“Open,” the sensual lead track off Rhye’s forthcoming full-length, surfaced in the early months of 2012 with scant details about the duo responsible for it, leading to a decent amount of speculation about the identity behind Rhye's whispery, flawless contralto. Stripped of context, this momentary anonymity allowed the subtly provocative song and its equally steamy video to be experienced on an elemental level. By the end of the year, we had learned that Rhye is actually two men: singer Mike Milosh, (who releases music as Milosh) and Robin Hannibal (of the Danish group Quadron), both LA-via-Europe songsmiths. Now, the pair made us a mix of seductive songs—some smooth soul staples, some contemporary R&B. Unlike most FADER mixes, none of these tracks blend into one another: one fades out, silence settles for a second, then another begins. But it seems right. The duo also answered a few questions over e-mail. In the spirit of their low-key, shadowy inception, the responses are brief, evoking honesty and intimacy without actually giving too much away. (There's no tracklist either.) Woman, Rhye's debut LP, comes out March 4th via Polydor.
Download: Rhye's FADER Mix
What brought you to LA? Love and music.
What challenges come from working collaboratively on this project that you didn’t face as solo artists? Finding room and space for each other. Understanding and using our differences as an asset. The compromise should create something that we would never be able to on our own, and it most certainly did.
In an interview on Pitchfork, you said that you believe a lot of contemporary music is over-sexualized. How do you approach sensual music in a way that’s less depraved? Writing about personal experiences. If it's real emotions, then it's more sexy than anything else.
The LP is simply called Woman. Why? It's our ode and homage to women.
Who was your first crush? Michael Jackson and Claudia Cardinale.
