Weirdness and Tumultuous Techno from France’s Greg Und Simon

You may be familiar with the work of Simon Delacroix (aka The Toxic Avenger) and Greg Kozo (one-half of Make the Girl Dance), but don't expect regurgitation of the former in their new music project, entitled Greg Und Simon.

The two French producers come from a similar mindset in that they are both former instrumentalists, have collectively been involved in the music scene for nearly 20 years, and both crave freedom with a meaty slice of techno. They don't have time to waste, and yet, aren't hindered by heavy expectations, so they are able to don a new, pooled identity—their way.

For Greg Und Simon, creation is surrounded by the element of surprise. "As some people know my work as Toxic, I can't do everything," explains Simon. "People wouldn't understand The Toxic Avenger doing death metal, but with Greg Und Simon I feel that we can do basically whatever the fuck we want. It's so satisfying."

"My previous way of doing music was very techno and deep. When I started working with Pierre [of Make the Girl Dance], I went more mainstream. Now working with Simon, the tempo is slower and sexier, and it's a fresh playground. We have no pressure and can only affect. We want to surprise people and we really have nothing to lose trying to do that," says Greg.

Behind the scenes, the two are speedy and improvisational. They feed off each other on stage too. Perhaps this need to change things up and challenge one another (rather than staring blankly into the sea of partygoers) stems from their former experiences as live musicians. "You lose something when you focus on the computer. You lose that sensation of playing in front of people, that eye contact," says Greg. "It doesn't exist in the same way now, but when Simon and I play together we work with moving keyboards, layering tracks, I'll play a song, and then he'll do a synth loop. Sometimes I feel the same pleasure as I did when I was playing the double bass [guitar], sometimes. Even when you are writing a song together it is different. It's not the same writing in front of a computer and just looping stuff."

Or perhaps their sensory quest stems from their witty minds and the need to be off the wall, even though they both claim to be "shy guys." "We have this exact same weird sense of humour, some call it French but I think even for the French people it's weird," notes Simon.

Greg Und Simon have a couple of songs out to date including "Boys" and "Bully". They plan to push the envelope even more in the summer during festival season, and hope to fork out enough time to create a full-length album.

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They also want to revamp the way techno music is viewed, or often snubbed about. "This is not about doing a few tracks and then letting go. I'm sure we will do a full album because we are writing a lot of music together. We are both pretty hyperactive, always thinking, writing, working," explains Greg.

"If we can be at the head of the weird, sexual yet club techno movement then I'm a happy man," adds Simon. "If people can understand that slowing the tempo of techno music makes it even more danceable, then we've won."

It's also a great benefit working with someone that you admire. "Simon knows what he's talking about and that's the kind of guy I want to work with and learn from," says Greg. "I feel like in this project I'm far more naked than in my previous work, and we're really experimenting with it all."

Greg notes inspirations ranging from Eric Walhross, who in 2003 made his project Forss into an album called Siulhack, to Alexander Ljung, Keith Jarett, and Astor Piazzolla. Yet, both producers are not in this to make any definitive promises, achievements, or emulation claims. "Achievements make me anxious. Achievements sound like an end and I hate happy or bad endings," explains Simon.

"I want to do it all, play everywhere abroad, get into North America. There are no plans yet, but I really hope we can come to Montreal or Toronto. For now, though our crowds in France are what we are focused on."

Poignantly stated, Simon sees "Greg Und Simon as the tumultuous child of Toxic and Greg Kozo."

Greg Und Simon are on Facebook // SoundCloud