If there's one constant at DAD, it's that we love getting introduced to new sounds. Sometimes, all we need is a peg - in the case of Krome Angels, it's the MC Darrison feature on their new single, "Nightlife." Fans of drum & bass should definitely be up on Darrison, as he's worked with producers like DJ Fresh, the EZ Rollers, and Bungle over the years, but his latest feature is much more in the realm of funky, club-rocking house music. Hearing this piqued our interest in the Krome Angels, who have been making a name for themselves over the last eight years, and are embarking on a new album, Sexy, Freaky, Nasty!, which is due out sometime in May. Before the worldwide release of Nightlife, we got a chance to get to know the trio, and they cooked up a special mix which is kicked off with, what else, "Nightlife!" And while you're at it, if you like their Facebook page, you can grab a free download of "Turn It Up." Don't say the Krome Angels never gave you anything.
So, for those who don’t know – just who are Krome Angels?
Dino: Hi, I’m Dino Psaras
Shanti: Shanti here.
Fred: I’m Frederic Dado Holyszewski
[Together in uncannily perfect unison]: AND WE ARE THE KROME ANGELS!
It's fair to say you've been around the dance music block – how does your accumulated experience inform what you're doing now?
F: We have been touring as solo artists for nearly two decades now. It helps to know how the crowd reacts to the music and to some extent that is what helped us to be focused on the real effect of our tracks on the audience. We produce our music to be the most effective on BIG dance floors.
D: Krome Angels is very much a fusion of genres that we have all loved over the years. From my experiences in the original acid house era, through rave and techno, it's all in there – but even things like 70’s funk have influenced us. Bring all of that together with a fusion of modern production with analog equipment to give it the authentic feel, and we give you the Krome Angels.
S: It was respecting each other's experiences really: we really like each other's music and had a vision, and we decided to go for it. It was a mutual respect, understanding and love of music that comes of shared experiences over the years... Oh and we like getting drunk together.
Genre is always tricky, in the 2010s more than ever. Where do you place Krome Angels's music within the modern EDM spectrum?
F: Dunno! Progressive house, I guess?
D: I would not call it EDM. I think we need to leave the genre open. EDM is just an abbreviation taken from the American market. I would just say Krome Angels is good electronic dance music, a fusion of trance, techno, minimal. A genre is dictated by the style of the track and with Krome Angels you could cross a lot of genres with one track. So to some extent it is EDM – because taken literally “electronic dance music” encompasses everything and not just one sound. We are a multi-genre genre!
S: Firstly, I do not think of a genre when I start out with a new idea. I will let everyone else fight over that, I just call it decent music! Gone are the simple days of just wanting to sell records and achieve number 1s: music making is about much more nowadays - what is it to you?
F: First of all it’s a real passion and a life achievement. Everything around our lives revolves round being in studio and trying to make the very best music that we can, for us, then for the fans. I feel blessed being able to do what I love best in life and that is doing music that we like.
D: Of course we would love a number one and if any artist is honest, they would all love to be a world wide success. But, what we are trying to achieve is integrity in the release. If it is possible to have a great track and if it becomes a world wide hit at the same time, then that's the perfect storm.
F: It truly is this simple. I just want to make the best music that I can. I really love the fact that technology has allowed us to drive the creative process forward in such an exciting way. It in some ways has never been so easy to make music, but in other ways it allows you to experiment further than you have ever been able to in the past and put more in. It’s all about the bandwidth!
Your collaborators on the new album are known from very different parts of the rave world – how did these meetings happen?
F: We have been introduced to them by our Manager Aubrey Fry. We loved them instantly and wanted to use their vocals on our tracks right away.
D: I have always loved Sian’s work with DJ Fresh and Kosheen and have worked on solo projects with her before. And Darrison was a stroke of genius introduction by Aubrey. Darrison is now the best MC I now know, total class.
S: “One person - Aubrey Fry!
Do you find that having the input of an outsider to your band dynamic changes the way you produce?
F: In a way yes. we have a very well defined idea of what we like to do, in terms of style, but it is important to get advice of other people to improve the impact of one’s music…sometimes! When you are hard at work on a track you can sort of lose the focus and it helps in getting back on track to hear it through somebody else's ears.
S: It depends on the outsider. If you're vibing off that person you going to take advice on board. BUT if you don't get on well with that person, your going to push back. SO, it really is down to the situation. Luckily, We seem to work with really really cool people [laughs].
D: Yeah, I like working with other people... as long as they have talent!
You have an album on the way – can you sum up what Sexy, Freaky, Nasty is like compared to your previous work?
S: It could not be more different, Its much more colorful, far slower, more musical and in my honest opinion the music just seems to get better and better. Its a very good album.
F: It's sexier, freakier and nastier, of course.
D: It is our break-out from being pigeonholed in the trance scene. It is very very different to the last KA album. It is much more refined. With the last album we dipped our toe into the commercial dance scene and with this album we have compliantly submersed ourselves in it with a back flip and extra twist.
We've noticed you've been immortalized as a cartoon to promote this – do you feel that packaging is important as well as music?
S: Hahaha, it always helps to have different stuff. I think its always good to have some fun surrounding the album release.
F: You have to keep the fan based excited. we always try to think about something that people will remember easily. as we were using masks before on stage, we just wanted to tell the story via the means of this cartoons series...
D: Music can stand on its own, but I do think that these days it’s always important to think outside the box with promotion and I love Kim Hargreaves art so it seemed like a good fit, especially as we have been styled as super heroes in previous years. We ARE super heroes!
2014 looks busy then – do you have anything else planned as well as this album and EPs?
F: We constantly produce music, for the live shows first, where we always try new material, and after this album release we will be releasing an EP every month until the end of time! Expect a lot from us this year - we are on fire!
S: I have a solo album coming out later in the year. It’s been a few years since my last so this is happening by popular demand… I also have my weekly residency with Rebekah Brown in Ibiza which you will no doubt see some Krome action at.
D: We all have solo projects, we will be doing remixes of the Krome Angels tracks as solo artists and also we have various other releases as solo artists, like my Fugu project. We will also, as Fred says, be releasing a new Krome angels EP every month until we drop. We have some really exciting new collaborations for these, including some really fresh talent, like the singer Katie Clarke for example. Our energy levels are so high. We are really excited about this year, no question about it.
Tracklist:
1.Krome Angels - Nightlife
2.Amo Cost - Nightventure
3.Deniz Koyu - Ruby
4.Krome Angels - Discopump
5.Arty,Matisee & Sadko - Riot
6.Glow in the dark feat chuckie - NRG
7.Krome Angels - Sexy, Freaky, Nasty!
8.Tom Staar- Cheyenne
9.Tritonal feat Pheobe Ryan - Now Or Never
10.Avicii - U make me (Throttle remix)
11.Krome Angels Feat. Sian Evans - Sparkle Motion (Vocal Mix)
