Photography by Holger Rogge

MARAL SALMASSI is one striking femme. She exudes talent and beauty, combined with a hint of masculinity, giving her a distinct edge in the music she creates and the way she styles herself. Founder of notable techno label, Konsequent Records in ‘97 and new media label, Art of Perception in ‘99, Maral’s past explorations in music have paved the way for what is her most exciting and diverse label to date, Television Rocks.

Born to Maral Salmassi and partner Fabian Stall, Television Rocks, is a platform for both artists solo projects. Maral has created a sound that she describes as, “funky, playful glamour tech which is more a combination of New York wave disco, old school hip hop and electro and french cut-up hop than Cologne Post-Minimal sounds and styles”.

The momentum for Maral’s sound has been building. Highlighted on notable blogs, Missingtoof, Discodust, iheartcomix, la decadanse and a slew of others, she is giving us a whole lotta reason to be intrigued. Read on as Maral gives us a peek into her collaborations, thoughts on music, inspirations, fashion, Cologne and my absolute favorite place to be, Spain. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for what’s ahead!! Cheers Maral! x

“I’m a DJ, musician and singer currently running the label Television Rocks together with Fabian Stall aka Zero Cash. We started our label in the beginning of 2007 as a result of our lives crossing their paths in many intense ways thinkable. Zero Cash and I live together and have our studios in the same building. We produced a lot together and are currently working on my album. Zero Cash has a long history as a producer for many different bands and projects. He started doing club music as we started with Television Rocks. His style is a blend of techno and electro, more straight and instrumental, but with a rock attitude. My style is more a mash up of all the music I love to dance to, mostly inspired by rocking electro and hip-hop.

I like anything, which has power and attitude: Music like old-school hip-hop and Electro, rock, metal, classic, good pop music, old blues, pompous new US hip-hop productions or traditional music like Magrebian, Gipsy, or Indian music, Also fashion, art, TV and internet are my inspirations. I don’t want to transfer any message with my lyrics, it’s all about fun, my actual mood with a touch of sarcasm in good fun.

I live in Cologne but except the Dom and the Carnival there is nothing spectacular going on in this city. The nightlife in Cologne can be described as a monoculture. Since ages they play the same old boring minimal bullshit in the clubs. Everybody is complaining but they all keep going to these parties, moving like sloths on the dancefloor. The DJ’s keep playing their lullaby and the German press keeps reviewing this stuff as the hottest shit. It’s hopeless! Well but there is one good thing about living in such a boring city: It’s the best place to work!

My favorite places to play are the clubs Stardust and Goa in Madrid at the moment. The Spanish crowd is the craziest and very stylish! Fashion is very important to me. It’s like music, a tool to express yourself individually. A club full of stylish people is a nice place to play, to look at and to hang around…”

This filthy banger remixed by Fukkk Offf swept the blogosphere and left us yearning for more from this collaboration.

Maral Salmassi - Fire Gem (Fukkk Offf Remix)

Maral Salmassi - Back Up Your Ass

Be sure to have a listen to Maral’s mix, 11th in the series off the No Love Lost Records Mixtape Project!!

Maral Salmassi Official Biography
Maral Salmassi, born on 24th July 1975 in Teheran, first grew up in Persia and later in Jordan. With the fall of the Shah’s regime in 1979, the family was forced to return to Persia and after seven years under the Islamic regime, they managed to escape from a country subverted by the war between Iran and Iraq and settled in Germany in 1986.

Among the many characteristically uncharacteristic Techno protagonists in Cologne, Maral Salmassi is the most uncharacteristic one: nothing in her work refers to the specific Cologne style or can be defined as “made-in-Cologne”. On her early label Konsequent Records for example, there were mainly straight Tool Techno releases in style of Berlin-based Tresor label sounds. Today, Maral produces funky, (more…)

Photo by Laurent Bochet

This is an interview, not a segment taken from ‘diary of a call girl’!

Amongst my favourite French things are Chanel, Lanvin, Jean Paul Gautier and now it seems French Electro is lavishing at the top of my CD collection. Artistes such as Daft Punk, Justice and the Kitsuné massive have been flourishing there for a while, but it is the elegantly harmonious album ‘Sexuality‘ by Sebastien Tellier that is having its moment to shine in my CD player at present. Yes, I said ‘CD Player’…I am an old fashioned girl at heart!

I felt it was time for me to have my own time out with Mr. Tellier, and ask him a few delish questions. Brace yourself this is a quickfire round of questions…….here goes….

Kimberleysmobiledisco: What inspired ‘Sexuality’?

Sebastien Tellier: I found inspiration in my sexual fantasies.

KMD: Do you think this album is a departure from its predecessors?

ST: For a long time I though that politics ruled the world, but two years ago I discovered that it was in fact, sex.

KMD: Who are your main influences?

ST: I have too many influences to mention them all, but Beach Boys, Mamas and Papas, and Stevie Wonder are some of my major influences.

KMD: What was the first record you ever bought?

ST: It was a Jackson 5 Compilation.

KMD: What was the last record you purchased?

ST: Another compilation, by Lucio Battisti: Ancora tu

KMD: What was it like working with Guy on this album?

ST: I’d been a fan of Guy-Man for a long time. He really put a lot of effort into this album, it was perfect. In the studio, we were excited and quite serious at the same time.

KMD: How did this partnership come to fruition?

ST: Throwing ourselves into this album together was a real adventure, we didn’t really know if it was going to work or not. However, we were both happy with the finished product.

KMD: If you could work with anyone who would it be and why?

ST: Most of the people I want to work with are directors, instead of musicians. I’d really like to work with John Woo, Zach Snyder or even Micheal Mann.

KMD: Any plans to play at any UK festivals this year?

ST: I will be playing Bestival, and hopefully some others too. I’m really comfortable with the English audience.

KMD: Any plans for a UK tour in the near future?

ST: Sadly, the UK tour isn’t scheduled until the autumn, so I’m going to have to be patient.

KMD: If you could change one thing about the world right now, what would it be?

ST: My body.

KMD: You have quite an eclectic style, is it influenced by any particular designers or individuals?

ST: I try to imbue my music with a sense of mystery and craziness.

KMD: Sum up your perfect day off

ST: Relaxing with my friends, some good wine and then perhaps go out to a club or something.

KMD: What interests you outside music?

ST: Boats and TV series’.

KMD: What is your favourite film?

ST: 300

KMD: Do you have any regrets?

ST: Yes, I’m full of them, but I no longer have the time to think about them.

KMD: Who are your favourite bands currently?

ST: Bee Gees, Beach Boys, Led Zeppelin

KMD: What do you think of the state of ‘new music’ today?

ST: It’s like the rest of the world – there’s loads of it.

KMD: If any of our readers haven’t seen you live before what can they expect from one of your shows?

ST: I’m going to try and take my audience on a huge sexual journey. I’m going to try and hide in the background, so as to avoid breaking the fantasies of the audience.

KMD: Sum yourself up in three words

ST: Cautious, cheerful and nostalgic.

KMD: What does the future hold for you?

ST: I hope to reach artistic perfection.

You gotta lurve him……now I feel like gettin’ sexual!

Everyone knows I have a penchant for Rochelle, and obviously I am not the only one as they have just signed up to Fat Boy Slim’s label, Southern Fried Records to release the fabulous ‘Fer De Lance’!

So In keeping with this fabulous news, I caught up with them for a brief chat to find out about Southern Fried, their work with Chewy Chocolate Cookies and also some background on Yorkshire!

Oh p.s. there is also a lovely remix of ‘Drugs in my Body’ by Thieves Like Us remixed by Rochelle at the bottom of this lovely page…….and the band’s new video for ‘Fer De Lance’…ENJOY!

Kimbereleysmobiledisco: It says on your press release that you are the best things to come out of Yorkshire since Hovis, what other great Yorkshire based things float your boat at present?

Thom: Sharon’s Den on Cardigan Road in Leeds is really floating my boat whenever I’m in Leeds. They make the best bacon and egg baps in the whole world, which are an awesome hangover cure. The baps are literally the size of a human head.

KMD: I saw you play in Wakefield and your live set really rocked mind and the rest of the audiences socks. How would you say your live set has developed in the last year since then?

James: Since we started gigging 18 Months ago, we’ve been learning a lot more about our own sound and awareness onstage, and this allows us to be more confident when we perform, and ultimately more spontaneous.

Lydia: We’ve also become more experienced playing a wide variety of different sized venues, and types of shows including, more recently, all ages gigs. In those kind of situations you have to be completely prepared for the unexpected; the kids are a lot more honest and react to the music without any inhibitions!

KMD: When you were younger who were your favourite bands?

Thom: Foo Fighters; Nirvana; Jet Plane Landing… I was a rock kid to the core!

James: Silverchair, Metallica, Rage Against The Machine. Then I really got into dance music like Moby and Orbital.

Lydia: Madonna, All Saints, Kylie… and any boy bands……!

KMD: Did you originally have four members? just wondered really….?

James: Yep, it’s true we were once a four piece… But as De La Soul say ‘three is the magic number’!!

KMD: How did you get involved with Southern Fried Records?

Lydia: When we moved to London we played more industry attended gigs, and we met the guys from Southern Fried at Notting Hill Arts Club last year. We’ve built up a really good relationship with them, and their background in electronic music works really well for us.

KMD: How has it been so far working with them?

Thom: So far we have been working towards our first single ‘Fer De Lance’ with them. They have been really supportive and have opened up a lot of avenues for us which wouldn’t have been possible before. We have been able to work with some amazing re-mixers for the single, as well as working closely with a street artist called Adam Koukoudakis for the single’s artwork.

The thing we really loved about Southern Fried is the close relationships they have with their artists that you don’t get with a lot of the larger labels. Recently Nathan and Katy from the label came over to watch us rehearse, before coming back to our house and cooking us a meal! Anybody who wants to come around to my house and cook for me is brilliant in my eyes!

KMD: Did you have a few record labels to choose from?

James: Our management were originally talking to Parisian label Kitsuné, who we’d been dealing with on the remix for the Thieves Like Us track ‘Drugs In My Body’, but on meeting Southern Fried we decided it was better for us to have the first single out on a label that was closer to home. The great thing is Kitsunė are putting out the remix we did at the end of April too, so that should lead nicely into our own debut.

KMD: How was playing at Leeds festival?

Lydia: It was amazing! Being a performing artist at a festival you’ve been going to for a while feels pretty special. We hope to play Leeds again this year. That would be the cherry on the cake.

KMD: Do you have any festivals planned this year?

Lydia: We’re playing Rockness in Inverness alongside Fat Boy Slim, CSS, Digitalism, etc. And hope to be confirming a couple more soon….watch this space.

KMD: As a relatively new band you are inevitably going to get compared to other bands by reviewers and industry bods - what comparisons do you predict, or as a band do you love or loathe?

Thom: I think the obvious comparisons are going to the associated with other strong female fronted artists such as Blondie and Kylie. I think we would be happy with either of those comparisons as they have obviously both had incredibly successful careers and have held on to their spirit and integrity over a long period of time. I can also imagine comparisons being drawn up with more current bands such (more…)

I hope, dear readers, that you are familiar with the works of LA’s dandy maestro, Daedelus. In a time of redefinition of what it means to be a DJ and performer, Daedelus has been proposing a style of live performance of intricate live-sequencing of original sounds, thick layering of sampled loops from diverse sources, and a bit of spice and magic all piped through a custom-built magic box called the Monome. His compositions are journeys and his sense for texture and sound mining are broad and fantastical.

Recently Daedelus and producer Daddy Kev’s label Alpha Pup Records teamed up to release “Live at the Low End Theory” which attempts to capture the magic of one of his enrapturing performances.

I have a small bit of history with Daedelus having directed and produced a video for him a couple years ago. Recently Take’s “You High” remix by Daedelus hit Palms Out on one of their Remix Sunday’s and I spotted the “Low End” album in my local shop and it seemed like a good time for a catch up.

DDKZ: How are you and what have you been up to?

Daedelus: Triangle Jumping, dashing, and mushroom power-ups. Tired and touring, happy and missing a normal life I’ve never known. Wouldn’t change a thing!

DDKZ: I know its been a while, but did you get any good feedback from our video?

Daedelus: It’s been way too long, that video really was a moment, Exquisite Corpse was quite a break thru album for my career. I think my first record to attempt far beyond my own small set of experiences. Your companies video for Just Briefly was eye opening, but the same could be said for hanging upside down for shooting the falling sequence…

DDKZ: You’re often cited for using some pretty eclectic musical sources in your music. Would you attribute this to your own eclectic taste, or is it possible you feel a drive differentiate your style from others?

Daedelus: I don’t worry to much about others, I certainly try listen with wide ears to a lot of what is being played and what has been, but it has always been about finding what is right for the song. I think doing that is appropriate will yield more timeless and confusing results, which is my favorite. Why not do the Charleston over a classical set of strings? Well there are probably good arguments, but I’m not listening…

DDKZ: I’ve always been curious about your production process and I know you have a pretty strong musical education background and wondered if you could tell us a bit behind how you approach production of your tracks.

Daedelus: Every moment is so full of pressure in the music world. You have these limitless machines commonplace in the home studio, endless mp3 on the internet, and tidalwave of what has been. So the first thing I do is try to turn off the brain, it gets in the way too much! it is probably the most important thing, find a way to improvise in the studio, riff in synths and samples and instruments. Tell myself there are no bad choices just bad results and failed experiments. Some of my favorite songs were once failures that find new life eventually!

DDKZ: Anything different you consider when doing remixes?

Daedelus: Well you must consider the material at hand and where the remix might then live… Was the song a soulful slow jam that will be a dance single? Is that indie rock tune really supposed to just be a digital download with 5 minutes they are depending on you to fill? Not ignoring these realities make for fun work with remixes, making them puzzles to solve can be fun, and make the process faster.

DDKZ: I was pretty blown away when I first saw you perform in Tokyo a few years ago. Has your performance style changed much since then?

Daedelus: Experimenting with less rules lately, I’ll play other peoples music more confidently, I know I won’t transform the material into something outside myself, I have more confidence to play dance-y musics, play sad sets, play both on that thin edge of forgetting oneself and trusting the moment together. Oh and the Monome keeps improving, getting more reliable. There is nothing worse then all these words above being cut short by a laptop crash. Part of this business, I’ve learned to accept that. People seem forgiving for a restart or two…

DDKZ: How’s the feedback been on the “Live at the Low End Theory” album so far?

Daedelus: I’m amazed! What was supposed to be a document of an evening, just a window into one nights method, seems to have caught a little fire. The Low End Theory is a special night in so many ways, and to be now part of it’s history is an honor.

DDKZ: What was the motivation behind releasing such a live album?

Daedelus: I wanted to set the record straight, so to speak, to answer the question about how this material can be changed, largely in the moment into something wholly other, and perhaps appropriate for that situation, the energy that is there between audience and artist. Definitely not an end, but perhaps it’ll make kids hungry to come to a show and be part of making the night happen.

DDKZ: Whats next? Whats your dream project?

Daedelus: What’s wrong with living the dream now? I soon have another LP out entitled “Love To Make Music To,” I have a project with my wife (The Long Lost) out later this year, and a strange new group called FMB (with Taz Arnold from Sa-Ra), more Adventure Time, it’s a good life!

Daedelus - Abracadabrant

Daedelus - Its Madness (Nosaj Thing Remix)

Take - You High (Daedelus Remix)

OK folks yes its that time you have been waiting for - KMD managed to get to grips with the duo whom she ripped off with her name, and boy was it fabulous. I managed to tie Jas Shaw (of Simian Mobile Disco) down for a quick chat before he escaped again to continue on their hectic schedule. We talked about their new EP - Clocks, The Chemical Brothers & ‘Tits & Acid’ obviously….

Kimberleysmobiledisco: Why release this EP now?

Jas Shaw: This new LP is a way for us to draw the line under the previous mobile disco sessions. The record basically contains tracks that we absolutely loved and were personally my favourite, but we just couldn’t put them on the first album, as the structure didn’t sit quite right. This EP allows us to lay the past to rest and start on the second album fresh.

We felt that by distancing the first and second albums there is no danger of the creative process being damaged, plus by releasing the EP we relieve the whole ‘second album syndrome’ that has so clearly plagued a lot of artists in the past.

We really want to get onto writing new stuff; we are already booked to go into the DFA studio, which is very exciting.

KMD: So, tell us about the SMD way of laying down new tracks

JS: It doesn’t take long to write stuff at all, and it’s definitely a spontaneous process for us in the studio. Both of us often put melody ideas down separately and then come together to experiment as that retains the fun element and gives us that all important starting point for new tracks.

Our main downfall is buying copious amounts of gear; seriously we spend loads! Analogue gear is the key.

KMD: There are a lot of electro wannabee wizzkids out there, so you have any tips?

JS: Keep away from software! Computer based music always sounds so stiff, particularly in the transition from studio to stage. Try to avoid too much programming if you can. We tend to stick to Pro Tools, which we use like a tape machine alongside hardware.

I am personally always loathe to any restrictions placed on me, however I truly realise the importance of deadlines now, mainly because the more time we get from people to complete things the more get tied up over analysing things instead of getting the job done. My girlfriend is a teacher and she says the broader the brief you provide a class with the harder they find the task as it becomes too much to consider. So along those lines is important to consider deadlines – they help immensely in the long run to keep focus.

KMD: Your Mix Mag CD created immense disco fever for KMD, do you have any plans to do another?

JS: Yes! We are going to do a Fabric Mix. [KMD faints]. Fabric have been really good to us, especially in the early days of SMD and its time we returned the favour by doing a mix for them.

KMD: Can we expect it to go off the beaten path like the Justice mix?

JS: [After an explanation of why Justice didn’t release the mix] Wow, I wondered why it hadn’t been released. Maybe we will go down a heavy prog route, haha!

KMD How was touring with The Chemical Brothers?

JS: They are real dudes. Their live set makes ours look a bit shit really! It takes them like 12 hours to set up before a show, as a lot of it has to be programmed. I think when you want to incorporate audiovisuals and tailor your show to stadium-sized audiences you really have to raise your game.

KMD: You have a pretty hectic schedule how do you deal with it all?

JS: It’s bad, we say ‘yes’ too much. Both of us are very close to having an episode! We only got back from Paris the other day and as soon as we got off (more…)

According to every spy movie I’ve seen, those with a routine are easiest to follow. If that holds true then it’s safe to assume they’d have a hard time locking down on DJ Craze. The Nicaragua-born and Miami-bred DJ first made a splash sweeping turntablism competitions around the world, then took his skills to the dancefloor and turned the international drum n bass scene on its head. Now he’s gone and made a mix for Fabric with tracks representing the old, the new and the not so drum n bass. What’s he gonna do next? Leave Miami? Actually, he is. Our informants across the pond let us strap him down and give him the third degree about that and more…like his mix, which hits stores in the US March 11, 2008.

Speaking of mixes, here’s his Fabriclive Radio Mix.

Track list:
01. Beanie Sigel - You Ain’t Ready for Me - Rocafella
02. Swizz Beats - Money in the Bank - Full Surface
03. Khaled - Holla At Me (Instrumental) - Terror Squad/Kosh
04. Freeway - Lights Get Low - Rocafella
05. Lil Wayne - M.I.A. - Terror Squad/Kosh
06. Breakwater - Release The Beast - Phantom Sounds & Vision
07. Gaz - Sing Sing - Salsoul Records
08. Pitbull - Go Girl - TVT Records
09. Connie - Funky Little Beat - Sunnyview Records
10. Freez - I.O.U. - Streetwise
11. Freez - I.O.U. (Dyce Freestyle’s Death Remix) - Streetwise
12. Shannon - Give Me Tonight - Emergency Records
13. Siedah Garrett - Do you Want It Right Now - Island
14. Armand Van Helden - I Want Your Soul (Crookers Remix) - Southern Fried
15. Sexual Eruption - Sounds Better With You - Geffen/Virgin
16. One More Rainforest….
17. Treasure Fingers - Come True Tonight - n/a
18. M.I.A. - Come Around (ELI Remix) - Interscope
19. The Get Funky Crew - Shake Them Titties - Vision Records
20. Blaqstarr - Shake To The Ground (Claude Vonstroke Remix) - Mad Decent
21. Shala - The Great Chicago Winter (Zebo Remix) - n/a
22. Basement Jaxx - Nifty - Atlantic
23. Craze - Roc Bass 30:50 - 32:04
24. ? - Danca Potranca 32:04 - 32:34
25. Timmy T - Time After Time 32:34 - 34:34
26. Chromeo - Needy Girl (Boy 8-Bit’s Talk Box Dub) 34:34 - 36:33
27. Blaqstarr - All The Girls Around The World (KLEVER SO SO DEATH Remix) 36:33 - 38:47
28. Ocelot - This is Our Time (Treasure Fingers Remix) 38:47 - 40:31
29. Usher - Dat Girl Right There (instrumental) 40:31 - 42:00
30. Timbaland - Bounce (Let Me See Them Titties Craze dub 42:00 - 44:12
31. Green Velvet - Shake and Pop (Hydroz Remix) 44:12 - 45:10
32. Magic Mike - Drop That Bass 45:10 - 47:40
33. MC Shy D - Tearin It Up 47:40 - 49:23
34. Cool Kids - Miami Beach 49:23 - 52:26
35. KP & Envyi - Shorty Swing My Way 52:26 - 54:44
36. A1 Bassline - Girl Thing 54:44 - 57:01
37. Chris Brown - Kiss Kiss (Eli Escobar + Doug Grayson Remix) feat. Wale 57:01 - 60:00

Craze - FabricLive38 Radio Mix

Ok, now onto the interview!

Waxyjax: So listening to the mix–you do what you do best, which is mixing hi level turntablism with danceloor sensibility and genre mixing. I just wanted to know what process you went through in crafting this particular mix.

Craze: With this mix i just wanted to do something different from what I’m known for. I’ve been known for the hip hop/turntablism/drum n bass thing for a while and last year I put out this mix CD through A-Track and Disque Primeur. It was a Miami Bass mix and that went really well so when Fabric and my people got together and asked if I wanted to do a CD I said hell yeah and Fabric said I had complete freedom to do whatever I wanted to do and I submitted a couple tracks…and boom, I did the mix!

W: It’s good to have complete freedom for something that’s gonna be released commercially. Did you guys run into any issues with licensing of any songs? Was that even on your brain at all?

C: yeah, that’s like with any mix CD that comes out on this level. I gave maybe two or three tracklists of what I wanted and some didn’t get cleared and the ones that did get cleared made it. That took a little time, but the tracks that made it I’m really feelin.

W: You did mention that you wanted to want to do something a bit different from drum n bass and hip hop since that’s what kinda built up your reputation back in the day. I did notice Armanni Reign is MCing on it, I also know he [works with] drum n bass djs. Do you plan on collaborating with other drum n bass artists for future projects regardless of what genre it’s gonna be for?

C: Yeah well actually a lot of the drum n bass heads that were making noise in US drum n bass are actually moving onto the whole electro thing right now….like Treasure Fingers used to be apart of Evol Intent, and Ewun now goes by Kill the Noise and they’re making noise now in the electro scene. We’re planning on doing some stuff. Treasure Fingers just got signed to Fool’s Gold. So yeah, I plan on doing stuff with them. Armanni’s a dope lyricist so I’m still gonna be working with him in the future on some different stuff–not drum n bass stuff.

W: Everything seems to be cyclical. What do you think is gonna be the next sound that people are gonna gravitate towards?

C: It’s been electro for a minute. I don’t know what the next thing is, honestly. There’s always something new poppin up. I think people right now are A.D.D. about music. Like something’s dope for a year and then they move on to another thing the next year. I don’t know what’s next, but it’s all moving to the dancefloor, which I like.

W: I like that too. Of some of the genres that got trendy over the past few years. Which ones were you most skeptical about?

C: I knew electro was gonna kill it just from going to a couple parties in the beginning I was like, “Oh man, this stuff is crazy!” The one that I kinda wasn’t into, but now I’m starting to see differently is dubstep.

W: I know Juju [is involved in dubstep]–Was he the one that turned you onto it?

C: He was the actually the first person that schooled me to it. The first time i heard dubstep was at some party in New York about 2 or 3 years ago. It was in a side room and they were going off to it. I was like, what is this? Ya know, I love bass, I love heavy heavy bass. I was at the bar, posted up listening to the music and was like, “Yo, this is like some slowed down drum n bass!”

W: Yeah, it’s pretty crazy. I didn’t pick any up in the current mix. But is dubstep something you might wanna be throwing in any sets in the future?

C: Maybe in the future. I always switch up. That’s part of me. I always like finding new things to get into. But i don’t know, right now it’s not part of my future, but who knows. I like it. Like the stuff that Juju’s doing, I like. So who knows.

W: You mentioned in your press release that you’re gonna be working in the studio with Klever, Killa Kela and Mayday! Is that sound gonna be closer to hip hop or are you gonna mix in some electro and other things?

C: The stuff with Klev, it’s gonna be a mix of what I like. Like the club stuff and a bit of Miami Bass influence, combined with his whole electro crazy madness. The stuff with Mayday is gonna be more hip hop, but [Mayday!’s sound is] hip hop. It’s not golden era it’s more musical. We’re gonna try and make something new. I’m actually working with Bernie, the vocalist, on some freestyle kind of music. Some old school Miami kind of freestyle 2008 kinda vibes.

W: Killa Kella?

C: Yeah, he sent me a track that he wants me to do something over before I came to the UK and I haven’t gone to the studio yet, but yeah. Homeboy is dope! He’s a dope vocalist, he’s not just a beatboxer and that’s what made me wanna work with him. I was like, yo I heard his songs and he got a crazy voice and he got a (more…)

Photo courtesy of Electro Caramel

Back when roller rinks were a big deal in the early 80’s, the music that was played was intense and magnetic. Skating under the disco ball, watching the colored spotlights as they hit the floor, feeling the wind in my hair as I skated faster and faster, was always an incredible feeling that I never wanted to end. The nights would come to a close and my friends and I longed for our next roller rink adventure.

It’s been a long time since I thought about those days, skating free and fast, surrounded by sounds, lights and the endless floor upon which we skated. Listening to the Valerie collective of artists really took me back to a fantastic time in my youth. It’s almost as if they’ve gone back to that very place, taken those sounds and recreated them in a new and brilliant way.

The Valerie cast of talented artists from the West of France includes, Minitel Rose, The Outrunners, College, Maethelvin, Anoraak and more. They’ve been blogged about by friends at Discodust, Missingtoof, Knicken, Electro Carmel (French for those that read it), and will continue to be as their sounds are discovered.

Quentin, Raphaël & Romain, self dubbed, “warrior flash dancers”, that make up the band Minitel Rose, have a distinct synthetic sound that you are sure to fall in love with and enjoy listening to wherever you are. They present a nice approach to that 80’s sound that the Valerie collective does so well. The more I listen, the more I want to hear their soothing, charming voices – in the morning, whilst working, before bed. For those that haven’t heard, they’ve sent us a few of their tracks, “Continue”, “Better Days” and “The Animals vs Minitel Rose”.

They’ve also taken the time out to tell us a bit more about their unique project and you can hear more at Minitel Rose remixes. Check the Valerie blog for a listen of their latest teaser, “Business Woman” and be sure to listen to all the Valerie artists so you too can fall in love! Merci Quentin, Raphaël & Romain!! x

Lovestar: Where does the name Minitel Rose come from? When I translate it, I get ‘Blue Message Service’. Is this an accurate translation?

Minitel Rose: This name comes from the French 80’s. It’s the name of a French machine which is the father of the internet. The Pink Minitel was a kind of meeting site where you can find love and have a sexy chat.

Lovestar: Please tell us about the Valerie collective and the role Minitel Rose plays

Minitel Rose: Valerie is a real gang composed of several artists from the West Coast of France (Nantes) who have the same visual and graphic influences. Other artists from the rest of the world joined the team (like Russ Chimesf.e). But first of all Valerie is a blog – Valerie cheri blogsopt and for a short time it’s an event with the Valerie Party. Valerie is a mysterious movement, an alternative to the present, as a future dreamed in the 80’s. We are members of Valerie and we did the hymn of it: Valerie Côte Ouest (free download on Valerie jetaime).

Lovestar: How long has Minitel Rose been in existence and how did the group form?

Minitel Rose: The band was created one & half year ago, we are three childhood friends who wanted to make music together.

Lovestar: What is the vision for Minitel Rose?

Minitel Rose: Our first E.P will be out this spring in France. It will be called ‘The French Machine’. In the future we want to do more and more shows, and we would like to play in US.

Lovestar: Your influences + inspirations - music and beyond

Minitel Rose: Our influences are our childhood, the girls, the 80’s American movies. We don’t really have a specific musical influence, we are really open minded in music. We try to do our own songs, a retrofuturistic pop.

Lovestar: What is your approach when beginning a new track or remix?

Minitel Rose: Each time we make a new song we try to do something different than that we’ve already done. We try to surprise our public and ourselves. We like to be not too pop and not too electro. We have a style but no limit. For the remixes we don’t want to do something better than the original but make a real different song that people who don’t know the original think that it is.

Lovestar: When you create music, is there a specific thing you have in mind, something you may have experienced, or just something you put together as you go along?

Minitel Rose: Our text are simple and most of the time the music inspire the lyrics. People around us inspire our songs and we make music to share with them, that’s our pop side.

Lovestar: Do all three of you contribute to writing the lyrics and what do you write about?

Minitel Rose: It depends on the song, it’s often Quentin who writes the lyrics after that Raphaël composes the song. Most of the time Raphaël builds the base of a song and we build the rest together.

Lovestar: What do you have in store for the year ahead, what can we expect?

Minitel Rose: Our first E.P will be out in Spring in France, we hope that some copy of it will be arrive in US (by the Web).

Minitel Rose - Continue

Minitel Rose - Better Days

The Animals vs Minitel Rose

Minitel Rose Official Bio
Love by the way of the machine, that was the Minitel Rose, an extraordinary 80’s French invention. This is a name which also sums up the several sides of the band: the popular culture, electronics and love. It was when watching the girls on the beach that Quentin, Raphaël & Romain met each other.

Minitel Rose was born in a generation when TV was fun and the music discovered new directions with the synthetic sound, this culture from the charism of the “Ghostbuster” to the smile of Heather Locklear riddled them.

Minitel Rose is mainly influenced by the childhood of its members, marked by the graphical and musical universe of the American 80’s movies, a retrofuturistic vision, and rock music. A hooked pop chorus and a melody made for the dancefloor are the basis of the electropop sound of Minitel Rose. Not too pop, not too electro but cohesive blend, this is what defines Minitel Rose.

Though the pink Minitel of 1981 never crossed the French frontier, these three guys and their songs sung in English with a sexy french accent have decided to invade the walkman of the world.

The lights are flashing, the bass is ripping through the building, 1000 fans scream harder as his latest remix drops and lyrics are spat, a dark figure is being pulled out of the crowd by an angry security guard, yes its your boy JG.. welcome to his world.

Leave it up to James aka Glamour Soundsystem and you will be over-runneth with his grandiose ideas. His intent is to live larger than life, working day and night to attain this. His fascination with hard work and focus to succeed is quite rare at the tender age of 20. He is creating his empire running on plenty of energy and little sleep! If he doesn’t get your attention, then perhaps you’re too old or just don’t get it and never will!

We’ve caught up with James to see what the devil he has been up to these days. From our phone convo and some ichatting, he reveals it’s a whole hell of A LOT, along with some audio – 2 Remixes – Lillica Libertine - Manhunt (Glamour Soundsystem Remix) and GFB - Architects of Discotech (Glamour Soundsystem Remix), to be found below his donkey and waistline.

Lovestar: What have you been up to lately?? Or what haven’t you been up to is the question?!

James Glamour: This week my feet haven’t even touched the ground, the rumors are I work hard, and damn can I back that up. The early section of this week Earcandy music took me into their recording studios to finish off and master a remix I’m currently doing from them – No sooner had I left the studio door but I was called to do 2 photos shoots and then to finish the week, I featured with GFB and supporting Pendulum.

On the release front just been confirmed is a LTD edition vinyl with Kids On TV, with the remake “this moment” on the B side, also out in France very soon is Lillica Libertine “Manhunt” and again my remix is on the B side of the 12″ and up for digital release. I am also currently working on a remix for Half machine records and Swedish Grammy nominated band, Lillica Libertine “Manhunt” and again my remix is on the B side of the 12″ and up for digital release. I am also currently working on a remix for Half machine records and Swedish Grammy nominated band, Pacific.

Lovestar: What were you doing about say, 5 years ago and what brought you to this point? What made you go in this direction with your life?

JG: I was born music, “Im a producer, performer, CEO, in the game from the womb from the word go” that lyric is about when my mother used to be a singer and “apparently” I used to kick in time in the womb. I started drums at the age of 3 was semi pro by 14, then after a few tiny bands I got bored of the lack of creativity I got to put in. So when I was in Canada in mid 2006 The Glamour Soundsystem was born.

Lovestar: What are you influenced by, what inspires and drives you??

JG: Success drives me, there’s no roof on this thing, I’ll be working hard until I get that platinum, and I’m sure when I do, Ill want another one. I set my sights and ambitions high, its the only way.

I’m influenced not only by travels in past years but by the music around me, my all time inspiration has to be Shawn Carter, as a rapper yes he is a lyrical genius, but to me more as a business man, I feel I look at the music industry in much the same way. Other musical influences come from Lillica Libertine, Danger, LL cool J and Missy. Actually I have a custom Princess superstar print in my apartment… she looks over big producing decisions (laughs).

Lovestar: How important is fashion to your image?

JG: For me its about the high end designers, mayfair, the glamour and the looks that go with that. My favorite designers at the moment are Jil Sanders, Aganovich, Jeremy Scott, Balenciaga and the new cruise line from Gabbana is hot. I dont have time to check up on the fashion blogs much any more but Bonjourjr Magazine is still the shit. Give me a girl in an over sized fur coat and vintage Chanel heels anyday (laughs)

I currently design and run Glamour Industries, which runs as a cross between Glamour Soundsystem merch and a clothing line, it was recently stated as 9th best clothing line in the U.K. by MySpace. Myspace released a report on new trends and culture, not only was Glamour music on numerous pages next to the horrors, JME and partyshank but so was the clothing which is always exciting

Lovestar: If you could have a few of the best (photographer, makeup, stylist, etc.) working on a photo shoot for you, who would that team consist of?

JG: The God, the king, the one and only Karl Lagerfield would style, I’d get someone crazy like Chicks on Speed for the makeup, someone arty that has an interest in fashion. David Sims would HAVE to be the photographer – he did some amazing shots of Sharon Stone in the Paris Vogue – they are slick beyond belief!

Lovestar: What are you listening to these days?

JG: I’m wide on music, if its gotta heavy beat its in the playlists.. speaking of which, my most recent playlist on my ipod is:
Bounce - Timbaland
Control Myself - LL cool J
GET U OFF - Lillica Libertine
Too drunk to fuck - Nouvelle Vague
Pass that Dutch - Missy Elliot
Get myself into it - (Sebastian Remix)

Lovestar: What do you have in the pipeline?

JG: Looking at a big summer tour with another UK band of similar name, currently I am working on a couple of remixes, and going to hit a certain labels studio’s in ldn to crack out a new masterpiece, other than that visuals for the live show are about to be launched and there are some business talks with larger labels going on.. but I’ll have to keep my lips sealed for the moment.

Lillica Libertine - Manhunt (Glamour Soundsystem Remix)

GFB - Architects of Discotech (Glamour Soundsystem Remix) clip