Mannequin pop unit FEMM tear up dancefloors across the world with their super-future sounds (including HYPER JAPAN in 2017), but they have been weirdly silent recently, even for inanimate objects. After replacing their website with a cryptic message and removing their previous videos from social media, we were worried that it was the end of the idiosyncratic dance duo. Lucky for us they’re back doing the robot again with a new EP and a new upgrade! FEMM 2.0 are online and better than ever. We caught up with RiRi and LuLa to see what they’ve got in store for us!

What’s new with FEMM 2.0?
LuLa: I think the most obvious change is that our movements got a lot more smooth. Also we can express our own feelings now.

How did you meet each other and when?
RiRi: We first met at FEMM’s Agency Syndicate in 2013. That is where we became leaders of mannequins. Until then, we were just normal fashion mannequins standing in clothing store’s windows.

Tell us about the process of creating the new album. Is it going to cover every single genre imaginable like FEMM-isation and Pow!/L.C.S.? What are the limits? Is there any genre you wouldn’t perform?
LuLa: We don’t really think of our music to be in some kind of category, but it’s our own original sound. Especially for our EP “404 Not Found” (meaning you can’t find anywhere) we really took our time to find the right sound.

FEMM is famous for your incredible sci-fi music videos. Are you planning on doing more music videos for any of the other tracks on the Album?
RiRi: Of course! “Peach” is my fav. Directed by super talented GFX artist Weirdcore from UK. The track is produced by Danny L Harle who has been releasing from PC Music. The sound is really edgy and dark, but has this strong woman vibes. I hope you guys enjoy it!

You have so many exciting producers on your albums. How do you find out about new music and producers?
LuLa: We work with our team at our music label. We find new beats with them and try to put some vocals on it. We’ve been searching for years to find what the best sound is for us. Especially the track “Level Up” was a unique one. I personally became friends with Duke of Harajuku from tokyovitamin and ended up with this song. Me and RiRi took a place in writing the song with him and it was a completely new experience for us.

Who are your favorite UK or Japanese musicians at the moment?
LuLa: UK- Beatles, Rina Sawayama Japan- Namie Amuro
RiRi: UK- Shift K3Y Japan- MIYAVI, Miku Hatsune

How has life changed for mannequins in 2020?
RiRi: 2020 was a tough year for all of us, all over the world. It was a time to rethink about our values in life and get closer to the ones we love.  We have strong passion towards music and entertainment and have it never die. Let’s mannequins and human unite and make a better world!

What difficulties do mannequins have that humans don’t understand?
LuLa: That they think us mannequins don’t have emotion. We are same as them, and we hope they can understand one day.

Is there anything that confuses you about humans?
RiRi: Anything that hurts another person is really sad. I hope we can all care for each other and be kind.

Fashion is very important for mannequins – so what are your current top picks for Japanese fashion or makeup?
LuLa: Yes, fashion is very important to us. Not just Japan but all over the world we have to wear masks right now, so I can’t wait to wear bright lipstick and walk around the city again.
RiRi: “Jirai” make up is really the thing right now in Japan, especially in the SNS world. You put red eye makeup on and make it look like you’ve been crying, and make the boys worry about u….?? lol It sounds crazy, but it’s been a trend for a while.

What are your favourite memories of the UK? What do you hope to do next time you’re here?
RiRi: It was so awesome to meet all of our FEMM agents in UK, back in 2017 at HYPER JAPAN’s event. We did some sightseeing around the city and it was so much fun! Next time when we come to UK, I wanna go shopping spree!

What aspects of Japan do you want to introduce to the world and why?
LuLa: Traditional Kimono wear. And also Japanese hospitality “Omotenashi”. These are really beautiful culture that Japan has.

Who are your top insta follow suggestions?
RiRi: Our label mates FAKY (https://www.instagram.com/fakyjp/) and Yup’in (https://www.instagram.com/y__u__p/) ☺️

What are your goals for 2021?
LuLa: We wanna go meet our agents! We want more people to know about us and our music!
RiRi: Since we have our new sounds, we are so excited to perform them. Hopefully the pandemic world becomes a safer place and we can meet our fans all over the world…!!!

So there you have it, FEMM 2.0 are the same fashion forward mannequins but they have always been but powered up. They’re here to bring you world peace and but with an incredibly catchy dance soundtrack. For more mannequin madness, check out the new EP “404 Not Found” and videos at the links below, and send them some love on social media.

FEMM
New E.P.
“404 Not Found”
2020.11.20 OUT

https://FEMM.lnk.to/404NotFound
01. Sit Down [Prod. HABANERO POSSE]
02. Bury Me (with all my $$) [Prod. YUA]
03. Peach [Prod. Danny L Harle / Radical Hardcore Clique]
04. Play By The Rules [Prod. Diana Chiaki]
05. Boss [Prod. KM]
06. Level Up feat. Duke of Harajuku [Prod. Star Boy / Loesoe / Radical Hardcore Clique]

—

【Official Website】https://femms.jp/
【Instagram】https://www.instagram.com/femm____/
【Twitter】https://twitter.com/FEMM____
【YouTube】https://bit.ly/2THLXBn
【Spotify】https://spoti.fi/2HUdbCu
【AppleMusic】https://apple.co/3mFhD6U

Featured Image: Tatsuro Shimizo