Since their 2017 inception, it feels just like the Bay Space’s AG Membership have been by means of eons of trials and errors. The sprawling collective is spearheaded by the de facto leaders Jody Fontaine and Child Boy and their videographers Manny Madrigal and Ivan Collaco. Everybody else caught within the colourful crossfire might change into a member of the Membership as properly, as evident within the sprawling community of designers, collaborators, and buddies that make up their rising universe.
However as with most issues, pleasure can flip right into a chore. As evident of their titles, each 2021’s Fuck Your Expectations Pt. 1 and 2 and 2022’s Impostor Syndrome grappled with their rising fame and the battle to remain on the trail they’ve set for themselves. Coming off a sizzling pageant circuit which included their first Coachella performances and an explosive Camp Flog Gnaw set, a massively profitable tour supporting Denzel Curry, and the seeds of their rising multimedia empire for a brand new digital age blooming quickly, Jody and Child knew they wanted to return again down for air sooner or later. Enter the group’s newest album, BRODIE WORLD, out at this time.
Whereas minimal by AG Membership’s requirements, BRODIE WORLD continues to be teeming with the day-glo, reckless, youthful appeal listeners can shamelessly bask in. “Barry” collides their regional Bay Space-bounce with Latin flavors cushioned by pillowy bass thumps, whereas “KUROSAWA” that includes younger Texas up-and-comer Mike Dimes lays out the sensual, lush soundscapes good for the membership, Instagram Story soundtracks, and lengthy night time drives. The 2 even obtained a crash course in manufacturing and engineering from fellow duo Hippie Sabotage, resulting in the Memphis horrorcore-tinged “that’s proper daddy” that includes Igwe Aka and Mercury. The playful “I’m tryna fuck sum’n” hook’s crudeness is off-set by AG Membership’s complete aura: There’s in all probability a sliver of reality in it, but it surely additionally seems like an unintentional, playful mantra that grew from numerous classes right into a full-fledged banger.
As simple as it’s to strive to attract comparisons to nice hip-hop collectives of current, notably A$AP Mob, Brockhampton, and Odd Future, AG Membership exists in their very own lane. Whereas the 2 went their separate methods the day earlier than their large launch occasion to finish some errands (Jody sipping on Jamba Juice and Child Boy hiding out in a automotive), the minds behind one among hip-hop’s most fun acts got here collectively to debate how BRODIE WORLD got here to be, the affect of childhood cartoons on their artistry, and the way group is earned, not given.
Beneath, stream BRODIE WORLD and browse our dialog.
It’s been two years since Imposter Syndrome, an eternity on this loopy musical economic system. How are you feeling?
JODY FONTAINE: Shit, I’m feeling actually, actually good about this. This challenge was actually enjoyable. I’ll go away it throughout the context of simply this challenge and never evaluate it to something. It feels dope and we love this music, which is cool as a result of typically you get burnt out once you sit with one thing for therefore lengthy. However, we nonetheless adore it and the power is actually excessive.
BABY BOY: We’re turning this right into a Brodie World.
The power surrounding this challenge feels very completely different from all of your different information. It feels just like the mindset and aim is loads looser.
FONTAINE: Just a few years again, we knew we wished to make one thing like a mixtape as a result of we had simply been making actually critical, concerned albums. We knew that sooner or later after we have been finished with all that, we wished to gradual it down and make one thing that didn’t really feel like a lot of a frightening, grueling factor. We had tried engaged on it in 2021 but it surely didn’t find yourself occurring as a result of we dropped Fuck Your Expectations Pt. 1 and 2. We labored on a cross of BRODIE WORLD, but it surely simply didn’t make sense after these have been dropped. We simply went proper into Imposter Syndrome in 2022.
We began engaged on this round mid-2023. We have been doing what we known as “throwing darts” the place we have been simply attempting to make stuff and see what sticks. In order that’s what we advised everyone. Every time we labored with producers, we have been similar to, we’re not likely attempting to work on an album proper now. We’re simply attempting to make songs and see what is sensible. The songs are beginning to stack up and at a degree, we realized we had some BRODIE WORLD stuff. We’ve got one thing that may very well be this factor that we’ve been attempting to make, as a result of we’ve been having a lot enjoyable and simply making shit and never desirous about it an excessive amount of. That was the entire level. It’s simply been a extremely sick course of simply attending to be so hands-on with it production-wise. It’s enjoyable, however I really feel like typically once you say “enjoyable,” it has that connotation of the way you didn’t strive or it didn’t matter as a lot. That’s not the case in any respect. We actually tried to push ourselves to strive new issues and actually develop our sound. Although it’s enjoyable, mild, and you may see the place we’re attempting to show it up, we’re attempting to change into extra self-sufficient. We’ve been taking part in with numerous completely different strategies for recording and processing vocals. I really feel like we’ve grown and it’s cool.
There appears to be each extra and fewer at stake. BRODIE WORLD sounds such as you’re attending to the simplicity of what made you guys so particular and fascinating early on in your profession, and despite the fact that a few of these songs are a bit extra minimal than what the common AG Membership fan could also be used to, it’s evident that there’s an entire world you’re constructing behind it.
FONTAINE: I feel we discovered a stability with this challenge. With our previous tasks, we wish to make numerous completely different songs. Midway Off the Porch was essentially the most real of that. We made a bunch of songs, and there have been all these completely different sounds and textures. It was like a portray! There’s all these completely different colours on it. At a sure level quickly after, we obtained caught up within the mindset of: you must outline what individuals are gonna assume you’re after which you must lean into it. No matter your factor is, you must determine your factor after which you must make it materialize after which you’ve good that factor.
We go on to do Fuck Your Expectations and Impostor Syndrome and our complete shtick is that we’ve all these completely different lanes. However I really feel like the method obtained means too calculated. Even the subject material! With BRODIE WORLD, we tried to steer away from that and simply let it’s extra of a pure factor. What we discovered is that there’s nonetheless that pure aspect of all of that and of us that we had within the first challenge greater than something we ever did, as a result of this feels essentially the most like that first one. We made stuff, and we noticed that it was a portray with a bunch of various colours. We noticed that there was just like the “Cajh Day,” which is the actual Bay Space sound and bounce, however there’s additionally “Iron Large,” which is simply… what the fuck even is that? There’s these completely different textures, but it surely wasn’t tremendous intentional.
Transferring ahead, we all know that we don’t actually should. I really feel like that is type of redefining ourselves and what AG Membership is as a result of it’s type of a query mark and asterisk proper now, and it has been for some time as a result of we haven’t dropped in rattling close to two years. This present definition of it that we’ve created with this challenge is means simpler to take care of as a result of it’s simply far more unfastened. And it type of resembles us extra in that means.
Visuals are an enormous a part of AG Membership, and your love for films shines by means of every thing you do as you create this cinematic world. How does that affect the music?
FONTAINE: At first, shoutout Manny. Our rock. Our… papa. There’s undoubtedly a film tradition inside all of us however Manny retains us on our toes as a result of he watches like 10 films a day. Because the starting, that has at all times been a means that we’ve bonded. We was on the outdated crib and it was necessary that we had one thing taking part in whereas we have been engaged on stuff. It’s nonetheless like that! Particularly by means of all of those BRODIE WORLD classes, we had some film or TV present taking part in whereas we have been recording. That influenced numerous the tune titles.
We’ve at all times stated that we’re attempting to make our factor like a community on TV. While you’re a child and also you flip your TV to Cartoon Community, you’d have a look at your schedule for the day as a result of again then, we had guides and shit. You may see what was going to play for the subsequent 24 hours and something after that you simply couldn’t, however you didn’t care! That was life. In 24 hours of Cartoon Community scheduling, you’ll see seven or eight completely different exhibits, one film, after which a particular or two. That’s such a variety of content material.
We’ve at all times seen AG Membership as a collective. There’s music, however there’s additionally video, and there’s additionally skating, and there’s additionally attire. We’ve got all these various things that we are able to do, and we even have buddies that may do issues. We simply love consuming that sorts of media as a result of they really feel essentially the most relatable so far as what we’re attempting to do with world-building. It’s partially ego, although, as a result of typically you actually begin watching films and also you’re desirous to be an asshole about it.
When you make a Letterboxd, it’s over.
FONTAINE: It’s downhill from there. Such as you simply change into the worst model of your self as a result of you should watch every thing that you simply n****s have by no means heard of. The references are in all places, all the way down to 70% of the tune titles. There’s simply a lot in there, and even within the movies! That’s for the actual ones to select on. In 5 years or no matter, we’ll do some interview and reveal all of it. By then, it’s going to give us time to make up some shit to make it deeper.
Name me loopy if you want, however I additionally assume there’s this actually fascinating stress within the report. There’s an eerie, foreboding feeling in some tracks.
FONTAINE: I really feel like these textures are simply us attempting to make it really feel like an actual factor. It’s tremendous enjoyable and lax so far as us making it, however I really feel like we get type of caught up. I can solely communicate for myself, however I get caught up in my very own head. I wished it to nonetheless be evident that there’s numerous care and there’s numerous consideration.
After I consider somebody saying, “I’m only a shopper. I’m not the man making shit,” or somebody saying, “My new album is simply tremendous enjoyable,” I simply understand how that feels and I do know the place my thoughts goes. I don’t need it to go there and I don’t need individuals to get that concept with our shit. Every time we do one thing like that, there’s nonetheless obtained to be one thing that makes it clear we’re actually critical. Like, if we’re gonna make for y’all to be within the membership going loopy to, it’s nonetheless gotta have a throughline someplace that makes it AG Membership. The mission assertion is similar, however the feeling is completely different.
Going again to films, there needs to be some stress or some stakes as a result of in any other case, it’s only a industrial.
FONTAINE: Precisely! It’s borderline edging.
Going again to being self-sufficient, what does that seem like for you guys now that you simply’re a number of years into this.
BABY BOY: I really feel like I’m nonetheless an toddler youngster. Ever since we began making music, we’ve at all times had someone who can produce music for us to assist us however we at all times information it in a sure path. That’s how BRODIE WORLD got here to be as a result of we at all times go into the classes like, play us some bizarre shit that you simply don’t need to play for anyone else. Give us that fireside that everyone else would hate. We at all times attempt to information it in that path. however I really feel like so far as every thing else goes, like movies and graphics and stage design and advertising, we’ve been doubling down on that. Jody, he’s like a fucking tremendous advertising pc. He’s calculated every thing that may go proper and improper. We’ve got Ivan and Manny, powerhouse video dudes. I really feel like we’re on prime of it. I really feel like we’re rising every single day.
FONTAINE: So me and Child produced the “That’s Proper, Daddy” tune on the brand new challenge. We went to Hawaii with Hippie Sabotage to work on some shit in January of final yr and so they taught us how one can use Ableton. We stayed up all night time and so they’re displaying us how one can make beats and shit. We stayed up all night time recording it and taking turns engineering one another and dealing on the beat. We’ve had different songs we’ve produced, however that was the primary one which we ever produced, recorded, and engineered collectively. That was an enormous step for us as a result of, like Child stated, we’ve at all times had a facilitator. He’s been making beats on a regular basis. He didn’t say all that as a result of he’s attempting to be bashful. We’re getting higher at taking extra management over what it’s that we achieve this we don’t have to essentially rely on anybody, as a result of previously, that’s been one thing that’s utterly derailed us. We have been working with an individual, after which that particular person does some silly shit, and we are able to’t work with that particular person anymore. You get with one other particular person after which it occurs once more. We’ve been attempting so arduous to depend on ourselves, and I feel by means of this course of, we’ve realized a lot that has made us extra of a pressure.
How do you strike that stability in order that what you do doesn’t really feel like a product you’re attempting to promote?
FONTAINE: It’s a blessing that we’re younger, as a result of we may very well be some outdated n****s attempting to cosplay as younger n****s. It’s very a lot a product at that time. I feel we simply perceive individuals need one thing to fuck with. Individuals need one thing to be into. Individuals need one thing to connect to. If you happen to create one thing that folks need to connect to, you don’t should promote it to them as a result of they simply need to be part of it. And should you make individuals really feel like they could be a a part of it, growth! What they determine to do past that could be a plus.
We’re simply attempting to create the atmosphere. I really feel like that’s one thing that we’ve at all times been attempting to do for the reason that very starting. Once we began making music, we began calling ourselves Avant Garde Membership, as a result of there was no one that we knew of in our space that was making shit that we wished to make. We wished to start out making shit like that and we wished to ask everyone else who had any curiosity in making shit like that to return fuck with us. It’s at all times been us trying to find and attempting to construct group. N****s gotta eat, however really feel like when looking for the road, we lean extra into our personal detriment. We’ll gladly not promote some shit if it means preserving the shit that we imagine in. If we do like a free present in Oakland and are available out of pocket for it utterly however the entire metropolis will get to return and have hella enjoyable, that’s what issues.
That’s all that issues.
FONTAINE: We’re all brodies.