Vanity Project

Vanity Project

// Dance / Electronica / House / Electro / Techno

Slideshow

Releases

Strange Behaviour Play Those Games Techno ( EP ) Hit The Weekend Like A Freak All Vanity Project Releases

Further Info

Vanity Project on MySpace

ELECTRIC-SHOCK PROG-TECH PUNK-POP!

"Vanity Project is my alter ego. He's a self-destructive party animal. A real wild child with bad attitude. He gives me a chance to come back and say all the things I wish I'd thought of when I was having the argument.
He's sexy and dangerous but vain, pig-headed and beligerant. He's the kind of person I wish I was."

Producer, songwriter and singer Julian, the brains behind Vanity Project, cut his techno teeth as a DJ at seminal underground clubs House of God and Third Eye, along with pirate and student radio stations around the UK. The move into production was a natural progression for someone whose unique musical vision couldn't be satisfied by playing other people's records.

His other creative strand, an unconventional singing and song-writing talent, was easily assimilated into this new venture. The dysfunctional lyrics and rough-edged vocal style complement the music. "I'd been experimenting with adding my own vocals for some time but didn't think it would be accepted. Then the Electroclash scene happened a few years ago and overnight it became hugely popular to mix techno beats with sing-along choruses. I never questioned it after that and just did what came naturally."

The music is an intense blend of raw vocal performance and spiky, hard-edged dance beats. There's a lot of energy and a distinctive sound; bleeps, blips, crunching basslines and harsh electronic percussion. The sound design is crucial to giving the music its edge. Thumping 4-to-the-floor rhythms maintain the pace. The vocal delivery is anything from pure 80's pop to gutsy punk-rock to squealing falsetto. It's not easy listening but the tunes are surprisingly catchy.

"I'm very keen on simple pop music that people can sing along to. I try to write hooks that will stick in people's minds, even if the beats and sounds are not something they immediately connect with. Actually it's better that way. Anyone who gets to know me will tell you I'm hard work."