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[Exclusive] Diplo & Ferry Gouw Talk 'Major Lazer' the Animated Series

An exclusive inside look at Major Lazer's TV debut as part of FXX’s Animation Domination.
Images courtesy the artists

Like an air raid siren version of the Bat-Signal, the wail of "Pon De Floor" was a call to arms back in 2009: electronic music was awash in progressive house bootlegs and desperately in need of a superhero. That the savior would come in the form of an ass-kicking bionic rasta with a laser gun arm—you'd have to ask Diplo, Jillionaire, Walshy Fire, or Ferry Gouw to find out how Major Lazer became that man, because the rest is legend. Thankfully, as part of FXX’s Animation Domination block on Thursday nights at midnight, that legend comes to life in the form of an animated series about the “Guardian of the Groove" himself. In the exclusive clip above, go behind-the-scenes of Major Lazer with series co-creator and executive producer Diplo and Major Lazer art director, illustrator and designer Ferry Gouw.

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Major Lazer tells the story of the cyborg commando as he battles villains including President Whitewall and General Rubbish to preserve the rights of the Jamaican people. "The inspiration is mostly the stuff I grew up with," says Gouw in the video above. He cites The Centurions as an influence while Diplo hat-tips "hints of G.I. Joe and He-Man." "It's like we've combined the reggae, the dancehall, the hip-hop, the downtown New York City aesthetic," explains Diplo. "Now we've made the language where we can just create this universe to go wherever we want it to go."

Major Lazer premieres on Thursday, April 16 at midnight as part of Animation Domination on FXX. Click here to learn more about Major Lazer, including upcoming album, Peace is the Mission (expected June 1 on Mad Decent).

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