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Monday 08 November 9:19 a.m.
INTRODUCING THE GROUP WHO HAVE SECURED THE CURRENT NZ #1 SINGLE
They have the number one spot on the official RIANZ singles chart this week, but it feels like Far East Movement have appeared out of nowhere…
So if you’ve been wondering who it is behind the huge track ‘Like a G6’, we’re here to help.
Far East Movement (also known as FM) are Kev Nish, Prohgress, J-Splif, and DJ Virman and together they have bridged the gap between underground party records and mainstream hip-hop and pop. They blend elements of hip-hop, pop, electro and dance to create an original sound and lifestyle they call ‘Free Wired’.
Far East Movement all grew up together in Los Angeles. They were influenced by the thriving downtown LA scene and a wide array of music from fellow West Coast classics like the Pharcyde and Dr Dre, to the dance music of DJ Tiesto and Daft Punk, to LA rockers like Guns N Roses, Linkin Park and Blink 182. “Our musical inspiration is as large as what we can hold on our iPods.”
After graduating from high school the group started taking music more seriously, doing shows wherever they could at Los Angeles bars, clubs and lofts. One of their earlier shows was a successful benefit show that raised money for a drug rehab center that helped a lot of their friends in the community. This came before the group even had their first song recorded. The group loved to perform and perfect their stage presence wherever they could.
Cherrytree Records head, Martin Kierzenbaum, was inspired with the direction FM was taking with their careers. “Martin told us, ‘You guys have a lifestyle and party that we want to be invited to, we not only like your songs, but love your sound and movement,’” Kev Nish said of Kierzenbaum, who oversees the careers of Cherrytree Records artists Lady Gaga, Keane, La Roux and Tokio Hotel.
Martin was moved by FM so much that he passed their music on to mega-star Lady Gaga’s camp and that led to an invitation out on her overseas Monster Ball tour dates in April 2010. FM call it, “a ‘Free Wired’ moment and incredible learning experience…she puts 200 percent into 2-hour shows, back to back nights, every night, it’s inspirational.”
It is FM’s stage energy and the ‘Free Wired’ lifestyle that started to change the way people reacted to their music. Not just the energy and lifestyle, but fashion and technology play a huge part. “We’ve played at every club in southern Cali and thrown parties, ‘geekin out’ at friends lofts and rooftops in downtown LA until the sun came up.”
“Our routine and fashion allow us to party all night, then head straight to an important business meeting in the morning, we always stay business fresh, plus we keep shades on to hide the lack of sleep,” jokes Prohgress.
It was at those all-night parties that the group honed their sound and performance skills. “We felt like when we started messing more with hard electro synths, 4 to the floor drums and upbeat Daft Punk-type production it just seemed to connect better with the type of performance we do,” Prohgress said.
And then came ‘Like A G6’ – a song that clocked up over a million hits on YouTube before it even had one play on the radio. It’s hits like this that have helped Far East Movement take the current Los Angeles club scene global, already having to their credit two world tours, numerous song placements on television and film, and #1 single in the US (and New Zealand of course).
Far East Movement are now anxious to take advantage of all the opportunities their fast-rising career will afford them. Considering their independent, go-getter mindset, talent, and willingness to break out of the box, Far East Movement are indeed setting themselves up for the long run – starting with their debut album Free Wired coming soon…