the new release during lockdown.
The EP is the follow-up to the group’s 2018 album, Head Over Heals.
It features five new songs with lyrics and titles related to life in lockdown. The themes addressed include disinfecting, essential employees, at-home workouts, Zoom meetings, yelling at people for not wearing masks, anxiety and depression.
“Clorox Wipe,” “Stay in Bed (And Do Nothing)” and “6 Feet Away” are upbeat tracks reminiscent of Daft Punk, while “Cabin Fever” is a soft-rock track. “Roni’ Got Me Stressed Out” mixes elements of funk and disco.
“Honestly, it started as a joke,” frontman Dave 1 said in a statement. “At the beginning of quarantine, we hunkered down in our studio, freestyled a song called ‘Clorox Wipe’ and posted it online to cheer people up. The response was overwhelming. So we wrote another one, and another one. Fans kept asking if we were going to release them for real, so after a couple of weeks, we obliged.”
P-Thugg agreed, adding that, “these are obviously the funniest tracks we have ever written, but they are connected in such a visceral way. We figured if we were to put them out, there would have to be a charity and an awareness component.”
All proceeds from the EP and its merchandise will benefit Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp COVID-19 Relief Fund. The charity stands in solidarity with Black Lives Matter and brings awareness to the effects the COVID-19 pandemic has had on black people and people of color.
Photo Credit: Mauricio Alvarado