DATAROCK as part of Virgin Fest at Molson Amphitheatre (909 Lake Shore West), Sunday (August 30), $20-$60.50, two-day festival pass $99. 416-870-8000. More V-Fest coverage here.
Norway’s Datarock have lived a charmed existence. What started as a largely personal project – writing tribute songs about their pop idols for their own amusement – grew into a sound that caught the attention of Apple, Coca-Cola and FIFA.
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Make no mistake, though. Fredrik Saroea (vocals, guitars, drums, keyboards) and Ketil Mosnes (bass, programming, keyboards, vocals) have worked hard these past nine years.
“We played about 600 shows before we blew up,” says Saroea from his Bergen home, “and during that time we developed a live sound. A lot of people still show up to Datarock shows expecting to see two guys play a [wholly] electronic set. We’ve never done that.”
The duo’s new album, Red (Young Aspiring Professionals), fuses keyboards, uptempo dance rock riffs, charming vocal hooks and programmed (as well as live) drums, taking its inspiration from Devo, Talking Heads and Brian Eno.
Unlike many acts, Datarock pride themselves on staying active in every aspect of their presentation, including music videos, despite their fame.
“The video for our new single, The Pretender, is inspired by a 1988 John Carpenter movie called They Live,” chuckles Saroea. “The one with the aliens and the X-ray glasses.”
Listen to The Pretender:
Interview Clips
What new techniques have you employed?
This isn’t a retro album
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