We hadn't even grown tired of "Call 911" and "Panic Attack", but today we're being spoiled with two new Florrie songs. BIGSTEREO and Nialler9 have premiered "Fascinate Me" and "Come Back To Mine". It's Fred Falke vs. Moguai!
» Florrie – Come Back to Mine (feat. Moguai)
Produced by Moguai, the man who provided the BIG samples for Sugababes' "In The Middle" plus Girls Aloud's "Fling" and "Something Kinda Ooooh". "Come Back To Mine" struts its electro-glam stuff with a robotic swing and Xenomania's classic patchwork songwriting.
FREE MP3 Download: 320 kbps MP3 FREE MP3 Download: 128 kbps MP3
» Florrie – Fascinate Me (Fred Falke edit)
A pure pop confection worked over by Fred Falke. "Fascinate Me" has synths that are gleeful and bouncy, a luscious chorus and Falke's trademark ethereal middle eight. Beautiful and sexy.
PonyStep met up with Florrie at Xenomania HQ as she took a break from her writing duties to discuss her plans for the year ahead. Read the first Florrie interview at Ponystep.com (the same people that brought you the latest Brian Higgins interview). A few highlights:
First job at Xenomania
«My first job here was playing on The Promise by Girls Aloud, so I was thrown in at the deep end. The next one was The Boy Does Nothing by Alesha Dixon. That was literally within two weeks of starting. I remember hearing the first demo of The Promise and it had no melody or lyrics at that point. It was amazing to see the process of how it all worked and then the next thing I knew, they were playing it on The Brits.»
How Florrie got to work with Xenomania
«I met Gabriella Cilmi’s manager in an office one day. Then, a year and a half later, she called me and said, “I’ve got a friend, Brian, who’s looking for a drummer for the Xenomania house band”. I didn’t really know what Xenomania was, or who Brian was, so I Wikipediad him. I came down on the Thursday then again the next day, and he offered me the job. (...) I came down and played with Jason and Kieran, who are two of the writers here.»
The working environment at Xenomania
«It’s a bit crazy (laughs). It can go either way. We have days where it’s mad and I don’t see people upstairs for three days because they’re working away. It’s a different process to how you would expect to write songs and make a record. It is relaxed, but I have complete control into what I do, which makes it very hard work. I guess we have a good balance.
«It doesn’t get crowded, and, even in the busier times, everyone has their own space. Everyone gets on really well, it really is like a family. It’s like coming to your auntie’s house or something, Everyone is also totally on the same page. Totally creative and incredibly driven.»
The time spent at Xenomania
«[I'm here] every day. During the week and most weekends. That’s because I want to get everything right. I am totally involved with how my records are made. I work a lot with Toby, the engineer here, and I also work a lot here with Fred Falke whenever he is over from France. I play on all of my records, and I have also been remixing my own tracks. I record the songs here and Fred Falke also does some of the remixes. Panic Attack and Call 911 are already up on the web.»
«I’ve learned tons from the other amazing people that have walked through those doors. Things have changed - I was the house drummer and now I am an artist doing things in a totally different way. My whole life's changed. I lived in London when I started here. And I was like, “Do you know what? I am just going to move down here because it takes so long to get down from London”. I live just across the green. I think that the whole village is being taken over by Xenomania (laughs). It is quite small but it is amazing to get out of London and see a bit of the countryside. I didn’t want to go home at the end of the day.»
Building an online presence
«The music industry is all over the place at the minute. I think it’s really important to have that contact with fans and for them to be able to buy into your world or you as a person without any pressure from a corporation. It’s so difficult when you sign a deal and your record’s out and you get thrown out there. I guess the average person on the street doesn’t really have that connection.
«It’s important to know when you do gigs that people are going to come along already knowing your music. It’s a better way of doing it because people can feel like they discovered you as opposed to a major label. I want my fans to feel like they have some sort of ownership.»
The online response: positive and immediate
«That's the beauty of the internet and the blogging world. It's easier to stay in touch or respond when someone asks you a question; why would I not answer it? I guess it gets difficult when it grows into the thousands, or tens of thousands, it’s harder to keep it that personal... But I do little things like videos and blogs, then there’s Twitter, so people can see what you are up to. And I check what they’re up to as well.»
Transition from drummer to artist
«It was kind of a gradual thing, which I guess it had to be, for me to be able to get my head around it. When I came here, I was drumming half of the time, but obviously, to be here full-time, you wouldn’t need a drummer every day, so I was working in the admin side of it, stuffing envelopes and things like that. I knew that what I really wanted to do was just music, all day, so I took every opportunity that I had to get out of the office.
«I did lots of programming stuff, I learned how to make beats... I’d done a bit of that at school but nothing on Logic, so I learned that from scratch. That is an amazing thing to know now, so if I want to record something myself I can just go an demo some ideas or make beats. So, after I that, I did some lyricing and obviously, once you’ve lyriced something, it then needs to be demoed. So, I’d go up and record myself doing it, and Brian said, “Do you know that you can really sing?” - I’ve sung all my life, I like singing in the shower (laughs). So we worked at it together, we did more demos and tried different styles and I thought, “You know what? I can do this”.»
The drumming side of things
«I guess I am not doing it as much as I was. But I still drum on tracks that we do here. I love doing it, so probably once or twice a week I get down to the pool room and play. It’s a good place to rehearse, except in the night time and in the winter, when it’s dark and I just keep thinking that someone is going to jump out of the trees... It’s pitch black, and once Jason [Resch] actually hid round the corner. He jumped out and that scarred me for life! That room has an amazing sound and we’ve done some recordings in there which we’ve used as samples. All you need is one mic and a tape player, but mostly it’s for our rehearsals.»
First steps as a drummer
«I was six years old when I first said that I wanted to do it. We went on holiday to Greece, me and both my parents, and there was a bar down the road from the hotel with a band playing. We went a few nights in a row and I sat on this little housebrick, that’s how small I was, and I would just watch the drummer. One night he asked me if I wanted to do the hi-hat, just tap while he played… (...) On the way back, on the plane, I drew this picture of the drumkit, I’ve still got it, actually. And I remembered every little bit. I even put the worry beads on the hi-hat. I was only six years old, and that year I had my first gig ever. I was dressed as a fish in the school play and my class were all dancing and singing a fish song. I remember my feet not being able to reach both of my pedals because I had a tail.»
Musical influences
«I was brought up on 50s music like Chuck Berry and Elvis, all that sort of rock n’ roll that my dad listened to. I also really love nineties music, like The Spice Girls and everything. I think it’s good when people are influenced by their parents’ taste instead of just rebelling for the sake of it.»
«I listened to the radio a lot when I was younger, well, all my life, really. So, I guess a lot of what I like is mainstream, apart from the stuff that my dad likes. I think that it’s good to be able to sing along in the car with your parents, instead of listening to some sort of crazy metal headbanging thing.»
The sound of Florrie
«I’ve got different ideas. Different styles and ways to do it. I like to make music that people want to dance to. Obviously, I love beats, but I also like the raw sound that you get with a guitar. So it’s going to be a big mixture: Kind of a sixties, organic feel merged with modern pop beats and electronics.»
The future
«I can’t wait to get out there and do some gigs again. I love getting my music out there. At the minute I'm giving away tracks for free to fans, which is how I think it needs to be done. There needs to be a switch around, because people don’t really buy albums any more. There is a new route to be taken.»
We have received confirmation that three upcoming Mini Viva live appearances have been cancelled: Isle Of Wight Festival (June 11th), Birmingham Pride (May 29th) and the Razzmatazz club in Barcelona (June 5th; cancelled due to "changes in management plans"). No more information is available at this time.
It's not the best news, especially after "One Touch" (unbelievably) failed to reach the Top 100 Singles Chart in the UK, landing at number 124. Fingers crossed for Mini Viva. ♥
Fred Falke has worked on a new chilled out summery remix of Florrie's "Panic Attack". The new Club Mix is, as usual, available to download from Florrie.com. The track is also on the Hype Machine if you want to heart it.
A new remix of Florrie's "Call 911" will be released on the new Kitsuné x Ponystep compilation. The track has been remixed by Beataucue, a french duo renowned for their powerful production and remixes.
Parisian music and fashion label Kitsuné (home to Digitalism, La Roux & others) teams up with the London webmag Ponystep for a summer compilation fusing pop, electro, indie, disco and more.
Kitsuné x Ponystep will be released on July 5th and will be available on all digital outlets. This is the tracklist :
1. Róisín Murphy - Momma’s Place
2. Bag Raiders - Turbo Love (Light Year Remix)
3. Munk - La Musica
4. Two Door Cinema Club - I Can Talk (French Horn Rebellion Remix)
5. Voltaire Twins - D.I.L. (JBAG’s Hot Pop Remix)
6. Florrie - 911 (Beataucue Remix –JBAG Edit)’
7. JBAG ft Louise Prey - X Ray Sex
8. Adamski - I Dream Of You (2010 Version)
9. Lindstrøm - I Feel Space (Freeform5 Remix / JBAG Re-Edit)
10. D-Pulse - Highway To Saturn (JBAG Edit)
11. Jupiter - Mama Used To Say
12. Act Yo Age - La Fumo Loco (In Flagranti Remix)’
13. Rainbow Arabia - Holidays In Congo (Myd Remix)
14. Lo-Fi-Fnk - Steppin’ Out (Popular Computer Remix / JBAG Re-Edit)
15. May 68 - My Ways
16. David E Sugar - Party Killer
17. Booka Shade - Regenerate
18. Bunny Lake - Army Of Lovers (JBAG’s Hot Pop Remix)
19. Mustang - Try To Dance
20. Das Pop - Fool For Love (Aeroplane Remix)
After winning three Ivor Novello awards yesterday (including the category where "The Promise" was nominated), Lily Alen was reportedly offered a job at Xenomania.
«Writing for other people is what I want to do, you won't see me performing after this year. Lady GaGa would be the ideal person I'd want to write for, but she's doing a pretty good job herself.
«What is funny though, is that the Girls Aloud people from Xenomania have just offered me a job to come in-house as a writer for them. Pretty mad! Er, I'll have to think about that one.»
Lily Allen and Greg Kurstin received three awards for "The Fear", which won Most Performed Work, Best Song Musically & Lyrically and Songwriters Of The Year.
New song from Alex Gardner that he has been performing live for some time. Someone has finally uploaded it on YouTube:
Alex recently revealed that his second single will be out at the back end of summer and that he is still working on his debut album:
«It’s progressing very well. I’m never happy or satisfied though – I’m going back in six weeks (to work on it) when I’ve got the time. The second single will be out at the back end of summer. It’s got to be perfect or it will haunt me for the rest of my life!»
» The Chemistry Is Dead: One Touch review
"They have a fantastic posey, pouty video and an outstanding song sung by a cool duo that stand out from the blandness of The Saturdays and Girls Can’t Catch (...). “Hips, lips, fashion, status”, the middle eight, “AW” and the vocodered “takes me over” ad lib near the end are amongst the best bits of an addictive song that will go down in our books as 2010’s lost No.1"
» Totally Dublin: One Touch review
"Pop’s not going to solve any of the world’s problems. And no-one expects pop music to last, it is an art-form that doesn’t strive for longevity; it’s supposed to be transient, of the moment, fleeting and inconsequential - and yet great pop is what tends to get remembered. Mini Viva’s last single tanked at a lowly 73 in the charts, but even if One Touch follows suit and bombs, hearing it in the distant future will doubtless cause a Proustian rush in me that takes me back to the summer of 2010."
» Music-News.com: One Touch review 5/5
"This track is real Girls Aloud material; boppy, catchy, a slightly edgy sound and more than a smattering of 80’s synths. It does take a couple of listens to get into the groove of the track, but persevere and you will be rewarded with an absolute gem of a track. 'One Touch’ really is a pop master piece, and will hopefully see Mini Viva chart once more."
«Laurence Green chats to pop sensations Mini Viva and gets the low-down on their London gig
The venue is London’s hallowed Hammersmith Apollo and I’ve come to see the dynamic pop duo that is Mini Viva. Launched onto the music scene in 2009 with the irresistible Left My Heart In Tokyo, as the opening bars of that very track are met with a chorus of whoops and cheers from the audience, Mini Viva’s Frankee Connolly and Britt Love kick off their four track support slot for Britain’s Got Talent winners Diversity in style.
Dressed in black, the two girls exude effortless chic, blasting through the song with an impressive energy. The choreography is slick and immaculately rehearsed; the perfect accompaniment to the crème-de-la-creme of pop music. Next we’re treated to the shimmering, melancholy vibes and dreamy synths of I Wish and the epic balladry of Emotions of Love, a standout track from the girls’ forthcoming debut studio album. Even within such a short set-list, Mini Viva pack in versatility, showcasing that they’re just as skilled at down-tempo numbers as the dancey singles which have led them to chart success.
The highlight of the night comes in the form of new single One Touch. With a delightful refrain of ‘Do you wanna candy, hey baby’, it’s quite simply one of the best pop tracks to come out of the UK this year. Feisty to the max and packed full of attitude and catchy hooks, all wrapped up in the girls’ sultry vocal delivery, it’s mindblowingly good stuff.
Mini Viva spoke to Virgin.com about working with Xenomania, their new single "One Touch" (out now), touring, having their own web show, the Girls Aloud comparison and the pop scene. A few highlights:
Will you be playing many festivals this summer? Mini Viva: Yeah, this year we've got V Festival and the Isle of Wight Festival lined-up. There are so many brilliant artists lined-up and we're really looking forward to playing with them and seeing them.
People that wouldn't normally listen to pop music are changing their minds. Why are people getting back into pop music? MV: I think it is because indie music has died out now a little bit. People want to feel happier. Pop will always make you sing and the hook will be catchy. Pop will never die. There is always whole new pop scenes. At the moment it's the whole electronic scene, with Lady Gaga, Ellie Goulding and La Roux. That’s a really good thing that has happened. It is a bit more chic and cool, but it is still pop, just done a different way.
A big part of making pop cool has been Xenomania, especially with Girls Aloud. How exciting is it working with them? MV: Yeah, we're so privileged to be working with them. To have our singles and album produced all by them is just incredible. People are fighting to work with them and we've got this amazing album coming out in August that we have co-written with them. Yeah!
How does songwriting with Xenomania work? MV: We just get in the studio with them and put melodies over backing tracks. Certain melodies and lyrics get chosen. 'One Touch' is one of the songs we've co-written with Xenomania and that is why we're so happy that is getting released. We want to show people we can write, we're not just having songs written for us. We are talented in that way as well.
That must be daunting for you though? Xenomania are lauded as fantastic songwriters – how nerve-racking is working with them? MV: They make us feel comfortable. I think when we started with them it felt quite a big deal, but you get used to it. They are really good at making you feel like you can do anything. It is such a great opportunity to get your mind going, they are really good for our creativity.
The new single from Xenomania pop duo Mini Viva is now available to download. The digital-only release comes backed with remixes by Wideboys, Christian TV and Tom Neville.
"One Touch" was produced by Brian Higgins/Xenomania and written by Britt Love, Frankee Connolly, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Carla Marie Williams, Florrie Arnold, Lisa Cowling and Tim Powell.
The single has been receiving heavy praise from Popjustice ("so amazing it will make your head explode"), Digital Spy ("a fool-proof pop stomper"), The Times ("a giddy-making hi-NRG belter"), BBC ("stuffed full of the key ingredients in a good pop song"), among other places.
A fool-proof pop stomper that should return the pair to their rightful place at the top of the charts. 5/5Digital Spy
'One Touch' (...) is so good that we hereby grant all other popstars the rest of the day off to reconsider their options. Top stuff. Popjustice
Xenomania are at the top of their game, providing a shamelessly 1990s, pulsating Hi NRG tapestry. 5/5Last Broadcast
Xenomania’s newest poppets, with a giddy-making hi-NRG belter. Times Online
Mini Viva’s new single ‘One Touch’ is set to be one of the pop highlights of the year. Glasswerk
The song is even more catchy than their previous offerings with some absolutely killer disco hooks. AllGigs.co.uk
So amazing it will make your head explode. (...) It's precisely the sort of thing that makes you slightly less worried about whether this year will or won't see a new Girls Aloud album. Popjustice
This latest single is perhaps their best so far, and carries all the verve and originality that is to be expected of a Xenomania production. Popbitch
It's stuffed full of chuntering synthy goodness, whooshy noises, the occasional robo-harmony (tastefully done, for a change), all the things we have come to recognise as key ingredients in a good pop song. And make no mistake, this IS a good pop song. 4/5BBC Chart Blog
The new Mini Viva single will be available to download from this Sunday, 9th May. You can pre-order "One Touch" now on Play.com, backed with remixes by Wideboys, Christian TV and Tom Neville. Unfortunately the single will not be released on CD, but if you are in the UK make sure you download it from iTunes or such places.
"One Touch" was written by Britt Love, Frankee Connolly, Miranda Cooper, Brian Higgins, Carla Marie Williams, Florrie Arnold, Lisa Cowling and Tim Powell, and it was produced by Brian Higgins & Xenomania.
The single is receiving glowing reviews from all over the place:
The cheeky lyrics are backed by a typically infectious Xenomania production boasting struttable synths, loads of "whooosh!" effects and a chorus as moreish as a bag of Haribo Tangfastics. We may have waited five months for it, but the result is a fool-proof pop stomper that should return the pair to their rightful place at the top of the charts. 5/5Digital Spy
Whilst the rather more famous Xenomania girl group, Girls Aloud, twist the production team’s spacey Eurodance to their quirky, aloof means, Mini Viva make it sound seductive and sexy. It’s no new ground, but Xenomania, led by mastermind Brian Higgins, are at the top of their game, providing a shamelessly 1990s, pulsating Hi NRG tapestry. 5/5Last Broadcast
The lyrics, the filthy filthy lyrics...well they're so rude they should not be listened to be anyone ever. I'm probably breaking several of the BBC's strictest rules by even talking about them. (...) There's that fantastic Calvin Harris-y bassline running through all the verses, that makes up for a LOT. And the chorus is pretty great too, if you can get past the astonishing disgustingness. It's stuffed full of chuntering synthy goodness, whooshy noises, the occasional robo-harmony (tastefully done, for a change), all the things we have come to recognise as key ingredients in a good pop song. And make no mistake, this IS a good pop song. It's just also a very bad pop song. Very bad indeed. Wicked, really. 4/5 BBC Chart Blog
They have given us another slice of unadulterated joy with 'One Touch'. The song is even more catchy than their previous offerings with some absolutely killer disco hooks. The vocals are so studio polished that they actually encapsulate that annoying term 'Bubblegum Pop'. It is a sure-fire song for filling up dance floors and put people in a good mood when they hear it on the radio. Each chorus is a staggering collection of perfect pop beats, rising synths and deadpan vocals that melt together in a nigh on perfect way. AllGigs.co.uk
"One Touch" is the type of pure pop confection that you'd only get from Europe -- everything about it screams glittery discotheque. (...) "One Touch" is geniunely incredible, in every hype-inflating version of the word in the music blogger's handbook. (...) I haven't heard a pop song (in English) that's made me feel this good in quite a while, which is why I credit it for pulling me back down to my grounding loves in the pop music world. Melismatic
Mini Viva’s new single ‘One Touch’ is set to be one of the pop highlights of the year. Glasswerk
Sparkly, sweet and yet bubbly – these words may help describe ‘One Touch’. It’s just pop perfect with a 90′s feel in it which I deffo love. The Beat Review
The ides of Mini Viva is so pleasing, and the execution would only be improved if this song still has its original title, Want A Candy? On one level it's a total ripoff of like ten Girls Aloud tracks (Sexy No No No being one) and it has that 90's house keyboard so au courant right now. But somehow it's just RIGHT. XO'S Middle Eight
"Fire" was recorded with Xenomania when Andy Taylor Jr. and James Taylor were still known as NiteVisions. They are now called DEKADE and have recently played two live shows (readsomereactions).
The Flood-produced "Haunt You" has been released on the Camden Crawl 2010 compilation, which was available for Camden Crawl ticket-holders - you can also buy it here.
The expanded and re-mastered versions of the Saint Etienne albums Finisterre (2002) and Tiger Bay (1994) are out now. Both albums have been re-released as Deluxe Editions featuring the original album, extensive sleeve-notes and an extra disc of session tracks and b-sides. A limited-edition version of Finisterre featuring a DVD of the film of the same name is also available.
Finisterre was Saint Etienne's sixth studio album and was originally released in 2002. The album was a love/hate letter to London and included two songs co-written by Xenomania: "Shower Scene" and the nu-disco call-to-arms single "Action". There were also four songs produced by Mr. Joshua, which is believed to be an alias of Brian Higgins and Nick Coler ("Action", "Soft Like Me", "New Thing" "Shower Scene").
The deluxe edition now comes with a second disc of 17 tracks and includes an expanded booklet featuring extensive sleevenotes by Jude Rogers. Buy it here.
Originally released in 1994, Tiger Bay was Saint Etienne's third album and their second Top 10 album. It took the group into a new place by mixing traditional folk melodies with modern electronica. They worked with Underworld, Shara Nelson, Stephen Duffy, arranger David Whitaker, and Birmingham neo-dubsters Original Rockers.
This deluxe edition contains a second disc with seven previously unheard bonus tracks and an expanded booklet featuring extensive sleevenotes from the band's original PR Robin Turner. Buy it here.
The albums are the latest in an on-going Saint Etienne re-issue series that has so far seen the release of Foxbase Alpha, Continental, So Tough and The Sound Of Water.
Sophie Ellis-Bextor hopes to work with Xenomania again after collaborating with the team on her 2007 album Trip the Light Fantastic.
She reportedly told BANG Showbiz: "I think Brian Higgins and Miranda Cooper from Xenomania are two of the best pop writers around, they're great."
In 2007, Xenomania co-wrote and produced the song "If You Go". Sophie said: "I had a lot of fun doing that, I really liked the song we created. I've performed it a few times and hopefully if I do my next tour I can wheel it out. Because it sounds so good live with all the drums".
Mini Viva performed their new single "One Touch" on TV for the first time on Koko Pop, the new show on Channel 4. The single will be available to download from Sunday, 9th May, and the CD will be out in the shops on Monday, 10th May.
There is a fan-made group on Facebook dedicated to the single. Even if you think that Facebook groups are stupid (and you are right, most of them are), this one is a good way to spread the word. All you have to do is invite your "friends" to join the group so that they will be aware that the best pop single of the year will be released next week. Simple. Join the group.
Brian Higgins made his DJ debut at the Ponystep party on April 24th.
The Daily Record published an article about "the chart-toppers you've never heard of.. the songwriters" where they mention Xenomania, Cathy Dennis & Ryan Tedder. Read it here.
There's a thread on the Popjustice forums about Xenomania that was set off by the question "Xenomania: past their prime?". The answer to that is obviously a big "NO" but it still makes an interesting read.
A bunch of unreleased Shayne Ward songs leaked last week. A couple of them sound like they might have been produced by Xenomania.
We've posted about the Almighty cover of "Jump Off" by The Banned of St Trinian's but we forgot to mention that they previously recorded a version of another Xenomania song: Gabriella Cilmi's "Sweet About Me". Visit Almighty's website to listen and buy.
Dekade (previous incarnations: NiteVisions + The Electric City; have worked with Xenomania, are now working with Flood) are receiving rave reviews from Popjustice, Daily Star, Yahoo! Music and Disco Potential. They will be performing tonight at Camden Crawl. Listen to the track "Haunt You".
Jessie Malakouti has been working with Scott Storch, Richard Vission, Howie D. and Lil' Eddie. Follow her on Twitter to see what she's up to.
Alex Vargas, previously the lead singer from Vagabond, is working on new music. Listen to a few demos on his MySpace and follow him on Twitter.
Xenomania is a songwriting and production house based in Kent, England. It was founded by songwriter and producer Brian Higgins.
Since 1996, Xenomania have written, produced and remixed tracks for a string of successful artists including Girls Aloud, Pet Shop Boys, Sugababes, Dannii and Kylie Minogue, Saint Etienne, Cher, Gabriella Cilmi and many others.
