Franco-American duo Faux Real have released their second album, Poison Time, via b4, alongside a self-directed video for “I Got Mine”.
The 11-track record draws on themes such as philosophy and everyday absurdity, taking a more direct and personal approach than the duo’s previous work while retaining its humour and theatricality. Made at home in Los Angeles, the album moves between pop hooks, electronic textures, distorted sounds and more abstract sound design. Its artwork, shot by Grant Spanier, was inspired by Marina Abramović’s Rest Energy, with the pair suspended above water.
Speaking on the project, Faux Real explained: “Like Rest Energy gone wrong. Playing Cupid is dangerous business: the arrows run in circles around the hero, shot through the heart, blood spurting. Love is the Killer. The mystery elixir – the Healer. But what if things aren’t what they seem? Is it better to live, albeit shot full of arrows, than to not exist? Despite the violence, I Got Mine is ultimately a settling of chaotic seas, a rejection of turmoil and a spiral towards inner peace”.
Since forming in 2020, Elliott and Virgile Arndt have built a reputation for elaborate live shows, touring alongside Wet Leg and Metronomy and earning recognition including a BBC 6 Music Breaking Artist title. The duo describe themselves as “Method Musicians”, approaching Faux Real as something that exists beyond simply making songs. Music, visuals, fashion, performance and character all feed into the same creative process, allowing the duo to continually stretch and reshape what the project can be.
The pair will take Poison Time on a headline tour across North America, the UK and Europe this autumn, with support from Bryce Xavier, Kyra Machida and Babe America in North America and Dance Arts Center across the UK and Europe. For more information and tickets, click here.
Listen to Poison Time below and watch the official video for lead single “I Got Mine” here.