DATAROCKIN'

Two: It's a chav fashion statement. Three: It's our way of paying tribute to the most exiting part of the early eighties. The revolution of hip-hop. Four: It's our homage to DEVO without putting on yellow overalls. Five: We always had costumes, but the track suit was the most provocative, complex and ambivalent item we could imagine."

Errrr .... those sunglasses? Where can we buy that stuff?

"From our store - if not now, very soon."

Your debut album "Datarock" was first released in 2005 by your own label. Yet the recognition and success came only after Nettwerk did the US release two years later. Looking back, do you think the 2005 release was a mistake?

"Not at all. We sold 20.000 copies on our own imprint, and by the time Nettwerk released the debut in the US we had already done 300 shows in more than 20 countries in Europe, Asia, Oceania and America. Rolling Stone Magazine put "Computer Camp Love" on number 88 of the best tracks in 2007, but NME (New Musical Express) put our debut at number 36 of the best albums back in the days. I think what happened prior to the US release on Nettwerk was of absolute essence for the success we saw last year. One needs a little bit of a history and experience. Not going full force in 2005 would've been a total waste of time."

There has been criticism on your 'new rave' sound being too commercial - Datarock being fake rave punkers playing nothing but cheesy synth pop stolen from the eighties. Any comments here?

"That criticism I've actually never heard before. Our album was produced by ourselves in a local studio back home in Bergen, Norway, without support nor the presence of any cynical, speculative label guy, besides ourselves of course, two years before the term and phenomenon 'new rave' even came about. In addition there's very few tracks on our album that would even fit under the category synth pop, and our main thefts are from the late seventies, so I'd have to say the criticism is groundless and incompetent, yet flattering and exiting."

Your live shows are becoming increasingly popular. How do you guys manage to channelize the outburst of energy on stage and translate it into something the public understands and loves? Are your gigs always party-time? Tell us about your best gig and the worst one ever.

"That's one statement, two questions and one imperative invitation in one paragraph. Lets take it step by step.

"The statement: I guess.

"1st question: The outburst of energy on stage is a translation of what the public seemed to understand, and love, in our releases. The channelization goes the opposite way.

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