I’ll make no bones about being a huge fan of Midnight Juggernauts. So when the opportunity came to interview them before their show with this small French band they’re touring with, I hopped like a Kangaroo. Get it? They’re Australian. Har.

Anyway, here is my interview with Midnight Juggernauts from backstage at their show with Justice in New York City last month, in which they discuss their relationship with fellow electro-Aussies like Cut Copy, the origins of “Into the Galaxy” and the excellence that is ELO’s “Time” album.

Want more? We’ve been throwing MJ tracks around all year on DiscoWorkout.com, if you missed those posts go catch up and grab some of the best music of 2007 here here and here.

Special thanks to Alex from Magnum for setting it up, and to Jonathan from ScribeMedia for shooting and editing it beautifully.

xx,
Baron von Luxxury

Blake Robin’s great grandfather was the music director of the Russian army. Now, using the fake name Baron von Luxxury, he continues the family tradition in a slightly less violent fashion: sending disco troops to battle on the dancefloor. Baron von Luxxury wears many hats. Like James Murphy (DFA/LCD Soundsystem) and, hell, Timbaland, he’s a songwriter, performer, and producer, not to mention a DJ and label owner. As singer/producer/songwriter for San Francisco’s electropop/indie darlings Luxxury, he concocts shiny, sexy sonic cocktails combining the modern electro sounds of MSTRKRFT and Daft Punk with the classic pop/rock sounds of New Order, ELO and Devo.

Luxxury’s debut album “Rock and Roll is Evil” employs 1980’s influenced dance beats, synths, heroic guitars and sardonic lyrics to chronicle the rise and fall of legendary 70’s Sunset Strip groupie Sable Starr. The album, recorded and mixed in Berlin, Los Angeles, Brooklyn and San Francisco, features an original cover by internationally renowned artist Jeremy Blake (Beck’s “Sea Change”). Released in late 2006 on von Luxxury’s own Nolita label, it was quickly hailed as a futureretro classic:

“Lethally addictive. Throbbing, yet controlled euphoria.” – URB
“Dance-rock-disco-electro goodness. Luxxury is a gem.” – Big Stereo
“Unbelievably addictive. Disco fury. Dazzling!” – Subba Cultcha

An album of remixes, “Sweet and Vicious” was released in Summer 2007 featuring re-imagined versions of Luxxury’s songs by an international roster of up and coming producers from London to Toulouse, and from Brooklyn to Hollywood. It quickly became a massive blog favorite with songs featured on Big Stereo, PalmsOut, MissingToof, HateSomethingBeautiful, GraphGiraffe, La New Shit and dozens more.

Luxxury has also been a favorite on radio, and TV. The song “Drunk” was recently licensed for a national Pontiac commercial, while “Sweet and Vicious”, “Drunk”, and “Sable Starr” have been heard on Live 105, XFM, Virgin Radio London and KROQ.

As a producer, BvL’s remixes have included:

* Hilary Duff: “Stranger (BvL’s Eyes of Laura Mars Remix)”
* CSS: “A la la (BvL’s Lovefoxx + BVL = BFF Remix)”
* Scissors for Lefty: “Ghetto Ways (BvL’s Super Thanks for Asking Remix)”
* Glass Candy: “I Always Say Yes” (BvL’s Space Invaders Remix)”
* Robots in Disguise: “We’re In the Music Business (BvL Remix)”
* Dirty Sanchez: “Really Rich Italian Satanists (BvL Remix)”
* Luxxury: “Drunk (Lovesick Vocoders at Night Version)”
* Sunny Day Sets Fire: “Brainless (BvL’s Clever Title TBD Remix)”

You can hear most of these remixes at http://www.myspace.com/bvluxx