| Berlin is not a place where things happen according to the normal rules. And Berlin's Torpedo Boyz — winners of the 2009 Independent Music Award for best dance/electronica album for Cum On Feel the Boyz — are proof of that. Just like the city's legendary nightlife — where fresh ideas instantly become clubland reality and the scene maintains its edge with shape-shifting spontaneity — the Torpedo Boyz came into existence as a spark of an idea and, as their new album, Return of the Ausländers, shows, they continue to constantly evolve. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. It all began back in 2004. That's when Kentastic — a pop DJ who also fronted an indie band — and former house DJ Rollin Hand began screwing around with some beats during a recording session and came up with the rowdy, rambunctious "Gimme a Bassline!" Initially released as a one-off 12-inch, the track immediately struck a chord, quickly climbing into the Top Five of the German club charts. Soon after, New York's Ursula 1000 included the track on his Ursadelica compilation, released by Thievery Corporation's ESL label, and Puma snapped up the tune for a major TV campaign. Their musicianship, infectious energy, and zany outfits helped take what was already becoming a global phenomenon to the next level. In rejecting the rules of electronic-production-duo-by-the-numbers, the Boyz won over audiences everywhere they played, from Canada's Whistler to Moscow and back home in legendary Berlin venues like Tresor ... |
