Electroqueer

Cuz I Don't Wanna Look Like A Hungry Camp Counsellor

Clearly THE funniest and most brilliant song and video I've heard this week.

Leslie and the Lys I'm stomping three times for ya...Click here for MySpazzage.

Coming Soon To A DVD Player Near You...

Marvelous.

EQ Interview with Private : "Some Of It Was Too Silly And Some Of It Was Too Dirty"...

So there is no doubt about it. Danish pop band Private are hot at the moment and on the up and up. Having released one of my hands down favourite albums late last year entitled 'My Secret Lover', Private are ready and set to take the pop world by storm having already garnered major success in Denmark and winning the hearts of music bloggers in the US and UK and beyond. EQ got a chance to chat to Thomas Troelsen from Private about their music, the Danish pop immersion, their ideas for live shows and "that girl" who speaks novels of attitude in the title track...

So how long have you been together as a band? It seems that you popped up overnight on the pop music blogs and suddenly everyone was talking about you!

It's been great seeing the reactions around the world. We actually didn't want international attention before our debut album 'My Secret Lover' was released worldwide, but I guess it was easier to control before the rise of the internet. I've been working on the record since 2005, and Asger and Tanja came to the studio in late 2006 to record their parts.

So what is the pop and electronic music scene like in Denmark? You've had some real success there haven't you?

I don't think there's a Danish scene per se, but I think we have some truly original bands like Junior Senior, Raveonettes and I Scream Ice Cream.

With Alphabeat building up momentum along with yourselves in the UK, is Denmark the new pop music breeding ground like Sweden is?

I really like Alphabeat's songs and I love how their personalities fit their music, but I don't think that there's a momentum in Danish pop music. I think that both Private and Alphabeat want to be a part of the international scene, not just the Danish scene.

There is an obvious connection to Prince and Madonna in your music. Was this intentional or did it just kind of happen that way?

I've been a record collector since I was thirteen, and therefore I like a lot of obscure music, but I guess my favorite music was made in the mid 80s when the standard and competition were at their best. I'm a perfectionist and I can work for hours on a shaker, tambourine or finding the right drum fills for a song. Nothing on our record is a coincidence except some of the actual songwriting. I believe that's how 'Rumors', 'Purple Rain', 'Bad' and 'Like a Prayer' were made too.

'My Secret Lover' is so fresh sounding, yet heavily retro tinged - how did this song come about?

It came to me at my home recording studio when playing my piano. Suddenly, all the words, notes and chords came out. Don't ask me why. Most the choruses on the album are written like that – Ooops, that was pretty good! When something comes to me, I record it on a voice recorder so I won’t forget about it. In the case of 'My Secret Lover', I recorded it about a year later.

How did it feel to hear your songs on the radio for the first time?

It's always great to hear your own music on radio and in nightclubs, but I don't get as excited as when I was 15. Nevertheless, it's definitely a great feeling. My favorite thing though, is when someone really old or really young comes to me and tells me they like our music.

And who is that gal doing the speaking bit in 'My Secret Lover'? You know, the bit where she goes "I want a real man, I don’t have time for this shit..." so flawless.

It's a girl from New York we tracked down because we were looking for a sexy voice. I think we recorded about 40 minutes from her, but some of it was too silly and some was too dirty.

You have a bit of a gothic and dramtic look to your imagery - What's that all about? Lots of black and white, we love it!

We don't think of it as being goth at all. I see it more like a fine British gentleman thing. I think it goes very well with our music and personalities.

You've been nominated for a ton of awards at the Danish Music Awards this year? How do you feel about that? You gonna win or not? What's your competition like?

That's great. We never thought we would have this much success in Denmark. We have some pretty good competition. To be honest, I wouldn't mind if we don't win anything as an award goes to The Raveonettes.

Tell us a little bit about 'Crucify My Heart'. Based on real life events? Who's the inspiration behind that tune? She sounds like a real piece of work!

The chorus was written in real time and the strong words pretty much set the scene for the rest of the song, so it's not a Thomas Troelsen biography, but i definitely had some girls in mind. This was actually the hardest song to write, and I had a really hard time finding the right verse for it.

Any plans to go on tour? What can we expect from a Private show? I personally am expecting lots of neon on black...loads of keyboardage...synchronized dance moves ala Robert Palmer, flinging of the hair...that sort of thing...

The only show that we have done so far went extremely well. The scene was at the old stock market in Copenhagen built in 1735 by King Christian the 4th. We don't want to perform at festivals and venues. We want to bring our fans to more aesthetic places.

So which one of you is the real 'Killer On The Dancefloor' ? Be honest.

Definitely Tanja. She's always rocking it. I rarely go out, but when I do I'm usually in a pretty good dancing mood!

Any plans to release the album in the UK or the states at the moment?

Yes, there’s been interest from various UK and US labels. We’re beginning to look at who might be the best partner.

'That Boy Is Hurting You' is such a beautiful track - how did this one come about?

You know when one of your friends is with a complete idiot, and you don't have the guts to tell her that? Well this is a story about just that.

Well that's it! Thanks for chatting with us Thomas. Any parting words for the EQ readers?

Bring out the gentleman!

And so we shall!  And just in case you have yet to be turned into a fan of the electronic pop maestros themselves, take a look and a listen to the below YouTubage and make sure to check them out on MySpazz.

My Secret Lover

Crucify My Heart

And Danny Wood Had This To Say About Getting Back Together...

"Hi to all the New Kids On The Block fans, I wanted to clarify my thoughts regarding the NKOTB reunion. I loved being a part of the group, and have always thought maybe someday we’ll get back together – you just never know when your someday will come. I can guarantee all the fans that if this reunion were to happen, they would hear about it first on www.NKOTB.com." - Danny Wood

Sounds like it's beantown boyband mayhem all over again...

New Kids On The Block - Reunion

Legendary boy band New Kids On The Block will be getting back together - or at least People Magazine say so. Oh my, EQ will shamefullly admit to being a "blockhead" in high school. I think I still have my Hangin Tough tour jacket in storage somewhere. Oh god. I just admitted that. Oh come on, you know I'm a Tiffany fan already, so don't act so suprised. Don't NKOTB fall under the 'Retro' category? Justification - there you go.

Seriously though, it will be interesting to see if they do reform and if Jonathan Knight will join them since he's been so public about his panic attackts and stage fright after the band's demise. In a world of Spice That and Boyzone cashing in on nostalgic success, sounds like NKOTB could very well be on their way to making tons of cash, again.

Thanks to EQ reader Brian in Boston for alerting this to us. If they do a reunion show with Tiffany and Tommy Page, I will most likely bankrupt myself to be there and have to ask for donations! LOL. I have been somewhat a fan of youngest New Kid Joe McIntyre's solo music since the band broke up in 1994 as well.

If Mika Was An Electro House Parisian/New Yorker - Meet Naommon

OMFG. I just listened to Naommon's song 'Allnighter' and it very well could be my favourite dance song of this year so far...It's beyond amazing! Where has this guy been hiding? Has he been tucked away in NYC clubland? Well, I thinks it's time that the rest of the world take a listen to this precious gem of an electro artist and you can do so over at his MySpace profile right here, right now.

I just downloaded his album and remix package called 'Allnighter' as well and I'm VERY excited about this artist - take notice EQs! Better yet, watch the vid-e-o - what do you think? Doesn't he have a slight resemblence to Mika mixed in with a bit of old school Jellybean? He's got it - the right combination.

CASEY - Is Here!

The verdict : Such a beautiful music video. I know a fair amount of people were up in arms about the teaser but I have to say that Darren Hayes couldn't have done a better video for 'Casey'. It totally encapsulates the feeling of wanting to escape into something bigger and better as children of the 80's or any decade for that matter. Darren has an extraordinary way of visualizing the past in a way that still looks fresh today. I get it. I love it. Thanks Darren.

Bizarre Rant Triangle

Hello EQs. It's the weekend and here at EQHQ we've been doing lots of stuff that we normally don't have time to do like organizing our sock drawer, taking the cat to the vet for a checkup and getting rid of all the plastic-y badness of jewel cases from our CD collection. Believe me, that was a chore. Seven industrial size bags of jewel cases and dust went to recycle bin heaven and now our CD collection fits nicely on two shelves rather than an entire closet. I highly suggest everyone go through this painful exercise. You won't believe how much room CDs can take up! Oh, and we finally got our AppleTV back up and running. You would have to be a techical genius like ourselves (yeah right) to figure out how to make it work after upgrading it to Leopard.

Last night Gerilicious and I went to see 'Sweeny Todd' at the picture house and it was ok. I didn't think it was great, but it was entertaining and innovative. I find it a bit strange to like a character who slits people's throats and then cohorts with a strange woman baker to make meat pies out of them. Call me old-fashioned. The acting and singing was all good, but seeing that movie once was good enough for moi. I'm more excited to see 'Juno' to tell you the truth.

But enough of that, on with this week's rants...

• So we got sent a promo single for this Ukrainian duo who prance around in nothing but their thongs called The Power Lords and they are touting their new dance single called 'Lords Of The String' which is somewhat fun and catchy. Think O-Zone meets The Shamen with a little blend of The KLF thrown in. Click here to have a wee listen!
  
  
• Last week's London's Boyz magazine was quite good. They interviewed both Robyn and Sia and that was probably only the second or third time I've read more than just a few pages of the gay rag. Ususally I just flip through the pages and look at all the semi-naked boys and to glance at what hot new club that is opening up that will most likely close in a months time. But last week's rag was pretty good overall. Check it out here. Warning : You might see a male willy or three...actually we would like to see pictures of Robyn's muscley cage fighting boyfriend...
  
  
• We mentioned this yesterday, but the music blog Retro Remixes is great. It's like doing the time warp back to the 80s when pop music was so fucking good. Make sure you go check them out too.
  
  
• You know, everyone is talking about the new crop of female chanteuses like Adele, Duffy and Anouk these days. But you know what, they aint half as good as Sylvia Powell whom we have been championing for over two years now. Sylvia has just finished up her album artwork and a huge promotional push will start to begin for her very soon. EQ wants you to remember this name - she'll be a big part of the blog as we creep up to her album release and make sure you listen to her haunting song 'Endless' in the Music On The Verge Section.
  
  
• Darren Hayes unveils his new video to 'Casey' TONIGHT at 8pm UK Time on his website. How exciting - it's been in the making for 4 months and we hear it's inspiration was The Atari video game console and the movie 'Innerspace'. We'll be waiting with baited breath!
  
  
• So 'Rent Remixed' in London with Siobhan Donaghy officially closes on 2nd February. No huge surprise there. I am just hoping that Siobhan goes back to her brilliant music after this and starts to promote 'Ghosts' more. We are dying for a music video to 'Medevac'.
  
  
• So Valeria..she is starting to unveil some of her new tracks from her new album out in April and we were hoping that they would be on the electro-tip, but some of them I've heard just sound a little too tweeny and Shakira for our tastes. I'll reserve final judgement on the final product, but you can take a little listen to them on her MySpace page if you are interested. 'Bubblegum' and 'Lights Camera Action' have potential...
  
  
• And finally we leave you with t.A.T.u.'s latest video to 'Beily Plaschik' ('White Robe'). We found a really-great subtitled version to the controversial video which you can see below. We've been obsessed with a lot of Russian pop lately and if you haven't seen this video yet, it's kinda eerie to say the least...

Nelson Clemente's '6th Perception' EP is DONE!

Awww - isn't it just so precious. Nelson Clemente picked up his boxes of fresh CDs just yesterday and will be sending them out soon to all who have pre-ordered and if you haven't yet bought your '6th Perception' CD, make sure to order it from Nelson's MySpace page (click here) as soon as possible. Having heard all the tracks and remixes already on the CD, we have to say, you'll be in love with it! 'You Me Us We' alone is worth a thousand dollars if you ask us...

Support Indie Electronic Music and Artists EQ readers!
Go and purchase '6th Perception' today!

On a teeny side note, the EP also garners a little sticker on the cover which says 'EQ Song Of The Year' on it. Sniff sniff. Its our first mention on an actual CD and it just brings a little tear to our eyes...maybe someday we'll get mentioned in some liner notes...a blog can dream! Thanks Nelson!

EQ Retro Rewind : Mr. Mister

Remember these guys? Mr. Mister were at the top of their game in the 80's but only lasted for about 3 hits in the way of 'Is This Love', 'Kyrie' and the hugely successful electronic rock ballad 'Broken Wings' which is immortalized in the YouTubage below. We thinks someone needs to resurrect this song. Someone whose voice we like but perhaps has rubbish pop songs, like perhaps Ronan Keating? Wouldn't it be great if Andy Scott-Lee did this song and someone cool gave it a good electronic face moisturinzing body scrub and a facelift? I smell a hit. Anyways, until that happens, enjoy the vid-e-o and all it's mullet hair happiness.

Oh and by the way, the neon coloured blog stylings known as Retro Remixes has a great set of Mr. Mister remixes available too! You might even find some classic Madonna shizz there too...

EQ Exclusive : Listen To Madison's New Track 'Iconic'

You won't hear this anywhere else except here at EQ!

Take a listen to Madison's new song 'Iconic'. Madison has always been a favourite here at EQ and it's we are so excited that he has been working hard in the studio and writing some new tracks for his forthcoming collection. The results are fantastic! Take a trip down celebrity-ville in the height of all it's decadence as Madison reminds us all what it's like to be truly iconic and fabulous.

Madison - Iconic

MySpace Discovery : The Greenmatics

Nelson Clemente turned me onto this band. They are The Greenmatics and hail from Melbourne and I've been bouncing away to their track 'I Love Technology' for about a week now and it's been climbing the EQ chart. I managed to find their track 'Wait No More' on UK iTunes and it's a slice of keyboard and bassline heaven. Keeping it raw and electronic, The Greenmatics are a welcome addition to EQ and I'll be keeping an eye on them.

Take a listen to their tracks over on their MySpace page and if you like what you hear, make sure you purchase their EP 'Out Of Limbo'. To visualise what The Greenmatics are all about, make sure you watch the electro-psychedelic YouTubage below to 'I Love Technology'.

Rest In Peace - Heath Ledger

I interupt my normal music musings for a moment to remember Heath Ledger who has sadly passed away. I can't believe it and this comes so quickly after the death of young Hollywood actor Brad Renfo as well. I am sad, all this is just really sad. Heath Ledger was a brilliant actor and my heart goes out to his family and friends.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22788914/from/ET/

Robyn's Boyfriend Is A Cage Fighter and Full O Muscles- Watch OUT!

Robyn is the picture of cuteness (as usual) in her recent appearance on 'Nevermind The Buzzcocks' and she even survived the jabs that Simon Amstell gave her very well, with giggles and smiles. Maybe Simon is afraid of her big muscled cage-fighting boyfriend! Bless.

EQ Interview with Temposhark Part 2 : "I Really Like Madonna, I Know Some People Slag Her Off, But I Don't Know Why Really..."

Welcome to Part 2 of our interview with Robert Diament of Temposhark. In this part Rob talks about touring, some of his favourite Madonna albums, blogging and even takes on some EQ reader questions! In case you missed Part 1 last week, make sure you click here.

'Winters Coming' is such a beautiful electronic track - can you talk a little more about how this track came about?

Even though it's the last song on the album, its probably my favourite song on the CD! I wrote it with Guy Sigsworth in his London studio one day. He was playing on the harpsichord and I just sang. I'd written the opening phrase of it on my keyboard, and a few pages of a related poem, the previous weekend, and just took that with me to Guy's. It's a song about dreading winter, knowing you have to move on from losing a loved one and get on with your life.

So we have an EQ reader question from Michelle in Florida, she asks - "In the behind the scenes 'Blame' video footage, you all appear to be really good friends and have a marvelous sense of humor. Is this typical of how the four of you get along with each other?

Oh yes! I think that video was filmed at RAK studios in London when we were recording one day. We all get on very well, it's nice, we're a bit like brothers. Mark and Mathis make me laugh so much. Mark is particularly comic, he likes to wind us up!

Any plans for any other music videos coming up?

Yes we will be making another video soon! It just has to be the right idea. That's a side I'm really looking forward to experimenting with in the future.

We have another reader question from Maria in Venice, she asks - "During the last year you've travelled a lot, you've brought your music to the US and Canada, and you've visited Cyprus, Turkey, Italy, France... Have you felt inspired to write new music while you were surrounded by these new realities, and how have these places affected your writing, if they have?

Yes I always write when I travel. I've just got back today from Berlin in fact and I'm considering writing some of the next album in Berlin. I have some friends there with cool studios. I caught up with my friends from Noblesse Oblige who are a cool punk rock band over there and also saw Joel from The Hidden Cameras there…there's a lot of great music stuff happening there right now and I love the atmosphere. I'm also addicted to France, I'd love to live and work in Paris at some point soon. Touring is always amazing too. The US and Canada tour in 2007 blew my mind. It was a total dream come true. I've actually written loads of new songs since that tour, I have about 20 or so ideas plus about 8 songs ready to be recorded for the second Temposhark CD, most of which were written just after travelling…

So Rob, you recently just finished guest blogging for Arjan Writes. How important do you feel blogging and social communities like MySpace and Facebook are relative to your music and making it successful?

I think blogs are amazing. I love their instant nature. I love the way everyone can express themselves and their thoughts on the world. I try to read as many as I can when I have the time. Some of them are so funny! MySpace has really helped us to connect with our fans and make new fans. We got selected by MySpace Music in both US and UK who put us on their front page and this led to so many new people discovering us. It's amazing how powerful the Internet has become, and how much smaller the world is. I don't think we'd ever have been this successful over in the US had it not been for the Internet, digital music, stores like iTunes, blogs like yours and Arjan's opening up new doors for us. It's brilliant!

Any plans to tour in 2008? What can we expect from a Temposhark show? Believe it or not, I haven't seen you live yet! More London dates - I demand it!

YES! I promise. It brings the album to life. Live drums, live bass, live keys and in 2008 we're planning on a few acoustic tracks and even me singing alone at piano, you'll see! We're planning a tour right now so keep an eye out!

So I noticed you have covered Madonna's hit 'Like A Prayer' in some live footage. Why this song? Any other Lady M songs you'd like to cover? Are there any other musicians or artists that heavily influence you?

I really like Madonna and other pop legends like Prince. I know some people slag her off, but I don't know why really. She fascinates me, and always has done. I love songs like 'Papa Don't Preach' but the 'Like a Prayer' album is really amazing. I like her when she opens up and explores her inner self. I actually like 'American Life' a lot.

Me too, one of her most underrated albums actually...

Some of the songs on there are beautiful, and Mirwais is a great producer. But I also have a side to me that loves less pop stuff like Joni Mitchell, Jeff Buckley, Tori Amos, Laura Nyro, Regina Spektor, David Bowie, when I was in my teens I was really into Suede and Skunk Anansie.

What have you found to be the main difference between playing to US crowds versus UK crowds during your recent tours?

US crowds tend to interact more with you. I loved it when people on the US tour would just shout things at you. Like, "YES! YOU ROCK!" or "PLAY 'PARIS'!!!!" which really took me by surprise! And I actually had conversations with a few people, we haven't had that as much in the US. The thing I found most surprising about touring the US was that most of the audiences knew the lyrics to our songs! It was madness! I mean we haven't even had an album out yet, that's the power of the net I guess. Very cool!

What's it like working with Melnyk? Any more planned colloborations with artists from the brilliant Gaymonkey label?

Melnyk is really cool. I respect him a lot because he runs his own label too and has done really well for himself. I loved his Pet Shop Boys remix recently. We're talking about writing together, I'm up for that! I think we'd work well in the studio, let's see…

When I think of other artists that you remind me of, Nine Inch Nails immediatley spring to mind. Fair comparison or completley off the mark?

Nine Inch Nails? Wow that's cool. I like Trent Reznor a lot. I think his voice is great and his energy. So to be compared to them is cool! He's someone I'd love to work with actually, now you've said that. I only discovered NIN in 2005, I was a late fan of theirs, as I grew up listening to people like Kate Bush and Tori Amos, lots of female voices.

So that's it - thanks Robert. Any parting words for the readers of EQ?

I hope you enjoy the album! If you come see us on tour, make sure you stay after the show because it's always nice to meet up after a show!

When EQ Royale Collide...

Take a look at the total cuteness of EQ Royale Simon Curtis and Darren Hayes striking a pose together at one of Darren's recent gigs in the states. This picture is just so EQ, we love it.

We already know you are a fan of Darren Hayes, but if you, dear reader, still aren't a fan of Simon Curtis' music, then you must stop what you are doing right now and check him out over on MySpace. Download his 'Alter Boy' album teaser to get a taste of what will be unleashed upon the world in 2008 by Simon.

Imogen Heap Releases 'Cumulus' on iTunes as Digital Single

Imogen Heap has released her beautiful and haunting instrumental 'Hide And Seek' b-side track 'Cumulus' on iTunes as a digital single this week which is great. We love these little filler bits from Immi while we are waiting in the wings for the release of her new album. Don't forget that the brilliant track 'Not Now But Soon' will be released on the 'Heroes Soundtrack' as well very soon! Immi's been getting lots of comments about 'being the new Enya' with the release of 'Cumulus' but somehow we thinks that just isn't the right description in our eyes. Nevertheless, hardcore Immi fans should go and download 'Cumulus' now...it's a great soundtrack for a nice wintery walk in London...or wherever you are.

Taio Cruz : So Let Go...Electro. Take It Nice and Slow...

The pop scene (or more appropriately called 'Popjustice') is all abuzz with Taio Cruz's third single called 'Come On Girl' which is released February 25th as a digital download. The single also features a little guest appearance by the dance vocal stylings of Lucianna and we have to say, it definitely is one one of the best dance/electro tracks we've heard so far this year.

When we first heard this song we thought, where have we heard this before? We took a little 'cruz' into our Music Library and there was a song we downloaded ages ago called 'Movin On' which we forgot to write about. Ooops. We were going to say something along the lines of 'finally a hip/hop artist we can deal with' or 'Calvin Harris watch out, cuz he's stealing your neon stylings' or 'Wow, a great hip hop /electro-tinged song not produced by Timbaland' - mostly something lame, which was probably why we didn't write about it in the first place, but have a little look below - 'Movin On' was a great song and video - still is! We might even suggest the 'Kardinal Beats Remix' which is of course VERY EQ and available on iTunes... ;)

Movin On

But let's not forget about 'Come On Girl'. It's gonna be huge. Heck, you might even find a free download of it over on Electro Wow. We'll be watching Taio Cruz quite closely we thinks. You may even want to go check him out on MySpazz.

MySpace Discovery : Fritz Helder & The Phantoms

Say Hello to Fritz Helder & The Phantoms.  They pretty much define the word electroqueer to a tee.  Bursting with fabulosity, glamour, trashtasticness, and some fun catchy electronica tunes, Fritz and his band of phantoms are spreading their craziness all around Canada and want you to take a listen.

EQ is quite fond of their tracks 'Overtime' and 'Makin A Scene' in which you can catch a little glimpse of their video below.  The video features what I thought was a Nelly Furtado look-a-like, but when she does the ass-shake, it pretty much confirms that that person is indeed the real Nelly Furtado!  It good to see dearest Nelly getting a little EQ for her mates isn't it!

Make sure to check out Fritz Helder & The Phantoms on MySpace now and if you like what you hear, you can download their cleverly-titled debut album called 'Greatest Hits' on iTunes now. 

'Makin A Scene' - Video

EQ Interview With Temposhark Part One : "It's Emotional, Dramatic, Sexy, Dark..."

Hello EQs!  Well if you live under a rock, you probably don't know that Temposhark are one of THE hottest bands at the moment and they will be releasing their beyond brilliant and highly anticipated electronic album 'The Invisible Line' in March.  EQ got to chat with Robert Diament, lead singer of the band to chat about their sound, what it's like to work with Imogen Heap and some of the background of their tracks in Part 1. 

EQ: Hello Robert - care to introduce yourselves to the readers?

RD: Hello! I'm Robert, lead singer/song writer of Temposhark. The other members are Luke on keyboards, Mark on bass and Mathis on drums!

So how exactly did you come up with the name 'Temposhark'?  I heard the name was born out of subconsciousness - is that true?

Yes I woke up one night in the middle of a dream and calmly said "Temposhark".  I have no idea where it came from!  It was weird but I just knew it was the right name for the band.  We wanted something strong, we were into the idea at the time of music being a weapon…so it kind of suited that whole theme.

So your new album 'The Invisible Line' is finally coming out in March - how would you describe it's sound?

It's emotional, dramatic, sexy, dark, reflective…All different musical elements from big strings to electronic beats and keyboards to rock baselines.  We like big riffs and sing-a-long choruses.

You started your own label 'Paper and Glue' for it's release right?  What's been the most difficult part of putting out an album on your own label?

I first set up my own little record label using my student loan from studying in London!  We put out a number of EPs with remixes done by friends.  We just kind of did it as we went along.  We'd write 3 or 4 songs then put them out straight away!  So those early EPs are quite embryonic and you can hear how much our sound has grown when you listen to the actual album.  I love running our own label because we're in control of the music and the artwork and also we can move quickly if we need to, which keeps everything fresh.  It's also really rewarding because when you read an email from someone who is listening to your music on the other side of the world, it really means something to us because we've created it and worked hard to make it all happen.

How did you come up with the amazing artwork for the album?

I work a lot with a great UK designer called Tom Lardner.  We've done all the EPs together, crazy sleeves like a die cut question mark on gold packaging for the 'Neon Question Mark' EP or the black drip for 'Little White Lie' EP and the black rose for 'It's Better To Have Loved' single. I told him how the album title 'The Invisible Line' sums up how I feel about music – how we are all connected to each other and the amazing way that music can travel around the world uniting people.  An artist I love called Tracey Emin wrote about her birth and invisible lines that connect the past, present and future in her book 'Exploration Of The Soul' and it really resonated with me, that idea.  Spinoza the philosopher also talks about it.  So I had that idea.  Tom came up with this image of shapes floating in front of my face as if they were traveling, and it just felt right.  It suited the theme and its really simple.  I really like simplicity in artwork.  Simple and bold.

I have to admit, the first time I heard opening track 'Don't Mess With Me', I thought, "Wow, that's really in your face and egotistical.  I love it!"  What's the story behind this track?  Life experience or are you role-playing a teeny bit?

I wrote that song as a character.  It's so funny how people think it's me, like literally me!  It's a comment on the ridiculousness of egos, of some people I'd been around in the music industry.  I love that track.  I love how it divides people.  Some people either love it madly or can't stand it.  I'm also happy we chose it as the opening track. I think it makes you listen 'cause it's a bit different.

What I like most about the album is that lyrically, you don't hold back - especially on 'Little White Lie'.  Do you think that being so upfront lyrically is going to get people to sit up and listen to the music?

I just write what I'm feeling. Sometimes it's playing a character, other times its directly describing good and bad events from my life, but at all times it's deeply personal to me.  I think that's important.  I think being honest and truthful and channeling your subconscious emotions is very important as an artist.

You actually released 'The Invisible Line' awhile ago on digital download for your fans - why did you do this so far in advance of releasing the physical album?  We're you worried that maybe it would leak before it's official release or is that a good thing in your eyes?

We just pre-released the album on iTunes because we could!  The record was finished and there were a lot of people who wanted the album straight away.  So we just thought, what harm is it going to do?  And as it turned out, yes the album did leak way ahead of schedule anyway, so I'd rather there was a high quality version of it up on iTunes or wherever… so at least people can hear it how its meant to sound.  I don't mind leaks though, as long as people are listening that's all that matters I guess. But I still buy music.  I've always bought music and will always. I think its important to support other artists because otherwise they won't be able to keep supporting themselves to make more…I just bought two albums in Berlin last week by Final Fantasy for example, as I've been meaning to get his CDs for like a year and never got around to it!

I might have to check out Final Fantasy then!  How did your collaboration with Imogen Heap come to fruition on 'Not That Big'?

I'd been a fan of hers since her first single 'Getting Scared', when I was 17 or something!  I'd got to know her over those following years, asked her to sing with us and she was up for it.  I love her band Frou Frou with Guy Sigsworth too.  Imogen's one of the great artists of our time. Unlike many other artists, she continually shines brighter and brighter with every album she does.

EQ: Stay bookmarked for Part 2 of our chat with Temposhark very soon where we take some EQ reader questions, Robert talks about the one and only Madonna and his reaction when we compare the band to Nine Inch Nails! 

Until then, make sure you check them out on MySpace and run to iTunes and download their digital album if you can't wait for the physical release in March!  Check out EQ's album review of 'The Invisible Line' back in August right here too!

Continue reading Part 2...

The Isolationist Trailer - Tiffany's Movie Debut

Here is the new movie trailer for 'The Isolationist' which stars Tiffany in her independent film debut.  Her character looks so quirky - we love it!  The lead actor looks pretty hot too.  This will definitley be on my must see list!

Not Ready To Make Nice

You know I will never be a fan of country music, but last night I finally saw The Dixie Chicks movie 'Shut Up And Sing' on DVD and I was very moved.  Now this is really old news if you're an American, but basically the documentary is about how the girls were banished from Country music radio because of a comment lead vocalist Natalie said in London's Shepherds Bush Empire about how she was ashamed George Bush was from the same state of Texas that she is from.  What transpired in America following that insignificant comment was preposterous.  Dixie Chicks CDs were being destroyed by fans, country radio banned them, death threats to Natalie were made during their US Tour, ticket sales plummeted and the general consensus of the American public was that the girls should just "shut up and sing".

This documentary speaks novels about freedom of speech and it was quite moving and emotional to watch last night.  I cried.  I urge you all to watch this documentary - even though it's a few years old now, you should make an effort to see it if you haven't.  It truly made me, a country music hater, to believe that no matter what genre the music is, we all have the right to say what we want and to believe what we want.  I am proud to be a fan of The Dixie Chicks now.  I think what they did was heroic and most of all, they took a stand for their beliefs, they stuck together and I applaud them madly while proudly playing their last cd on my iPod. 

EQ Loves Madonna

You know - we could probably write a whole blog just about Madonna, of course not half as good as our favourite Madonna blog, Madonnalicious, but nevertheless we could go on and on about her.  Truth be told, we hardly ever write about Madonna.  It's not like she needs any more publicity is it?  EQ has always been a place to talk about new artists and music and nothing we could ever say about The Material Girl would really amount to anything.  She's genius.  We remember buying her 'Like A Virgin' cassette in sixth grade and having to hide it from our mother cuz the cover was too racy.  Whenever the queen releases concert tour dates, we practically bankrupt ourselves into getting decent seats at as many multiple shows as possible. 

So her new album is coming out soon...It has a candy-theme.  We've heard rumblings that the album is going to be shit and we haven't been really impressed with the unfinished tracks that have leaked online and the catastrophe that was 'Hey You'.  But something tells us Madonna has another ace up her sleeve.  She always does.  We'd be rather surprised if the album was really shit to be honest.  She's Madonna after all.    

Madonna recently had a listening party at Warner Bros for staff only and we're quite impressed with the decor of the room, see below.  As for what the staff actually thought about the album (lucky buggers got to hear it first), you can read a little story over here, via Madonnalicious.

So having said all this nonsense above, we've decided to write about Madonna more on EQ.  She's so EQ anyways, it's not even funny.  She's an EQ legend.  She's actually another reason we started EQ - she's made electronica fucking awesome again. 

And...for those of you who didn't catch it, here's a snippet of Darren Hayes singing 'Dress You Up' at his New Years Party. We have to say - Darren tore this track up. It was the most fabulous part of his show...we hope it's a permanent fixture on his upcoming 'Side Two Tour'.

The Electric Dolls Unveil Their Showreel

Here's a bit of fun for a Sunday afternoon. You already know how much EQ loves those vivacious, spunky and colourful gals The Electric Dolls, well just yesterday they unveiled their Showreel which highlights some of the girls poptastic electro stompers likes 'Baps R Bakin' and 'Love Me Long Time' from some of their recent performances at Cafe De Paris and Soho Revue Bar in London.

Take a look at the Youtubage below and get little behind-the-scenes glimpse of the gals and definitely add them to your mental checklist of electro acts to watch out for this year. EQ is rooting for these hard working girls all the way.

Meet John B - He's Been Stalking You on MySpace

This is John B.  He's a bit of a hardcore party boy, DJ and remixer and he's been spending a large chunk of his time obsessing over people on MySpace.  He even penned a song about it which we happen to like called, quite simply, 'I've Been Stalking U On MySpace'.  Unsurprisingly enough, you can listen to it over on this MySpace profile as well.  We're quite fond of the 'Electrohouse Remix' - you weren't surprised by that at all now were you?

More importantly - we're way more impressed with his custom made Madonna t-shirt that he is sporting in above said photo.  In fact, we're somewhat jealous to say the least.  We want one. 

More of John B's music and his outrageousness sense of dress and crazy hair can be found here.

I've Been Stalking You On MySpace - Electrohouse Remix

'Different World' by Loverush UK! - Vogueing and Breaking It's Way On The Club Charts...

Here is the new video 'Different World' by Loverush UK! and Shelley Harland.

It has vogueing. It has breaking. It pops and locks all over the place and is bathed in a silky vocal by Shelley. It's rather cool.

Apparently the song is #35 in the UK Club Charts now and the video features Phillip 'PacMan' Chbeeb who was on this past season of the Fox TV Hit show 'So You Think You Can Dance' which will be getting UK TV airplay any day now.

The EQ Chat With Paleday : "Creamier than a gay cow and hot enough to melt the balls off Madonna's confessional mirrorball".

So we had a chance to catch up with Anthony Jackson-Stubbs from rising disco funk band Paleday and we have to say - it's one of the funniest chats we've had in a long time!  Paleday's new disco single 'Eurotramp' drops next week on 14 January and we urge you to buy it - it's a fabulous throwback to an era when music was quality, fun and glorious - and that is something that both Paleday and EQ believe there isn't enough of in today's music scene.  So go throw on a feather boa, turn on the disco lights and get to know one of our favourite bands of the moment, Paleday!

EQ: Well hello Anthony and welcome to EQ!  First of all, can you go ahead and introduce the band to the readers?

Anthony: Hey! Happy New Year. So, I'm Anthony, co-writer, co-producer and lead vocalist in Paleday. Usually to be found dressed in white to highlight my virginal gorgeousness.  Diamante optional. Dressed in black, we have Dr. Stephen, Paleday's resident intellectual, and also my best friend, co-writer and co-producer.  And in searing red, we have the sizzling Sam.  Not seen in the pictures but equally important in the live band is Alex on guitars, who puts us in mind of a young Barry Gibb.  On bass, and happier with 6 strings than 4, is the supremely funky Phil.  Whilst holding us altogether with a rhythmic section second to none is Steve R.  Six people guaranteed to make the boys, girls, and everyone in-between swoon, whilst playing the most accomplished disco-pop that 2008 will hear.

Excellent!  So how did you come up with the name Paleday?  Was it a rather pale day outside when you decided on the band name?  Give us the scoop!

Actually it was looking rather pale inside!  I'd just split up with my partner (was it someone in the band, I'll leave you guessing) and I came downstairs where my friend Pauline said I was looking rather pale. I replied that it had been something of a pale day. The rest is history.

Awwww.  We can feel that your music has a bit of legendary Culture Club vibe to it?  What sort of ties do you have to the band?  Without doing any research at all, we seem to think that one of you used to be in Culture Club?  Is that true?

Sam did indeed do a stint as front man of the newly reformed Culture Club in 2006, with several of the original members.  Sam was fantastic too – you can find clips of their showcase on YouTube – but unfortunately it didn't pan out.  Both Sam and Paleday garnered a lot of new fans as a result and it's a shame the Culture Club project didn't work out as Sam is a highly talented performer and was a breath of fresh air for them.  Our live sound is mixed these days by the guy who mixed our album, Jimmy Sarikas; Jimmy did a lot of the live sound for Culture Club's worldwide tour, so yes, I guess we have some links. You won't find any of us sweeping the streets of New York though!  Well, unless it's for groupies!

'Eurotramp' is a fantastic tune – we love it to bits!  Which one of you is the biggest eurotramp and why?  Don’t be shy – tell us the truth!

Why thank you kind sir. We're very proud of the track too. Us, eurotramps? How dare you! <laughs> In fact I suppose that Sam and I probably top the eurotramp charts, although we have very different tastes, and indeed methods, of euro-tramping!!  No one is particularly safe when we're on the prowl, but they'd all have a spectacular time on their way to Paleday groupiedom!

And we hear that 'Eurotramp' is getting a release date and getting lots of airplay lately – tell us more about that!

'Eurotramp' is released as a digital download single on Monday 14 January and will be available on iTunes, Napster, Rhapsody, emusic and other leading digital retailers. We've had play on Smooth and Capital radio already and much more on the way. We're also climbing the Music Week commercial club pop charts, entering the top 20 this week and receiving fantastic feedback from clubs and DJs around the UK!

Great news!  I have to say, we had such a great time at your launch party at the Soho Revue Bar.  Where did you get all those dedicated fans?!  Your launch party was the best one we went to this year!

Glad you enjoyed the party!  It's really important to look after our fans, after all, without them, we'd be playing to the dog (not that she doesn't enjoy it).  Our fans seem to cover a wide demographic, but they have one thing in common – they love having a good time!  Our live shows always bring out the best in us and the best in the crowd.  The launch party was of course full of people particularly into us, but we've done gigs where the majority of the crowd are into metal, or heavy indie rock, and they look at us before we start, clearly thinking “what the f***?!”.  But invariably by the time we've finished, they're dancing along, trying to steal our feather boas.  It's a bit like going to an old disco, and trying to be too cool for school pretending you're not enjoying the cheesy records.  But then they put on 'Dancing Queen' and everyone gets up!  We have that sort of effect.

Why do you think the live pop scene is dull these days?

Same thing really - people take everything too seriously.  I'm all for some meaningful singer-songwriters and focused indie-pop, but sometimes people just want a bloody good tune that they can sing along to, with a decent beat, something that makes them feel something - elation, love, whatever, and makes them smile.  There's a lot of commercial pop that sort of does that, but more often than not, it's manufactured, not live, and you feel that you're being cynically marketed to.  We're not that.  We play live, we do what we enjoy, and we're a bit like an old-fashioned band in that respect.  And the tunes are big, and real.  I don't think it's any surprise that when they do Live 8 revisited or any of those big old multi-concerts, they invariably wheel out Dame Elton or someone similar.  Can you actually think of any new bands that put on a show, like Abba, or the Bee Gees?  Paleday put on a show. We put a bit of the theatrical back into gigs – who wants sticky floors and black peeling paint anyway?

We couldn't agree with you more Anthony!  You recently just played to the staff and celebrity guests of OK! Magazine too for Christmas – how did that go over?

Hmmmmm.  We were looking forward to this "most glamorous" of parties.  It was singularly the least glamorous event we have ever had the misfortune to perform at.  Basically an awful combination of Big Brother and Hollyoaks "celebs" trying to outdo each other in terms of getting drunk and getting photographed, all being run by a PR guy who just screamed down at everyone all the time, like a male Edina from Ab Fab only substantially less attractive.  And you know how you think they edit Big Brother to make the contestants seem even more vile?  They don't, some of them are really like that.  Nikki, the whiney one, actually stole one of our microphones whilst we were performing, and started singing nonsense into it.  Terribly bad form.  I even had abuse screamed at me by another BB girl dressed as a Barbie, literally inside an oversized Barbie box, because our taxi driver wouldn't let them steal our car.  And as for the one who was screaming drunk, smoking like a chimney and at least 6 months pregnant...yeaurgh!!!  The only thing that needed airbrushing more than the fake tans were the manners, and the whole 'Not OK!' party was a 'celebrity' experience we won't be rushing to repeat. We didn't even get paid, but we did come away with a free Cheeky Girls badge, so I suppose every cloud has a silver lining. (Actually the Cheeky Girls were amongst the few nice people there, bless them.)

Hmmmm, sounds like I might have to lose my invitation to that party should I ever get invited!  So tell us about your album coming out soon – what can we expect?

It's called 'Love The Groove'.  We hope to get it out by March. It's essentially finished and was mastered by Geoff Pesche at Abbey Road Studios.  That same week he mastered Kylie's new album.  Ten tracks of ultra-pop.  Creamier than a gay cow and hot enough to melt the balls off Madonna's confessional mirrorball!  There's a lot of disco on there and fans of Chic, The Bee Gees, Scissor Sisters and Mika will love all of that.  We have a couple of more mid-tempo numbers which are seriously radio-friendly groovers.  And there's one massive ballad on there which I wrote for my Dad who sadly passed away at the start of 2007, which in the finest tradition of such things is hopeful, optimistic, sad enough to make you cry and heart-warming enough to make you smile.  Maybe it will be Christmas number 1 in 2008.  So although we do love a disco, we're not by any means a one-trick pony.  In fact we already have enough material for another two albums!  Overall, there isn't a duff track amongst the bunch, and without fail, whilst there are subliminal messages and darker intent in some of the verse lyrics, it's possible to hum the tune and even sing along to the chorus by the end of the first listen to any of the tracks.  Classic pop!!! There's even a quirky track at the end called 'If I Lived On The Moon', a little in the style of 'Daydream Believer', that references The Clangers.  Blue String Spaghetti anyone????   

If you could throw the ultimate Paleday disco party – who would be on the guestlist and getting ‘Funky in your disco’?

Us of course, because we never miss a party! All the disco greats – Chaka Kahn, Gloria Gaynor, Nile Rodgers, rather a long list in fact.  Brian Ferry because my mate Pauline wants him to be her butler.  Ken Dodd.  The Clangers.  Absolutely no Big Brother contestants.  Dot from Eastenders.  The odd bit of eye candy (both male and female – we have to cater for the whole band!).  Bobby the pool boy - long story there...

We’ve decided that were going to make a drink called Paleday for our next EQ party.  What are the key ingredients?

Pink Taittinger champagne, vodka and a large measure of Fabulosity. Shaken AND stirred. No olive. Can't stand 'em. Oh go on then, give us a twist....

I'm salivating already!  That’s it – thanks Paleday.  Anything you’d like to tell the EQ readers before we sign off?

Please buy 'Eurotramp' as a download on Monday 14 January.  Please email your favourite radio station and ask them to play 'Eurotramp'.  Please tell your favourite club or music venue that you'd like to see us perform live there.  Please join us at MySpace as a friend.  Please tell all your friends about Paleday. Please keep reading the fabulous Electroqueer.  But most of all, please please please remember that life is toooooo short.  So smile!  And we'll see you, woo you, snog you and entertain you in 2008!!!!!

Basshunter Tearing Up The UK Videowaves

So this little dance track called 'Now You're Gone' by Swedish DJ Jonas Altberg, aka Basshunter is poised to be the UK number one track this weekend as it's already number one in the mid-weeks.  I have to say that I am not really a huge fan of one-off throwaway dance tracks like this, but this song is so disgustingly catchy and perfect that I can't stop myself from humming it.  It's like the perfect blend of electro with 90's techno mixed in that that isn't over-the-top or annoying.  I've been be-bopping around to it's remix package for a few weeks now and the 'Fonzarelli Remix' just happens to be my favourite.

So take a look at the vid-e-o here too - it's kinda cute.  Basshunter apparently wrote the song about a girl he met on the internet, how very modern.

Hey Kids, Rock & Roll, Rant On...

Aargh - it's Monday again.  Dontcha just love Mondays?!  This weekend Gerilicious and I did nothing but de-clutter our loft and throw away countless bags of crap that needed to be thrown away.  The result?  Well, we now have a real walk-in closet instead of an extra room to throw le crap in and I'd say we have about 25% extra space in the loft which is wonderful.  Can you now imagine how much crap we threw out.  Anywho - that's pretty fucking boring, I'm sure you'd rather have some rants right?  So here you are.

• On Friday I took Gerilicious to see the musical 'Mama Mia' because he has never seen it.  There was just NOTHING at the cinema that we wanted to see that we already haven't seen.  It was fun - I saw it over 7 years ago in London and completely forgot the story.  ABBA songs are just pure bliss aren't they?  The trailer for the official movie (out this summer) is out now too which boasts some rather major acting talent too!
  
  
• I just completed my interview with the groovy and disco-fantastic eurotramps, Paleday.  I have to say, it's one of the funniest interviews I've done and it will be online in a few days!
  
  
• In the midst of the de-cluttering, I threw out about 120 cassette singles (remember those?) which have been taking up space for about 7 years in the closet.  Amongst the casualties... 'Cotton Eye Joe' by The Rednex, 'I'm Too Sexy' by Right Said Fred, and that incredibly silly dance song 'Dur dur d'être bébé' by that 4 year old kid named Jordy, who now looks like this.  Read his interesting story here on Wikipedia.  I can't believe that my taste in pop music use to be that bad when I was a teenager! 
  
  
• I've just received the new Temposhark album 'The Invisible Line' in all it's plastic jewel case and glossy paper beautifulness - which doesn't officially hit the shelves until March.  It's so divine.  Although I have been listening to the digital version for awhile now, I am so excited to get my fingerprints all over the sleeve and fawn over the lyrics.  Joy! Joy! Joy!
  
  
• And speaking of fawning over CDs, I also finally got both of Sergey's albums in the post too.  'TV Show' has some great photography in it that I haven't seen yet!  Maybe I'll scan it for you if you're lucky.  I am curious though how the UK album will look eventually...I am voting for this...
  
  
• Did you know you can hear all of Sia's new album over on MySpace?  It's true, head on over to her profile and take a listen to it - it's simply whimsical and soothing.  The more I listen to it, the more I want to see her perform at Koko again.
  
  
• James Leon is doing a show on Wednesday, 30th January at Trash Palace in London's Soho.  If you are free, make sure you go and support James and his EQ hit 'Never Been Cool'.  Or if you haven't discovered James yet, do so on his MySpace profile.
  
  
• Do you have your tickets yet for Darren Hayes 'Side Two Tour' yet?  We do!  Tickets sold out so quickly for it that it made our eyes spin!   
  
  
• If you haven't checked out The Gadsdens yet, you really should - their cover of 'Smalltown boy' is incredible - they really make this classic anthem their own.  Looks like these serious songbirds will be playing some London shows too, colour me excited!
  
  
• And finally we leave you with a little vid-e-o from Rob of Temposhark.  I laughed my ass off off to this last night when surfing through some of their YouTubage.  All I can say is this...boys and their toys!

EQ Retro Rewind : Michael Damian

OK, it was the hair that made us swoon. We were curious to find out what the heck happened to Michael Damian the other day, as we used to listen to his album 'Where Do We Go From Here' over and over again in our youth.

Come to find out, he's starred as Joseph in a rendition of 'Joseph And The Amazing Techincolor Dreamcoat' and more recently, put out a Christmas album. Not exactly the makings of EQ coolness, but none the less, his tracks 'Rock On' and 'Cover Of Love' are worthy of an EQ Retro Rewind today, so here they are, dug up from YouTube. Enjoy.

Rock On

Cover Of Love

Doesn't 'Rock On' still sound fresh! Download it - and play it LOUD. And if you really want to take a trip down Retrotastic Lane, go and rent 'Dream A Little Dream' starring The Coreys. Ahhh, now that takes us back!

MySpace Discovery: Darin

Hey EQs.  Meet Darin Zanyar.  No relation to the other Darren we talk about a lot on this blog.  In fact, this Darin probably has a better chance of being related to Robyn and all since he is of Swedish decent, but probably not.  Anyways - last week we were minding our own business perusing the pop blogs when once again Pop Poster Girl wrote about this fantastic young artist and posted his video for his infectious electro-pop track 'Desire' which instantly got our juices flowing.  We then went on an exhaustive internet search for his tracks and videos and have been listening to Darin pretty much since then.  Hint - you can find the video for 'Desire' on UK iTunes.

What we like about Darin and especially 'Desire' and 'Insanity' is that it's a sound that's fresh, electro-tinged and led by a soulful voice that doesn't get drowned out in the production.  He's also hella-cute too.  Below are his vid-e-os of the above mentioned and you can stalk him on his MySpace page as well as his official website - which we haven't quite figured out how to get it to work in English yet.  We will however wait to see what else Darin puts out, he does have a penchant to lean on the R&B side a wee bit, but if he keeps churning out this damn fine electro-pop, he very well could bust his way into the EQ Royale this year.

Desire

Insanity

Getting Caught Up With Sia

We've been spending a fair amount of time getting caught up on all things Sia recently after seeing her amazing live performance at Kings College a few weeks ago.  Her new album 'Some People Have Real Problems' will be dropping in the US on 8th January and in the UK on 14th January and we couldn't be any more pleased.  We've been listening to the album for a few weeks now and it's a true delight which combines Sia's rich vocals with some bouncy and mellow instrumentation - a true reflection of her incredible talent and magnetic personality.  Our personal favourite on the album is 'Little Black Sandals' which you can hear over on her MySpace now.

To aid in getting EQ readers up-to-par on Sia and her brilliant music, here's a little vid-e-o vault YouTubage on her, just for you, including some of work with the legendary chillout maestros, Zero 7.  And if you are really really interested, here is a curious dance mix to 'The Girl You Lost To C