Author: DJ Ron Slomowicz

INTERVIEW: Kaskade (2008)

Starting at OM Records, Kaskade has long been associated with the San Francisco house sound. What that is is hard to explain because the SF music scene is so diverse. A stream of critically-acclaimed albums and the hit club singles “Steppin’ Out,” “Everything,” “Be Still,” “Stars Align,” and “Sorry” led the way for his music to cross onto radio as well. His most recent CD, Strobelite Seduction, features productions with Deadmau5 and has spawned a number one dance radio hit. With hit remixes of Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake, Plumb, and the Pussycat Dolls, Kaskade has shown that he can rework pop hits for the dance floor. Not a shock especially since he won Best Resident DJ at this year’s Club World Awards.

DJ Ron Slomowicz: So you recently moved from San Francisco to LA?
Kaskade: I’m in the process of relocating right now.

RS: What was the motivation behind that?
Kaskade: Just a little more space. I’ve been in the city for a long time. It was time to get a house, move out of the condo. It’s very sad, but some more space.

RS: Set up the studio.
Kaskade: Set up the studio at home ? it was just nice. No more running back and forth, but have it in my house. That’s definitely a huge moving factor, for sure.

RS: In your studio, how many computers do you have? What software are you running? Doing any outboard gear?
Kaskade: The technical side of things? I’m a ProTools guy, have been for something like fifteen years. It’s been a long time, but since the Digi 001 came out, it’s been my primary sequencer for everything. I start and end with that. That’s where I feel comfortable. When people ask what instrument I play, I’m like, ProTools. Obviously that doesn’t count, but in my mind it does. Outboard gear? a Juno 106, not a lot of stuff plugged in. It’s pretty much all in the box these days. It’s just so much easier, it sounds good, it works for me.

RS: You’re also touring a lot right now.
Kaskade: Always. It’s kind of neverending. That’s the DJ world, I guess. Every week there’d be some club that needs a DJ in it, playing.

RS: On the road, are you playing CDs, are you doing laptop?
Kaskade: I am doing the CDs right now. Definitely sick and tired of burning CDs, so I’m considering moving into the computer realm. We’ll see how it breaks down. I’m waiting to see how it kind of settles with all this technology out here. What’s going to be best? But I feel a bit stagnant. I’m ready to make the next move. I feel like there’s a lot more creativity that could be done with the performance with things, like Ableton Live and Traktor and Serato. It’s getting to the point where it’s making the show better.
Working with Deadmau5

RS: Congratulations on number one with your single with Deadmau5 “Move 4 Me.” How did the two of you collaborate on that?
Kaskade: Thank you. I was working on my album, getting near the end of the album, and I reached out to him on MySpace. It was like, ‘Hey dude, I love what you do. Your music’s amazing. Let me know if you’re ever looking for vocals. I’m a songwriter and your music is very inspiring, we could be a good match.’ Anyway, I didn’t hear anything, no big deal, whatever. You know, MySpace, you never even know who’s reading that stuff. But I saw him on instant messenger ? a friend of mine gave me his IM. I’m like, ‘Hey dude.” I’d actually recorded. I’d written and recorded a singer on top of one of his tracks just because I thought it was cool, screaming for a vocal, you know. So anyway I was like, ‘Hey dude, this is Kaskade, what’s up? Here’s this track, check it out. It’s your song, and I wrote over the top of it.’ And he was like, ‘Who is this? This is awesome.’ And the rest is kind of history. We just sent some files back and forth, and collaborated on those tracks. It seems like other people also liked them, because they’ve done really well.

RS: Have you ever actually worked with him in the studio?
Kaskade: No, no. We actually didn’t meet physically or speak during the entire process. He’s in Toronto, I was in San Francisco. It was very virtual, very 2008. I do that with a lot of people, just post stems, people grab them, and work with it in parts. It was not until two or three months later I saw him at Winter Music Conference and I walked up to him and I was, ‘Joel, Ryan, Ryan, Joel.’ He was like, ‘Oh hey, what’s up?’ You know, he’s kind of looking at me strangely, and I was like, ‘My cyber buddy, what’s up?’

RS: When you were putting together the album, what was in your head when you were writing it?
Kaskade: I think this is the most ‘dance’ record I’ve ever done, possibly. I don’t know, other people might argue that. I just wanted to have something that kind of represented where I’m at. I think the dance songs are more like dance floor-oriented. Then the chill stuff is more, just the way they show, because compared to Love Mysterious, this was more middle ground stuff. Like, is this deep house? What is this stuff, you know? There’s stuff that was written for the floor, and then there’s stuff that’s like kind of Sunday afternoon, you could put this on and listen to it.

RS: Because you’re kind of associated with the whole San Francisco house sound. and you’re sort of progressing away from that?
Kaskade: No, not intentionally. I don’t know, this is my sixth album. Sure, things change and you grow and progress as an artist. But what is the San Francisco sound? It’s very hard to pinpoint that. I’m part of that landscape for sure, and I’ve been there for almost ten years. That’s where I came up, and that was initially with the records. But I think what is very San Francisco to the music is that it’s very musical. Whether it’s more epic-sounding, or it’s really soft-sounding, it’s got to have that real musical outlet to it. I still really associate with that.

RS: It’s also been interesting to watch where, over the past two or three years, you’ve done some really big commercial remixes, which is not something, when I see Kaskade Ultra, it’s not something I would expect. Was this something you did on purpose? Did you pursue this?
Kaskade: Kind of. I was very open to it, and I let people know that. Then I think people just approached me early on and I think it was a good mixture of the sounds. Like pop music? I think I write kind of pop lyrics anyway, so I like to remix pop stuff. It’s not too far fetched, and I think the A&R people at the majors realized that, and they go, ‘Oh Kaskade could work with this song, it’s in his realm of possibility.’ So it’s a good match. I’ve always been a big pop music fan. I listen to the radio all the time in the car. It presents an interesting and different challenge, to take something that is this, and try and make it this. So it’s like, is this a pop dance or a pop record? I can make it more appropriate for the floor. It’s cool, I really kind of enjoy the challenge. It doesn’t always work out, not every remix works, but I still enjoy sitting down and trying to reconfigure.
Remixing

RS: Which of your remixes has been the most challenging for you?
Kaskade: Probably the hardest one I did was Paris Hilton. I forget the name of the track.

RS: “Nothing in This World” or “Stars are Blind” ?
Kaskade: Not “Stars Are Blind.” “Everyone will follow me tomorrow?.” Oh man, I forget. I can remember the chorus but that’s it, not even the title. But for whatever reason, when I initially heard it, I had a sound in my head, and I thought, I can work like this. I worked it up like that, but it didn’t really work, so I had to try something completely different. Usually I can hear something, and I just kind of follow through with what my initial vision is. Ninety percent of the time that works, but I worked through two or three different variations of that song, and kind of struggled. But in the end it turned out really cool. I was happy. I actually really liked the original song. I think a lot of people had a problem with that album. Paris Hilton is a favorite. She has this iconic status.

RS: It’s pop for the sake of pop.
Kaskade: Right.

RS: And you accept pop for pop, and you go with it.
Kaskade: Right. I actually thought she sang really well on the record. I mean, if that’s her or not, I don’t know. It’s hard to say.

RS: Well, that could be said for a lot of these people. Which of these remixes came together the easiest, where you just sat down and it worked out of the box, and it was perfect?
Kaskade: Oh man, “Gimme More” by Britney Spears came together really quickly. You know, I really like Justin Timberlake. “Lovestoned” was really quick. Nelly Furtado “All Good Things.” Most of these came together quickly, but definitely Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were like, ‘Oh OK, that’s easy, it just works.’ The Nelly Furtado one was a lot of fun, but there’s a lot of stuff, there’s a lot of tracks.

RS: A remix you’ve done and think, ‘Oh my god, this is amazing, I’m really, really proud of this, this really represents where I’m going’ ? is there a remix that you’ve done that you can say that about?
Kaskade: You know, typically when I finish one I’m thinking that. In the studio I bounce it down, and while I’m bouncing it down I’m thinking, ‘This is cool, this is great, I’m happy.’ Almost all the time I think that, when I’m done with a mix. But I mean as far as where I’m going? “Womanizer.” That actually came together really, really quickly, like in an afternoon. It was like, ‘Oh my gosh, this is awesome.’ I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily where I’m going. It’s very electro-sounding, but it was just a lot of fun because that’s the sound I do. I was happy with the way that turned out.
Faith issues

RS: Do you ever have a problem working with artists when they may or not agree with where you are in a faith place?
Kaskade: No, not really. I’m thinking there’s a lot of people? even this remix reel of singers that I’ve worked with, I don’t really sit down and talk religion and politics with people. I mean, if I respect and appreciate their music, that’s more what I’m interested in, and even them, as a person. People have differences of opinions, but that’s kind of what dance music is about, right? That’s what drew me towards it in high school, all these big jocko guys who were drinking beer. I didn’t relate to the house party mentality ? sit down and drink the beer, beating each other up. I went into the city and went to dance clubs, and that’s where I felt comfortable, because it was like a free, open environment where people could believe and think what they wanted, and people accepted each other for their differences. That was kind of built into the dance scene in Chicago, as it is many other places. I think it’s kind of like this left-field thing. I was definitely out of the ordinary in my high school, because I didn’t drink and party and stuff, but I loved going out, pumping my fist and dancing till dawn.
Kaskade: As a person who has strong faith beliefs, do you ever have a conflict when you play in nightclubs, and you see things that you don’t agree with?
Kaskade: Typically, no. There’s been maybe a few times over the years. I’ve played a lot of nightclubs over the last ten to fifteen years. I’ve been DJing a long time, and I think there have only been a few occasions where I’ve actually been offended, or thought, ‘OK, this is not my scene. Maybe I shouldn’t be here.’ But when we’re playing a hundred and fifty shows a year, over the last five/six/seven years; and I still DJed a lot, every week before that, for maybe ten years?. I can actually only think of one time that’s happened, and that was a very after-hours event, and I’m sure most people wouldn’t have been offended.
What’s next?

RS: What are you working on next?
Kaskade: I just finished up a couple of remixes, and have a few more that are in the oven, not finished yet. I’ve got an Australian artist, Natalie something or other, an amazing voice, very poppy-sounding. And Laurent Wolf, I am remixing the song coming out after “No Stress.” So I’ve got those two, and then another Australian band, so quite a bit of remix work. I’m eager to plough through that stuff and start writing again. Actually, the girl who sings on “Move For Me” and “I Remember,” Hailey, I’m working on an album with her, in my free time, when it’s not too crazy. It’s coming along really well. I’m excited. A lot of people really responded to her voice, so that’s exciting news, working on that. I’m part of a band, Late Night Alumni. There’s actually a song in here. When the four of us can get together ? it’s rare that we get together, most of it’s over the Internet, so we’re shooting this stuff back and forth. But we’ve actually got four or five of these songs, and are really eager to get those out there. It’s all very chilled, that whole project, but I’m really happy how it’s going.

RS: Very cool. Anything you want to say to all your fans out there?
Kaskade: I love you guys. I’ll be at your neighborhood club soon.

Image courtesy of Ultra Records. Interview conducted October 2008 at Amsterdam Dance Event.

INTERVIEW: Rune RK aka Enur (2008)

Calabria, the sax-driven tropical island delight with ragga vocals that is storming US airwaves, initially was a huge Ibiza hit as an instrumental track. With multiple versions over the past few years, Danish producer/DJ Rune added a sassy ragga vocal from Natasja Saad for the new 2007/2008 version. You might also know Rune as part of the group Artificial Funk, with his brother Johannes Torpe, who released the club hits “Together” and “Friend for the Weekend.”

DJ Ron Slomowicz: So, congratulations on the hit with Calabria.

Rune: Thank you very much.

RS: How was the track born?
Rune: Well, the original, which I made in 2002, was one and a half hours, a bottle of Coca-Cola and it was done. It was sort of a moment in time that just happened. Since then it’s been reincarnated about five or six times by different producers and different acts, and the latest one is the one that we’ve done ourselves, which is the ragga version.

RS: The first time “Calabria” was released in the US ? it was the version by Alex Gaudino. Did he contact you before he did that version, or how did you hear about it? ?
Rune: Well, I’ll tell you the true story. We got screwed over by him really badly because his version was supposed to be a remix of our thing, and they cleared it behind my back. So if I ever meet him I’m going to have to punch him for it.

RS: So to go from the instrumental version to a vocal version, where did that inspiration come from?
?Rune: Honestly, it was Natasja. She sadly passed away in June last year in a car accident in Jamaica. But one night I just woke up and I thought, this is a good idea, with the horn and with the beat and her on it, because she was just such an amazing performer. I’m very, very sad that she’s not here to experience this great success with her voice. She would have been over the moon, because she’d been struggling for so many years.

RS: I have no idea what she’s talking about, the lyrics that she says. What do they mean?
?Rune: Basically they’re about this guy who makes her really horny. That’s the whole joke, you know. That’s as much as I understood, what she explained to me. I don’t speak Patois so I don’t really understand all of it. There are actually quite a few translations on the net so you can just look that up.

RS: How did Mims get involved with the track? ?
Rune: Honestly, I don’t know. Ultra set that up. So I wouldn’t really know, but I’m really happy he did because it’s a really good track.

RS: Why do you think the track is doing so well in the US, crossing over outside just the dance world? ?
Rune: I would say it’s because I’m talented, but I’m not going to flatter myself with that. I think it’s needed. I think America needs something fresh like that, and then also a lot of people ? just the sound is such a mixture of influences. I think it appeals to a lot of different characters, and I think that’s an advantage of coming from Europe and not having to pigeonhole into some sort of genre. But honestly, it’s kind of hard for me to figure out. I’m just really happy that it does translate to so many different people.

RS: Its a big hit in the urban hip-hop clubs. Did you have any idea that would happen when you originally did the track?
?Rune: No, because when you think about it, it’s far too fast for an urban record. Normally hip-hop and R&B records are under or around 100 beats per minute and Calabria is 127. So I was really impressed that they actually dared to even play it, because you can’t really mix it with another hip-hop record.

RS: When you created it, it became an instant Ibiza hit, correct? ?
Rune: Yes, the original version was huge. For three years in a row it was probably the biggest.

RS: The name Enur, that’s your name spelt backwards, right? ?
Rune: Exactly.

RS: Your half-brother is part of the team also and the two of you are working on an album right now?
?Rune: We’re actually working on two albums. We have the artists album which is going out through EMI in Europe, and then there’s the Enur album which is going to be through Ultra.

RS: All these different names ? why do you Europeans keep changing names? ?
Rune: To make it more fun ? otherwise its too easy to figure out. Obviously there’s a difference, there are slightly different genre changes within the name. I release records as Rune, as well as Runer K and we have a label called Arty Farty. But as I said, it’s important not to pigeonhole yourself into a particular area. It’s important to keep things fresh and keep things alive. That’s what dance music is all about, isn’t it?

RS: What’s the difference between the Artificial Funk sound and the Enur sound?
?Rune: The Enur sound is more urban, ragga-oriented with more vocals. It’s not necessarily house music, whereas Artificial Funk is more of an album project. It’s home listening for clubbers, if you can put it that way. It’s quite a personal album that we did because our father passed away five years ago, and it’s very much about that whole grief process. It’s quite different. I’d say it’s more of a blend of Air and Daft Punk, stuff like that, which we’re very inspired by.

RS: I was wondering what the inspiration for the “Friend for the Weekend” track was.
?Rune: To me, it’s quite obvious. I play out every weekend in different parts of the world, and what I see everywhere is that people are trying to pull each other together, and find this brief moment of safety in the hard world of nightlife. You need the comforts which I think people are looking for. That’s what the lyrics are about anyway.

RS: And talking about comfort, what was the idea behind the bed video for the Artificial Funk track “Together?”
?Rune: I don’t know. I didn’t do that and it was horrible. That’s such a stupid video. They did that without my knowledge. It was just beyond words. I’m glad you know that, because it was just ridiculous.

RS: It’s actually kind of cool, I thought, the effects in it. ?
Rune: Well, it could have been worse, but still, it was pretty horrible in my opinion. There were so many things in the vocal you could have gone with, but this was just another excuse to whack in a couple of beautiful girls and this guy. It’s a classic English dance music way of handling things. It was just kind of stupid.

RS: Speaking of which, right now, what are you wearing, Gucci or Prada? ?
Rune: I’m actually not wearing any of them at the moment. I’m wearing (something from) this guy, Henry Ribscoll ? a Danish designer, and he’s got a really cool jacket. I’m wearing some really weird, fancy Italian pants, and I’m wearing Eight O shoes, the cow hide shoes. I’m big on fashion but I’m not big on Gucci or Prada. That “Koochi Koochi” track a joke anyway, so you know.

RS: I sort of gathered that. Were you making fun of how ultra-fashionable people try to be?
?Rune: Yes, exactly, exactly. The whole point is, it’s an observation of what’s going on. You see yourself, and then some people are just too much ? you know, all these Gotti brothers look alike, with the spiky hair and all that. It’s just ridiculous, it’s such a joke, isn’t it?

RS: Pretty much. Going back to Friend for the Weekend, was there a sample you used in that?
?Rune: There was, but I can’t tell you from where. I trashed it up really well, so they probably will never find out. But basically, I didn’t sample a whole loop. I did sample a chord from an old record and I changed it and I pitched up and down and double layered it, so there’s no way they’re going to find out. But it’s not so much a sample. It’s more the sound of a sample that has a certain charm to it that I really love.

RS: Yes, it had a very ? I don’t know if you know about these people ? it sounded very Galleon to me. ?
Rune: Yes, exactly. I know those guys, but I think what we were going for was more like a Daft Punk-ish / Stardust type of thing. But it’s the same genre anyway, isn’t it?

RS: Going back to videos ? the Enur video for Calabria ? were you involved with that video?
?Rune: Not at all. And honestly, I’m not too keen on that video either.

RS: Well, if you were to do a video for Calabria, what would it look like? ?
Rune: You know what, I think I’d just stick to what I do. What I’d love to do is, I’d love to illustrate what’s going on in the nightlife, because I think a big problem with music, and house music in general, is that it doesn’t have any identity. It does when you go out somewhere, and you see a lot of young people going nuts in a club. I want to do that. You know these classic stadium rock videos you had in the 80s, with the band playing in this big stadium and people going nuts? I’d like to do that with a house record. That would be so good because it would be so clear. It would just be that going on, and people could relate to that in a much better way than all these bikini videos.

RS: Yes, those bimbos in bikinis videos are becoming just a tad clich?. There’s such a buzz on so many Dutch trance DJs and Dutch DJs. What can you say for the people of Denmark, all the Danish musicians? ?
Rune: You know what, I’m sorry to say so, but they’re better. DJs in Denmark are ridiculously good because they have to be. Denmark was a really, really big rock country, so I’d say there was never any respect for DJs. It was all about ‘where’s the guitarist’ and ‘where’s the singer’? We really had to work hard and a lot of DJs in Denmark do so many tricks. And talking of myself, I was named the professional of house music many times in Europe where I play around, because we had to work so hard to get the attention of people. People don’t do any drug because it’s a beer country. People drink a lot so you have to work really hard to get their attention. From the technical side of things, they are extremely, extremely good DJs, and musicians as well. Do you know Trentemoeller?

RS: Of course, Rykettid rocks!. ?
Rune: Yes, he’s a Danish guy, and he’s fantastic as well. He’s doing really, really well. He’s a friend of mine, too.

RS: I interviewed him last year. You also did something with MTV and some TV competition? ?
Rune: Yes, I’m the judge on the new MTV Selective tour. It’s a competition in Northern Europe for the next big DJ. It’s a bit like the Heineken things and that sort of stuff. They’re doing this big competition, and I’m the judge on there.

RS: Very cool. In the Danish scene, what would you say is the big musical trend coming from there right now? ?
Rune: I’d say we’re going back to more vocals. We’ve had minimal and we have this whole electro house thing, of course. At the moment, vocals are coming back, but not like classic house vocals. More tech-y stuff, but blended with a bit of funk, and then the vocal on top of that. A good example would be John Dahlback’s “Everywhere.” It was a huge hit in Copenhagen and Denmark. So the vocals are definitely coming back, but they’re coming from a different place. All the minimal DJs in Germany are also playing vocals now.

RS: Are there going to be a lot of vocals on your album? Who are some of the people you’re working with on the album?
?Rune: I can’t really tell you that because it’s not confirmed. But there will be some really, really, really big artists on there, if I can get away with it. This is a fantastic opportunity to approach my heroes from back in the day. I had a big record in the US, and there’s so many, especially within hip-hop and rap, that I admired for so many years. I’m going to try and get quite a few of those people on there.

RS: In the hip-hop vein, what was it like when you heard Pitbull sample your record? ?
Rune: Well, I don’t think his version is that good, to be honest. But I’m honored that he did. It’s a great approval ? Pitbull, Lil’ Jon. That’s just another tap on the shoulder for me as a producer.

RS: With all the different versions out there, Calabria has been called the new Planet Rock. ?
Rune: That’s a compliment. If anybody thinks of anything I’ve ever done in terms like that, that is probably the biggest honor I could ever achieve in my lifetime.

RS: What would you like to say to all the fans of Calabria out there?
?Rune: I’d say you should look forward to the album. It’s going to be very good. We’re looking to get some really big acts on there. It’s going to be a really, really good album. It’s a new blend, very interesting, in my opinion, taking influences from hip-hop and R&B and then whack it together with this up-tempo stuff. It’s really working out very well.

INTERVIEW: Jessica Sutta (2008)

The Pussycat Dolls are an international sensation with a string of pop/R&B/dance hits including “Don’t Cha,” “Buttons,” and “Stickwitu.” While lead doll Nicole Scherzinger has released released a few solo singles, the dance world is focused on Jessica Sutta who has scored number one singles working with dance producers Paul Van Dyk (“White Lies”) and Dave Aude (“Make It Last”). Also known as the pin-up doll, Jessica is a big fan of dance music and hopes to become the next Kylie Minogue. With the release of Doll Domination and the dancefloor friendly “When I Grow Up,” we anxiously await “If I Was a Man” and the rest of their club ready jams!

DJ Ron Slomowicz: So tell us about the album, how excited are you about it?
Jessica Sutta: I’m so excited about it, it’s so great. The album shows everybody the mature side of the Pussycat Dolls. There’s different realms of music that we delved into and I think people are going to be really surprised to see how much we’ve grown as a band and musically. I can’t wait for the world to hear it.

RS: How would you describe the sound of the album?
Jessica Sutta: It’s definitely different from the first album. The album PCD was more pop, this has more of an R&B flavor to it and gut-wrenching ballads that you wouldn’t expect. These are songs that I believe will have longevity which I think is really rare today.

RS: Which songs do you sing on on the album?
Jessica Sutta: All the girls actually have their own solos. I have a song called “If I Was A Man,” and it comes with the extended edition of the album. I’m really excited because it’s the genre of dance and that’s my favorite type of music ever. So I’m really excited that I got to do that and express myself on this album.

RS: Very cool. Did you write any songs on the album?
Jessica Sutta: I didn’t get a chance to write on the album.

RS: “If I Was A Man” is a dance song, so who did you work with production-wise on that?
Jessica Sutta: I worked with Ron Fair, he executive-produced it and his wife, Stephanie Ridel, wrote it. It’s really funny because it’s a song about if you were to switch places with your man and you were the man in the picture and you were treating him the way he treats you. It’s really a fun song to sing, I can’t wait to do it live.

RS: Awesome, awesome. The video for the first single “When I Grew Up” is a lot of fun, how long did it take to shoot that video?
Jessica Sutta: It took about a week to prepare for it and about two days to shoot it. It’s funny because the scene when we were on the scaffolding, we didn’t have any permits on Hollywood Boulevard, you just can’t do that. So we’d do a take and then they’d have to let the traffic go by and it took a while to do that. But it was so awesome, kind of renegade. It was just like get up there and you can’t miss us and each take counts, so it was really fun.

RS: You mentioned you loved dance music, who’s your favorite DJ?
Jessica Sutta: Gosh, I really like Axwell and Swedish Mafia. I found them in Miami and they’re so much fun. I love Kaskade and Dave Aude, who’s a really good friend of mine.

RS: Yes, I spoke to him and he said he loved working with you in the studio.
Jessica Sutta: Dave, yes, he was the best. When I first started with the Dolls singing, I wasn’t really confident singing and he put me in the studio and he really worked with me and he made me the singer I am today. I owe a lot to Dave, he’s a good guy.

RS: He also owes a lot to you, you gave him his first number one single!
Jessica Sutta: The universe works in magical ways, we pay back when we can. He’s the greatest and if I ever get to do my own solo album, which will be a dance album like Kylie Minogue, I’d love to work with Dave again because he’s the best.

RS: Awesome. You also worked with Paul Van Dyk, what was that project like?
Jessica Sutta: It was fun because it was the first project that I’d ever done outside of the Dolls and he’s a really cool dude. When I was growing up in Miami, it’s funny because I was told that he was such a big DJ there and I was young and I couldn’t get in to the club, so to actually do a song with him, I thought it was cool because I was so young to even like see him play when I was in Miami. It was an honor.

RS: The video for that song was very Madonna-like, was that sort of on purpose?
Jessica Sutta: It was directly by Steven Anton and he had this whole idea, because Paul Van Dyk is from Germany so he wanted to make it have like a German feel. I think it was a little bit similar to Madonna but it’s hard to emulate Madonna because she’s a goddess. He had a really cool vision and he loved my skin really white, so that’s what Steven wanted to do.

RS: You just finished a big show for Beat Stock, how was the event?
Jessica Sutta: That KTU show was so much fun. The crowd was going mad and it was just cool. People really like “When I Grow Up!” You never know when you have new material how the fans are going to really respond. We did “Buttons” and “Don’t Cha” and they responded, but when we did “When I Grow Up” it was like a big response and it really shows that the Pussycat Dolls are back with a vengeance.

RS: You’re referred to as the Pin-Up Doll, where did you get that name from?
Jessica Sutta: I am in love with pin-ups, I think they are the most beautiful and alive. Back in the day when they had the little magazines that were sexy and people would buy them and they always had them hung up. It emulates the perfect woman and she is not that skinny and she has curves, she’s voluminous and I think that’s hot.

RS: Aside from Bettie, who is your favorite pin-up doll?
Jessica Sutta: Oh well you can’t, Bettie Page is the best pin-up doll in the whole wide world. No one is better than her.

RS: What’s it like working with Nicole and the rest of the girls?
Jessica Sutta: It’s awesome. It’s really rare to be in a group where you actually get along with everybody, and it’s a family and you go to work and if you have a problem or you feel like crap you know you have your girl – their shoulder to cry on or advice. I know every day how lucky I am to be in this group.

RS: Well this is of course a dance music website and I asked for your favorite DJ ? what’s your favorite dance out song right now?
Jessica Sutta: I love the Ida Corr “Let Me Think About It.” Everytime that plays in the club I think that’s the hottest song ever. I also like “Destination Unknown” by Alex Gaudino and Crystal Waters, it uses the same “Calabria” loop as Enur. There’s also a classic song called “Plastic Dreams” by Jaydee that is one of my all time favorites.

RS: Wow, I’m really impressed that you actually know about dance music, this is really cool.
Jessica Sutta: Oh I love dance music.

RS: Well what about dance music do you love so much?
Jessica Sutta: I think it’s sexy, there’s just something about it that I appreciate and I don’t know how to explain it. I’d rather listen to dance music than anything else on the radio anymore. I love that dance music is coming in to the top forty now and honestly, if I get to do my own album I would like to cross over to dance music again for radio because it’s just sexy and it’s fun.

RS: Of all the Pussy Cat songs what’s been your favorite remix?
Jessica Sutta: I’m going to have to say the remix that Dave Aude did for “When I Grow Up.” It’s really fresh and I love the sound that he went with. I just actually heard it at the gym right now so I’m really excited that they were playing it.

RS: Awesome. Speaking about gym, are you exclusively at Bally’s now?
Jessica Sutta: Yes, I’m at Bally’s now.

RS: What would you like to say to all your fans out there?
Jessica Sutta: I love you and make sure to get our album, it comes out September 23rd. I love dance music and you never know, I might have to release a dance song when nobody’s watching, so search for me.

Interview conducted September 2008.