Justice

Gaspard Auge and Xavier de Rosnay met in Paris and first made their mark with a 2003 remix of Simian Mobile Disco's "Never Be Alone" (subsequently released as "We Are Your Friends"). Sounding like the crafty, cheeky offspring of Daft Punk, Justice was not surprisingly signed by DP's former manager, Pedro Winter, to his Ed Banger Records imprint. The duo's first single was "Waters Of Nazareth," which went on to be championed by several big names, including 2 Many DJ's and Erol Alkan. Remixing work followed, with Soulwax, Mr. Oizo and Franz Ferdinand (amongst others) asking for the Justice treatment. The mainstream audience became aware of Justice when they won best video for "We Are Your Friends" at the 2006 MTV Europe Music Awards, a victory that so incensed the rapper Kanye West that he took to the stage to complain about his video losing. Subsequent online furor ensued, so that by the time Justice appeared onstage at the 2007 Coachella Music Festival, they were one of the most hotly anticipated acts. The look of their debut release, 2007's Cross, and their use of a huge cross as part of their stage show, was said to be inspired by Madonna's and George Michael's use of similar imagery during the '90s, as well as being a common heavy metal motif. It should be noted however that the huge Marshall stacks they use on stage are merely props.