Having been blown away by Herr Styler’s latest EP ‘Happiness Was A Light Sleeper‘, we got the chance to have a quick chat with the mysterious Parisian duo as part of our Introducing interview series.

We spoke to the duo about the overall reaction to their latest EP, what plans they have for their debut album, and what they would do if their studio was on fire, nothing it turns out.

HBF: We’ve been posting your music for a while now, but we’re still not entirely sure who you are – can you tell us your names and where you from? Or is that still a secret?

G. It’s not a secret. We come from Naples, Italy.

F. And of course we can tell you our names. No problem.

HBF: You’ve just released you latest EP ‘Happiness Was A Light Sleeper’ – how has the reaction been? Do you think people really get it? Did we get it?

G. Feedback has been astonishingly good. We’re really surprised, actually. About the fact of getting it or not, well, just because sometimes our music can be a little “different” it doesn’t mean people have to get it. You listen to the tracks, you feel them or you don’t. That’s it.

F. The reactions have been really positive, especially on ‘We Are The Ones’. Our aim was to put the listeners into 3 different atmospheres linked between them by something deeper. This is the reason why we’ve done a short movie and not a simple music video; Happiness Was a Light Sleeper is supposed to be listened in its entirety. Take a dive and tell us how you feel.

HBF: How did you come up with the name Herr Styler?

G&F. Now THIS is a secret!

HBF: You’ve released all your music on the excellent La Belle – can we expect an album in the not-so-distant future?

F. Yeah, 2014 is going to be the year. ‘Happiness Was a Light Sleeper’ is just an appetiser of our first album.

G. And the main course will be tasty. There will also be some collaborations on it…some of them, we can talk about it. There’s a track with Fredrika Stahl, wonderful swedish singer, one with Declaime aka Dudley Perkins, one of our favourite rappers/singers ever…and then there are those collaborations we can’t talk about yet.

HBF: How do you think that would that sound?

F. Like a trip to a place way colder than the place you came from. And that’s not that strange, given our personal background. The most important thing for me is building the concept of our first album as a whole and not as a mosaic of nice jingles. Trying to get this right took a really long time. We’re very stubborn.

HBF: What’s the best thing about being French and a musician?

G. That every time french musicians do something slightly-better-than-the-average, plenty of music journalists furiously start tapping the words “FRENCH TOUCH” on their keyboard. That can’t happen with us – because usually when you talk about italians touching something it actually means something sexual.

F. We’re not french. We’re two italians making music in France under a german moniker. We’re truly european.

HBF: What’s the worst thing about being French and a musician?

G. That every time french musicians do something slightly-better-than-the-average, plenty of music journalists furiously start tapping the words “FRENCH TOUCH” on their keyboard.

F. That they don’t really feel europeans.

HBF: If your studio was on fire and you could go back in to save one thing, what would it be and why?

F. My ass and the ass of whoever is in the studio with me. Why? Two words: CRIMINAL NEGLIGENCE.

G. Nothing. I’d probably stare at the fire thinking “I HAVE NO REGRETS”.

HBF: What else can we expect from you this year?

G. Our first album and our live show as a 5-person band on stage.

F. We’re preparing this completely live show in order to tour and play our stuff everywhere.

HBF: If Herr Styler were a sandwich – what would you be?

G. Everything but a simple club sandwich.