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The lines between hip hop, electro and pop continue to blur. San Francisco born singer/songwriter previews his upcoming EP A New Day with this electropop single that has a hip hop sensibility to it. Imagine Space Cowboy with touch of Tiga and you get the idea. The video plays up the imagery of lounge club culture as a wonderland, specifically Alice in Wonderland which makes for some interestingly attired girls and boys. It will be interesting to hear the rest of Bijou's EP to see if he brings more of his rock background into the mix. - dancemusic.about.com
Bijou is an LA based artist who fuses pop, hip-hop, R&B to create an energetic, pulsating dance groove. His single, “Two Bottles” is a sexy and fun song with bumping beats that is sure to burn up any club. He is currently working on releasing a new music video and has created a series of webisodes that include behind the scenes, and making of. - eatsleepbreathemusic.com
Today’s SOTD is “Two Bottles” by Bijou, an LA based artist who has created a hot dance song that you will be hearing in clubs in the near future. Check it out below. - eatsleepbreathemusic.com
How did you get your start in music?
I was always raised around music and art from both my mother and father but my actual start in music began first with writing poetry at age 9 and reciting to my sister :) This soon began to evolve into my friends and I recording onto karaoke machines our favorite artist’s songs with our own twist. It has been my love since…
Was it something you’ve always wanted to do?
Absolutely!
Where are you from?
I am from a coastal town in northern California called Mendocino. No street lights in the city (if you will), my high school had a total of 300 kids. It was a very community based area where you could be an individual without much distraction, which I think has helped me immensely as an artist and finding my own voice.
Can you describe your sound for those who don’t know your music?
I would describe my music as a fusion of Rock, Hip Hop, and House. A large part of the production on “A New Day” contains guitars, which the producer, Chris Harvey, and I thought would give our music a different “rock” feel. Hip Hop comes from the fact that generationally that is my era’s expression as well as a love of mine musically, and House quite simply is the future and an overall good time to dance to!
Do you try to get a certain message across with your songs?
I would like people to walk away with a sense of hope in the music since my career so far has been based on perseverance and belief, and I would hope that people could be inspired as I have. But other times, the music will play and it has different ideas that you cant always control.
How does the creative process work for you?
It varies, but I find that I get a lot of great ideas while driving. Maybe because I live in LA where you have to drive EVERYWHERE, it just so happens that is one of my main activities. On this recent project “A New Day” I found myself really pouring over lyrics and re-writing almost as if it was a movie script, Chris (the producer) and I put a lot of time in this project and I feel it shows.
Where do you find your inspiration?
I get a lot of inspiration listening to people. You’d be amazed at the stories and feelings that come across. Of course, my family is always a huge inspiration for me creatively which I pull from constantly as well.
What was it like shooting “Two Bottles”? What is the concept?
The concept of “Two Bottles” is Alice in Wonderland, and simply put, the shoot was nothing short of AMAZING! We shot the whole video in one day, about a total of 18 hours. From the costumes that were hand made, to the dancers, makeup artists, the director Jade Turgel, Jon Fordham, everyone came together and I felt they really believed in what myself and others were doing, which can be sometimes rare in the music biz.
When you write songs, do you feel it’s better to be in a quiet area orcan you pretty much write anywhere, like when you are on the road?
I have written in almost any type of setting (seriously :) When inspiration and creativity strikes, you have to take advantage of it or it will vanish!
What is your favorite city to play in/visit?
I have never been on a tour (yet) so my answer is somewhat incomplete, but as of now, there is no shows like at home…
If you weren’t a musician, what do you think you would be doing?
A therapist, I like to listen and have been hearing problems my whole life LOL.
Is there someone you wish to collaborate with?
So many! There is a lot of older artists I would love to just jam and hang with, but contemporary artists I would love to work with: Chris Martin, Kanye, Jack White, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, and to have a bit of female energy it would be a dream to collaborate with Sade…
What is your ideal tour line up?
Let me go on tour first and I’ll let you know :)
What is next for you? Any tours or upcoming projects?
What is next for me is continuing to promote the single “Two Bottles” which is available on iTunes now! From there, releasing the behind the scenes webisodes on my youtube channel (www.youtube.com/bijouTV) of the “Two Bottles” video shoot and then eventually the EP “A New Day”.
Do you have anything else to add for the readers at For The Sound?
Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to read this article, please feel free to contact me with your feedback and opinions, I would love to hear from all of you!! It is and is going to continue to be an amazing ride and its all about the relationships you encounter on the way, I am aware and want to live by this!!
Ciao Bijou - forthesound.com
Discography
NCK - Welcome to Mendo (Album)
Bijou - The Realness
(Album)
Bijou - Where the Pavement Ends
(Album released on itunes, 1,000 copies sold independently, played on satellite radio, indianapolis, bahamas, and various other locations)
Bijou - Two Bottles
(Single, released on itunes)
Bijou - A New Day EP (TBR December)
Photos
Bio
From a family of diplomats and counter culture parents, Bijou is no stranger to the paradox of being an artist. Born in San Francisco, he was raised in rural northern California where his father would play blues and rock, while his mother would play New Age and traditional Hebrew Music. During his parents separation Bijou was introduced and highly influenced by Hip Hop in his elementary years, which led him to begin writing his own poetry and music. After graduating high school, where he achieved local success with a collaborative group that garnered radio play, Bijou attended college but soon dropped out to pursue his art. He has not looked back since, moving around California, and then settling in Los Angeles, where he currently resides. From playing in small venues to learning new musical instruments, He released his first album “Where the Pavement Ends” and sold a thousand copies predominantly through shows and out of his vehicle. A chance meeting with producer Chris Harvey and a demo reel of his music being heard by Carianne Brown armed him with a publishing deal and a producer. After finding success through licensing (USA network, FOX, DirecTV, McDonalds) and a re-development as an artist, Bijou has returned with his EP “A New Day”, an ambitious project that was influenced by the scenic beauty of Malibu, Coldplay tones, electronic influences of house, merged with heavy guitars of classic rock, and the fused endings of "FutureSex/LoveSounds". Combined in a live setting, Bijou's "A New Day" is the definition of crossover with a frontman that brings a unique vision to a crowded marketplace with confidence and the character needed. He has already shot a video for the first single "Two Bottles" that has been played on MTV Logo, Fuse & Comcast on demand, as well as MuchMusic "The Wedge".
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