Interview: Disco-Funk Duo Møme & Ricky Ducati Offer a Promising Look at Their Own Future with Upcoming 'Flashback FM'

Dual-national duo MØME & Ricky Ducati use futuristic production tools to form their vision of a bygone era of Los Angeles on upcoming album ‘Flashback FM.’

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Here’s another good reason to look forward to 2020 being over and 2021 beginning: Flashback FM, the new album by Møme and Ricky Ducati, is scheduled for release early next year! ‘Til then, this duo has a number of joint tracks that can tide their fans over and remind them just how dazzling their chemistry as a unit can be.

This duo was born in 2016 in the native land of French producer Jérémy Souillart, at the time a hot newcomer only two years removed from his debut EP, Eclipse. When Souillart invited Los Angeles-based singer Ricky Ducati onstage at a Paris TV show, the two realized that there was a spark between them and resolved to make the most of it. The first outcome of this was their initial collaboration, “Sail Away” (2018). That has recently been followed with “Got It Made,” and an entire album’s worth of collabs is currently in the mixing process.

In their own words, this new batch of tracks was inspired by their vision of Los Angeles in the 1970s/’80s era. “We would have loved to have known California at this time,” they say, and “Got It Made” is a song that captures the feeling of “driving down Hollywood at 4pm, when the sun starts going down.”

In an interview with Atwood Magazine, Møme describes his creative partnership with Ducati– who is also a member of the duo Midnight To Monaco, alongside Empire of the Sun producer Donnie Sloan– and how their debut collaboration album came to be formed, even with one of them now in France and the other in California.

Watch: “Got It Made” – Møme & Ricky Ducati

A CONVERSATION WITH MØME

Atwood Magazine: How did you guys first encounter each other? How did your creative partnership develop from that moment onwards?

Møme: We first met in Paris back in 2016, when I did a rework of “Alive” by Midnight to Monaco, a track Ricky sang on. I had to perform “Alive” at a Paris TV show and I invited Ricky to join me on stage. Since then, we kept in touch, and in 2018, while composing in L.A for my EP Møment II (which features the song “Sail Away”), we decided to reconnect. We haven’t stopped texting since then, and we are now composing our first album together.

One of you is from France, the other is based in Los Angeles. How do you combine the sounds of both regions into your music?

Møme: Actually, it is pretty easy as I have always loved the Californian music/aesthetic and Ricky does love everything that sounds French Touch. So, we decided to blend our inspirations, to mix these US and French vibes and create something that we would both love.

Is the policeman in the video for ''Sail Away'' meant to symbolize something or someone?

Møme: Yes he does! He symbolizes the feeling of sadness and at the same time, people who are depressed, who can’t escape and feel like their mind is locked in jail. This is why he “spends time” in the prison cell.

How did the concept for your new computer-animated video, ''Got It Made,'' originate? How did the project come together during this tricky period we are going through right now?

Møme: To be honest, I was supposed to visit Ricky in L.A last March and shoot “Got It Made” video clip there. As you know, borders were closed and I couldn’t fly. So we thought about a video clip that would be possible to record during this time of social distancing and thought about an animated version of Ricky and I dancing. We worked with the talented French agency Paume and came up with the idea of robots as a reference to Daft Punk. The vintage car and radio station are also references to the video game GTA and it’s Flashback FM station. I guess not being able to perform and shoot outside forced us to come up with new and fun ideas.

What has the process of making Flashback FM, your first full-length record, been like? What do you hope to achieve by the time the album's release date comes around in early 2021, the goal you have established for yourselves?

Møme: We would have loved to spend more time together to produce the record but as we are all facing this worldwide pandemic, we did not have much choice than working remotely. It is how we produced “Sail Away” that you mentioned earlier, and we know this way of composing is okay for us. So yeah, many emails, demos, but also a great connection and the same direction for this full-length album that we can’t wait to release. I hope that by Spring 2021, we will release at least two other tracks and start planning our first tour… in France!

You were initially trained in classical music, and now concentrate more on dance/electronica. In what ways did training in the former genre prepare you for the latter?

Møme: Starting with classic piano forced me to learn music, to read notes, and start by the very basics notions of music art. It widened my music culture and influences too. Also it allowed me to perform real organic instruments and not just use samples or pre-recorded loops for my original songs. I guess this is quite rare nowadays in electronic music and I’m happy to play live bass, piano and guitar on stage to entertain the crowd and make this difference.

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