Entertainment :: Music
Miike Snow :: a knack for "toxic" dance hits by Joseph Erbentraut
EDGE ContributorThursday Sep 24, 2009
Though you may not recognize the name of Swedish electro-pop outfit Miike Snow, you very likely are already familiar with some of their work. Even as this statement is thrown around ad nauseum in journalism pieces written about indie upstarts, rarely has the cliché held so true as it does in this case.
Prior to their work creating gloomy-yet-infectious dance gems under their current moniker, two-thirds of the trio - Christian Karlsson and Pontus Winnberg, a.k.a. Bloodshy & Avant - worked as producers and co-writers for the likes of Madonna, Kylie Minogue, Christina Milian and Britney Spears. Their most notable credits, for Spears, include the Grammy-winning 2004 dance anthem "Toxic," in addition to "Radar" and "Piece of Me" from 2008’s "Blackout," proving these Swedes know a thing or two about pop hits.
Karlsson and Winnberg came together with musician Andrew Wyatt in 2007 to begin creating music as Miike Snow. Their debut self-titled album, released earlier this year, has become an instant indie-pop hit. The tracks feature often-sobering lyrics - "Oh God, I think I’m dying / And the drinks were just poured," as one example - delivered over undeniably hip-swaying beats, making them favorites for DJ remixes the world over.
EDGE had a chance to chat with Wyatt between shows on their current nationwide tour, which rolls through town with two shows at the Empty Bottle on Friday, September 25.
Playing live shows
EDGE: How have you been enjoying being out on the road? Is it strange to play live shows when you’ve said in other interviews that this project was not intended to be transformed into a touring sort of thing?
Andrew Wyatt: We have really enjoyed it! I think it’s challenging with the fact that we’re constructing everything from the ground up every night on tour. We literally have to build everything and connect the keyboards - we’re not doing anything out of laptops or using pre-recorded tracks. We’re doing it all old-school with synthesizers.
It’s a crazy adventure and every show is different from the last. Some are great and others feel like disasters, but even then people seem to like it anyway. I’m looking forward to an even greater level of telekinesis for the band and getting to play live has definitely added to that.
Watch the video of Animal:
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