Strongboi is a fresh side project born in Berlin from a fiery collaboration between long time friends & bandmates, Ziv Yamin & Alice Phoebe Lou. Armed with Casio keyboards, drum machines, synths & trashy sounds the pair have crossed genres & attitudes to bring an eclectic mix of bouncing bangers & smooth rolling grooves. Alice is a South African singer-songwriter. In December 2017 her song “She” from the film Bombshell:The Hedy Lamarr Story was included on the Oscars shortlist for Best Original Song. Alice describes Strongboi as a beautiful place where she can express all different, more extreme parts of her personality.
Their debut comes in the form of a self-titled video, which was released in March 2020. Captured on 8mm film by Daklis (also Alice’s band’s bassist) while in Las Vegas the previous December, the video is a spontenous and improvised introductory exhibition of their music.The video is all Casio keyboards, funky sunglasses and jazzy dance-moves in the desert. A collection of hand-held camera shots tracking the pair through the streets and escalators of Las Vegas.
Alice and Ziv self-released three singles in 2020. “strongboi”, “honey thighs”, and “tuff girl”, recorded in a Berlin living room and all mixed by grammy award winning producer & engineer, Noah Georgeson. Strongboi recorded a full length album that autumn at their own self-built studio in East Berlin, named ‘La Pot’Berlin, with the help of close collaborators and gear they have been lent by various friends.
It’s retro meets post-modern in the most delightful way. ’90’s polka-dot synths square up to cluttered textures and a progressive melody beat which feels like it’s bordering on a dub rhythm. It’s awash in femme sharp-edged empowerment, dropped with hip-hop-esque verve from the sassy lips of Alice’s grittier side – “Sharpen your claws my girl/learn to love your flaws my girl.”
Their latest offering on YouTube is a live version of their song ‘Fool Around’ which was released at the beginning of May 2023.
