Metropolis: Le Galaxie Interview

Dance commanders Le Galaxie have had a great 2015. They signed with Universal, unleashed their stellar second LP Le Club and as their profile grows, so too does their thrilling live show. Their singer, synth-wielder and barbigerous beat-maker Michael Pope, tells us that he’s proud of Le Galaxie’s latest achievement - the eye-popping new video for ‘Put The Chain On.’
“We’d actually been sitting on the video for two years, it’s ridiculous!” he laughs.” We had this amazing footage that we filmed at our third show in Meeting House Square and we didn’t know what to do with it, so we got Tony Kearns in who edited the videos for Blur’s ‘Parklife’ and the Prodigy’s ‘Firestarter’, and he worked his magic. When I watch it now it takes me right back there.
“When we’re doing a live show we feed off our audience and it’s kind of a love letter to them,” he adds. “We posted it on YouTube and people were commenting when they spotted themselves which is kinda nice. The idea was to have the cameras pointed outwards instead of inward.”
Shortly after unleashing the ‘Put The Chain’ video, the chaps hotfooted it over to New York where on the back of four rapturously received CMJ showcase performances they’ve enjoyed impressive college and dance chart success. Its parent album has been radio airplayed by everyone from KRUA in Anchorage, Alaska to WVAU in Washington DC.
On this side of the Atlantic, BBC Radio One’s Philly Taggert and Huw Stephens are both vociferous fans, and following Le Club’s full-blown European release on November 27 there’s a massive main stage gig before Christmas at Transmusicales in Rennes. The French connection was strengthened at the start of the year when they played a MIDEM festival stormer in Cannes. They’re also hitting Summer Bay, with Home And Away soon to feature four Le Galaxie songs.
With so much going on overseas, they haven’t played as many Irish shows as usual - but Michael doesn’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.
“You have to give an audience the chance to miss you,” he proffers. “We learned our craft playing gigs and festivals, but you realise that when you reach a certain level you have to step back from that and really choose your moments. We can’t wait to play the Metropolis Festival in the RDS. It’s going to be great.”