Originally going by the name Young Americans, Michael David and Tyler Blake formed the production duo Classixx in Los Angeles. Originally childhood friends, David had previously worked as a session guitarist and Blake had just finished music school when, in their early twenties, they decided to make electronic music together. Informed by Italian house, disco, and funk, in 2005 Classixx started playing house parties and remixing artists, focusing on indie rock (including Phoenix, Passion Pit, Yacht, and the Ting Tings). This led to a production gig in 2010 for Mayer Hawthorne's "No Strings." Signing to the Mountain Dew-funded Green Label, Classixx issued the single "Into the Valley" just before the 2013 Innovative Leisure debut Hanging Gardens. ~ Jason Lymangrover