Eddie Chacon’s R&B pop exploits are both influential and legendary. “Eddie Chacon is planet earth’s number one musician, Mac DeMarco says in a release . Yesterday, today, and forever.” In the ‘90s, Chacon — part of the duo Charles and Eddie — had a global number 1 hit with “ Would I Lie To You .” You probably know it, and you probably love it. Following a successful run, he stepped out of the music industry limelight and got behind the camera for shoots and various creative endeavors.
But, when your music is as smooth as silk, it’s tough to run dry.
Chacon has reemerged with a collection of slow-burning cuts produced by John Carroll Kirby. Kirby, whose collaborative credentials include Solange, Frank Ocean, and Blood Orange, is a perfect pairing as his soft-pop mentality fits like a glove with Chacon’s hushed musings. Chacon was really drawn to Kirby’s meditative sound, saying, “I really wanted to make a record that was a break from the intensity of life. Something that went down easy and helped the listener find balance.” And the record does just that — if floating in the ether is your semblance of easygoing, then this one's for you.
“Trouble” is the second single from the forthcoming album “ Pleasure, Joy and Happiness .” It’s woozy, intimate and almost disorienting. “You just add to my troubles, you just add to my troubles. Why?” Chacon sings. It’s an after-hours track if there ever was one and the video is artful and intriguing. Chacon directed the video with his wife at Venice clothing store Older Brother, incorporating a PlantWave sound installation. All in all — the vibrations are appropriately tuned. Enjoy.
“Pleasure, Joy and Happiness” is out July 31 via Day End Records (with distribution by Light In The Attic). Check out the video and read more from Eddie Chacon below.
On working with John Carroll Kirby:
Kirby and I seemed to click musically from the first time we met for coffee and wound up playing each other ideas for cool tracks for two hours in my car. He has such a smooth meditative sound and I really wanted to make a record that was a break from the intensity of life. Something that went down easy and helped the listener find balance.
Many of the vocals were initially one or two take stream-of-consciousness run-throughs. Then we would just smooth-out the rough spots and roll with it. Having said that, we still left in some of the rough spots. We like that.
I had sent this little home demo of the song “Trouble” to Kirby. I showed up to his studio to cut a vocal and he had basically thrown my demo out the window and created this fizzy masterpiece. I felt so joyful inside singing it — I thought my voice was gonna crack. How do you sing when you’re grinning from ear to ear?
On the making of the “Trouble” video:
My wife and I directed the video for “Trouble” together. We wanted something super earthy and intimate, like the song. Then, luckily a friend of ours who has a very cool clothing store in LA called Older Brother happened to be exhibiting their beautiful PlantWave installation. PlantWave is a super interesting device that turns plant biorhythms into music. It felt like the perfect fit. He let us shoot in his store on the one condition that we vacuum before we leave. That’s why I’m vacuuming in the video. Gotta make good on a promise.
What Chacon is currently listening to:
Right now I’m very much enjoying the music of Helado Negro. I feel relaxed when I listen to him. It resonates with me.
Eddie Chacon album art. Courtesy of Eddie Chacon.