Hot Casandra

Based in London, Hot Cassandra is the project of Romanians Paul Ballo and Elena Vasilache who have been making electronic pop together since 2010. After achieving a fair amount of success in their home country and much of Eastern Europe, they're now looking to replicate this in the UK with a new EP on the way, which will follow new single 'Hold Me Tight'. When YouTube is the way that many people discover their music nowadays, it's handy to have an interesting video, and this track certainly does. It seems to be a love story and involves good and bad angels. It's a little bit puzzling but we think it ends happily for all involved.

The song is a decent synth-pop number too, even though it all goes a bit Barry White with the vocals for the first minute or so. After escaping this it becomes a pulsating track that turns its head back to give recognition to the '80s, before turning to face forward again. Both vocally and musically it's a fine listen from here on in. Occasionally music from different countries, and therefore different scenes, can get a little lost in translation, but there seems to be a strong undercurrent of electronic pop music of this kind bubbling under in the UK right now, which may suggest that Hot Casandra have timed things just right. They shouldn't expect instant success, but after plugging away a bit they should have the ability to break to the surface and get noticed in the UK too. - Kev (sound of confusion)

Based in London, Hot Cassandra is the project of Romanians Paul Ballo and Elena Vasilache who have been making electronic pop together since 2010. After achieving a fair amount of success in their home country and much of Eastern Europe, they're now looking to replicate this in the UK with a new EP on the way, which will follow new single 'Hold Me Tight'. When YouTube is the way that many people discover their music nowadays, it's handy to have an interesting video, and this track certainly does. It seems to be a love story and involves good and bad angels. It's a little bit puzzling but we think it ends happily for all involved.

The song is a decent synth-pop number too, even though it all goes a bit Barry White with the vocals for the first minute or so. After escaping this it becomes a pulsating track that turns its head back to give recognition to the '80s, before turning to face forward again. Both vocally and musically it's a fine listen from here on in. Occasionally music from different countries, and therefore different scenes, can get a little lost in translation, but there seems to be a strong undercurrent of electronic pop music of this kind bubbling under in the UK right now, which may suggest that Hot Casandra have timed things just right. They shouldn't expect instant success, but after plugging away a bit they should have the ability to break to the surface and get noticed in the UK too. - Kev (sound of confusion)

Paul and Elena make up the synth-pop/electro duo called Hot Casandra. Hailing from Bucharest, Romania, Paul started drumming in bands like Go To Berlin and The Amsterdams until he turned his ear towards producing his own sounds. Once he had his first release in 2011 under Hot Casandra, Bucarest gave him praise, offering him radio and TV appearances for his new and unique sound. Elena met up with him in 2012 to add some beautiful vocals and style to the group, and the two haven’t looked back since. Now these cats are living it up in London and spreading their wings and sounds to a new part of the globe. Check out their mesmerizing synth sounds and read the artist interview from Hot Casandra to see what’s the next big thing in London.

For those who haven’t heard of Hot Casandra yet, how would you describe your sounds?

Well, it’s funny cos’ we didn’t know what to expect from people when we first put out a Hot Casandra record. Then everyone said it’s very ’80 revival kind of stuff so the best description so far would be: Synths gargle and burble away under rhythm boxing and associated percussion with anthemic vocals that are pretty 80s, New York dance 80s, like Talk Talk for instance. It also has commercially poppy stuff like The Beloved, and a bit of Ultramarine or Orbital, with its Italian House piano parts, wobbly dubstep passages, and some operatic female singing. We’re having a crack at something refreshingly different for sure.

Where did you guys live before having your home-base in London?

Bucharest, Romania.

How long have each of you been making music for?

Elena: Well, it’s been a long way! I started when i was 14 years old in a Romanian pop band, touring all over the country and having a few number 1 hits. Then i was leaving the band for acting, as i graduated University of Theatre from Bucharest where i kind of improved my staging skills. And also i started to perform in a jazzy band. And then i met Paul, and i loved his music!

Paul: I started when i was 8 or so. I was in a choir called Minisong. This choir was conducted by my mother, Bianca Ionescu who is a huge soprano singer in Romania. Of course, I learned my first steps from her. I had to take a break for a while and focus on the studies and all that. I wasn’t really sure if I was really into music at the time. But it was meant to be because last year when I was putting the Early Nightmares EP out, i collaborated with my mother, and Hold Me Tight turned out to be a nice melancholic tune.

How did you pick your song selection for your recent Vibecast Sessions?

David Guetta told us what to play.

Who came up with the concept of your music video Hold Me Tight?

Tudor Petremarin. Very nice guy. Work with him while he’s still cheap!

Who did you listen to growing up? Any artists that you look up to?

Elena: When i was little i started with some cheesy 90's music, and then my father used to bring home a lot of audio tapes with good music. Years later i discovered some classic stuff, then rock, electronic and jazz. I think one day David Lynch will invite me to sing one of his songs!

Paul: Mike and The Mechanics, Genesis, Atomic Rooster, Marvin Gaye, Culture Club, Tasmin Archer, Depeche Mode. Loads of stuff. And of course, I love David Lynch as a musician too.

What’s next for Hot Casandra?

First, we’re performing some festivals in Europe over the summer so we’re really happy about that. We just signed with a label from Sweden called Substream so we have to put out our first LP with them this fall. After that, who knows? We hope to tour the U.S. - Brooke Ashley Daly

Paul and Elena make up the synth-pop/electro duo called Hot Casandra. Hailing from Bucharest, Romania, Paul started drumming in bands like Go To Berlin and The Amsterdams until he turned his ear towards producing his own sounds. Once he had his first release in 2011 under Hot Casandra, Bucarest gave him praise, offering him radio and TV appearances for his new and unique sound. Elena met up with him in 2012 to add some beautiful vocals and style to the group, and the two haven’t looked back since. Now these cats are living it up in London and spreading their wings and sounds to a new part of the globe. Check out their mesmerizing synth sounds and read the artist interview from Hot Casandra to see what’s the next big thing in London.

For those who haven’t heard of Hot Casandra yet, how would you describe your sounds?

Well, it’s funny cos’ we didn’t know what to expect from people when we first put out a Hot Casandra record. Then everyone said it’s very ’80 revival kind of stuff so the best description so far would be: Synths gargle and burble away under rhythm boxing and associated percussion with anthemic vocals that are pretty 80s, New York dance 80s, like Talk Talk for instance. It also has commercially poppy stuff like The Beloved, and a bit of Ultramarine or Orbital, with its Italian House piano parts, wobbly dubstep passages, and some operatic female singing. We’re having a crack at something refreshingly different for sure.

Where did you guys live before having your home-base in London?

Bucharest, Romania.

How long have each of you been making music for?

Elena: Well, it’s been a long way! I started when i was 14 years old in a Romanian pop band, touring all over the country and having a few number 1 hits. Then i was leaving the band for acting, as i graduated University of Theatre from Bucharest where i kind of improved my staging skills. And also i started to perform in a jazzy band. And then i met Paul, and i loved his music!

Paul: I started when i was 8 or so. I was in a choir called Minisong. This choir was conducted by my mother, Bianca Ionescu who is a huge soprano singer in Romania. Of course, I learned my first steps from her. I had to take a break for a while and focus on the studies and all that. I wasn’t really sure if I was really into music at the time. But it was meant to be because last year when I was putting the Early Nightmares EP out, i collaborated with my mother, and Hold Me Tight turned out to be a nice melancholic tune.

How did you pick your song selection for your recent Vibecast Sessions?

David Guetta told us what to play.

Who came up with the concept of your music video Hold Me Tight?

Tudor Petremarin. Very nice guy. Work with him while he’s still cheap!

Who did you listen to growing up? Any artists that you look up to?

Elena: When i was little i started with some cheesy 90's music, and then my father used to bring home a lot of audio tapes with good music. Years later i discovered some classic stuff, then rock, electronic and jazz. I think one day David Lynch will invite me to sing one of his songs!

Paul: Mike and The Mechanics, Genesis, Atomic Rooster, Marvin Gaye, Culture Club, Tasmin Archer, Depeche Mode. Loads of stuff. And of course, I love David Lynch as a musician too.

What’s next for Hot Casandra?

First, we’re performing some festivals in Europe over the summer so we’re really happy about that. We just signed with a label from Sweden called Substream so we have to put out our first LP with them this fall. After that, who knows? We hope to tour the U.S. - Brooke Ashley Daly

Probabil ca unii dintre voi, vazand titlul de mai sus, se vor gandi ca o tipa bine a sustinut un fel de kinky performance art show intr-o atmosfera de cabaret din timpul republicii Weimar. Aceia dintre voi se vor simti putin tradati, pentru ca nu este deloc vorba de asa ceva. Hot Casandra se intampla sa fie o foarte tanara trupa, infiintata de-abia anul trecut, si cu o componenta exclusiv masculina. Cine sunt ei? Pai, povestea e lunga, asa ca hai sa incepem cu inceputul.

Cand vine vorba de muzica alternativa autohtona, se pare ca totul se trage de la Sfanta Treime: Kumm – Tatal, Urma – Fiul si Byron – Sfantul Duh, care a fost in toate. Daca vorbim de Hot Casandra, legatura este mai directa decat in cazul altor trupe tinere, pentru ca frontman-ul Paul Ballo este cel care i-a fost succesor simpaticului Dominic Csergo (actual in Urma, ca sa vezi) in postura de baterist Kumm. Domnul Ballo a mai trecut si prin trupe ca The Amsterdams si Go To Berlin, ceea ce e putin ironic din partea sortii, avand in vedere ca el chiar s-a dus in Berlin pentru a lansa EP-ul de debut Hot Casandra.

Mai precis in Berlin-ul din Bucuresti, club nou-deschis, inrudit cu Control si Tago Mago, amenajat la parterul unei cladiri vechi din apropiere de Cercul Militar National. Insa acest mic detaliu nu trebuie sa va intimideze. Chiar daca exteriorul si holul de la intrare pot parea, la inceput apasatoare, si inca bantuite de armosfera formala a evenimentelor care se desfasurau in trecut aici, toate indoielile vor fi spulberate in momentul in care veti intra in sala principala a clubului. Da, este o sala de bal: scena si stand-ul DJ-ului se afla acolo unde, pe vremuri, ar fi fost bufetul – barul propriu-zis fiind situat afara din sala, pe holul cladirii – iar tavanul si peretii amintesc de un teatru vechi. Insa totul se potriveste, cumva, in imaginea unui club hip & fresh. Eu, una, am ajuns cand era in toi warm-up-ul celor de la Yoon (Victor Mihailescu si Ionut Moraru) si imagini alb-negru ale unor tinere dansand erau proiectate pe butaforicii pereti ai fostei sali de bal – videoclipul single-ului de debut al headliner-ilor Hot Casandra, Larissa.

Desi anuntat la zece seara punct, concertul celor de la Hot Casandra a inceput aproape de miezul noptii, iar publicul a avut mai mult decat suficienta vreme sa se adune. Spre deosebire de Casandra mitologica, pe care nu o asculta nimeni, desi ea avea intotdeauna dreptate, pe baietii din Hot Casandra ii asculta deja destul de multa lume, care s-a adunat cumintica in jurul scenei, dar apoi a inceput sa dea si ceva semne de nerabdare. In sfarsit, baietii nu au mai avut unde sa se ascunda si si-au facut aparitia in formula Paul Ballo (voce), Radu Teodorescu (clape), Mircea Ionita (chitar? / bass) si Iulian Cuculea (programare), dezlantuind asupra publicului un mix de synthrock, new wave si electronica.

Au cantat piesele de pe EP-ul Early Nightmares, dar si cateva cover-uri, Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground) dupa Mike & The Mechanics si A Day in the Life, a celor de la The Beatles, reinterpretate in stil Hot Casandra. Highlight-ul show-ului a fost momentul in care trupei i s-a alaturat Bianca Ionescu, cunoscuta atat in postura de prim soprana a Operetei Romane, cat si in cea de mama a lui Paul Ballo. Asa ca publicul a avut parte, in acelasi timp, de un moment Hallmark, dar si de o alaturare interesanta intre doua voci si stiluri de interpretare cat se poate de diferite.

Dupa finalul recitalului, publicul a ramas sa asiste la premiera videoclipului de debut al baietilor, Larissa. Un amanunt interesant este ca, aflandu-se in cautarea protagonistei, trupa a anuntat casting-ul pe pagina oficiala de Facebook, alegand-o, apoi, in doar cateva zile, pe norocoasa fana care intrunea calitatile necesare Larissei lor.

Una peste alta, Hot Casandra au de castigat din faptul ca au ales sa cante un gen de muzica – sau, mai corect spus, un mix de genuri – prea putin reprezentat pe scena alternativa autohtona, insa pe tot parcursul show-ului s-a simtit destul de clar ca este vorba de o trupa aflata la debut. Baietii nu formeaza (inca) o echipa foarte bine sudata, impresia care reiese fiind ca fiecare e “pe felia lui”. Paul Ballo, obisnuit cu postura de baterist, care – din motive obiective si evidente – nu prea presupune interactiune cu publicul, inca nu si-a intrat in mana in noul sau rol de frontman. Deocamdata pare cam timid si putin stangaci in a incerca sa stabileasca o legatura cu publicul, motiv pentru care a si fost putin eclipsat de Bianca Ionescu, dar si de claparul Radu Teodorescu, o prezenta mult mai dezinvolta. Din pacate, nu prea l-a ajutat nici sonorizarea, pentru ca vocea se auzea cam incet si, in consecinta, versurile pieselor erau in mare parte ininteligibile.

Dar, hai sa dam Casandrei ce-i al Casandrei: potentialul exista si sa nu uitam ca trupa e doar la inceput si au deja un fanbase fidel si entuziast. Pe scurt, viitorul lor suna hot.

Pozele au fost preluate - Anca Rotar

Probabil ca unii dintre voi, vazand titlul de mai sus, se vor gandi ca o tipa bine a sustinut un fel de kinky performance art show intr-o atmosfera de cabaret din timpul republicii Weimar. Aceia dintre voi se vor simti putin tradati, pentru ca nu este deloc vorba de asa ceva. Hot Casandra se intampla sa fie o foarte tanara trupa, infiintata de-abia anul trecut, si cu o componenta exclusiv masculina. Cine sunt ei? Pai, povestea e lunga, asa ca hai sa incepem cu inceputul.

Cand vine vorba de muzica alternativa autohtona, se pare ca totul se trage de la Sfanta Treime: Kumm – Tatal, Urma – Fiul si Byron – Sfantul Duh, care a fost in toate. Daca vorbim de Hot Casandra, legatura este mai directa decat in cazul altor trupe tinere, pentru ca frontman-ul Paul Ballo este cel care i-a fost succesor simpaticului Dominic Csergo (actual in Urma, ca sa vezi) in postura de baterist Kumm. Domnul Ballo a mai trecut si prin trupe ca The Amsterdams si Go To Berlin, ceea ce e putin ironic din partea sortii, avand in vedere ca el chiar s-a dus in Berlin pentru a lansa EP-ul de debut Hot Casandra.

Mai precis in Berlin-ul din Bucuresti, club nou-deschis, inrudit cu Control si Tago Mago, amenajat la parterul unei cladiri vechi din apropiere de Cercul Militar National. Insa acest mic detaliu nu trebuie sa va intimideze. Chiar daca exteriorul si holul de la intrare pot parea, la inceput apasatoare, si inca bantuite de armosfera formala a evenimentelor care se desfasurau in trecut aici, toate indoielile vor fi spulberate in momentul in care veti intra in sala principala a clubului. Da, este o sala de bal: scena si stand-ul DJ-ului se afla acolo unde, pe vremuri, ar fi fost bufetul – barul propriu-zis fiind situat afara din sala, pe holul cladirii – iar tavanul si peretii amintesc de un teatru vechi. Insa totul se potriveste, cumva, in imaginea unui club hip & fresh. Eu, una, am ajuns cand era in toi warm-up-ul celor de la Yoon (Victor Mihailescu si Ionut Moraru) si imagini alb-negru ale unor tinere dansand erau proiectate pe butaforicii pereti ai fostei sali de bal – videoclipul single-ului de debut al headliner-ilor Hot Casandra, Larissa.

Desi anuntat la zece seara punct, concertul celor de la Hot Casandra a inceput aproape de miezul noptii, iar publicul a avut mai mult decat suficienta vreme sa se adune. Spre deosebire de Casandra mitologica, pe care nu o asculta nimeni, desi ea avea intotdeauna dreptate, pe baietii din Hot Casandra ii asculta deja destul de multa lume, care s-a adunat cumintica in jurul scenei, dar apoi a inceput sa dea si ceva semne de nerabdare. In sfarsit, baietii nu au mai avut unde sa se ascunda si si-au facut aparitia in formula Paul Ballo (voce), Radu Teodorescu (clape), Mircea Ionita (chitar? / bass) si Iulian Cuculea (programare), dezlantuind asupra publicului un mix de synthrock, new wave si electronica.

Au cantat piesele de pe EP-ul Early Nightmares, dar si cateva cover-uri, Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground) dupa Mike & The Mechanics si A Day in the Life, a celor de la The Beatles, reinterpretate in stil Hot Casandra. Highlight-ul show-ului a fost momentul in care trupei i s-a alaturat Bianca Ionescu, cunoscuta atat in postura de prim soprana a Operetei Romane, cat si in cea de mama a lui Paul Ballo. Asa ca publicul a avut parte, in acelasi timp, de un moment Hallmark, dar si de o alaturare interesanta intre doua voci si stiluri de interpretare cat se poate de diferite.

Dupa finalul recitalului, publicul a ramas sa asiste la premiera videoclipului de debut al baietilor, Larissa. Un amanunt interesant este ca, aflandu-se in cautarea protagonistei, trupa a anuntat casting-ul pe pagina oficiala de Facebook, alegand-o, apoi, in doar cateva zile, pe norocoasa fana care intrunea calitatile necesare Larissei lor.

Una peste alta, Hot Casandra au de castigat din faptul ca au ales sa cante un gen de muzica – sau, mai corect spus, un mix de genuri – prea putin reprezentat pe scena alternativa autohtona, insa pe tot parcursul show-ului s-a simtit destul de clar ca este vorba de o trupa aflata la debut. Baietii nu formeaza (inca) o echipa foarte bine sudata, impresia care reiese fiind ca fiecare e “pe felia lui”. Paul Ballo, obisnuit cu postura de baterist, care – din motive obiective si evidente – nu prea presupune interactiune cu publicul, inca nu si-a intrat in mana in noul sau rol de frontman. Deocamdata pare cam timid si putin stangaci in a incerca sa stabileasca o legatura cu publicul, motiv pentru care a si fost putin eclipsat de Bianca Ionescu, dar si de claparul Radu Teodorescu, o prezenta mult mai dezinvolta. Din pacate, nu prea l-a ajutat nici sonorizarea, pentru ca vocea se auzea cam incet si, in consecinta, versurile pieselor erau in mare parte ininteligibile.

Dar, hai sa dam Casandrei ce-i al Casandrei: potentialul exista si sa nu uitam ca trupa e doar la inceput si au deja un fanbase fidel si entuziast. Pe scurt, viitorul lor suna hot.

Pozele au fost preluate - Anca Rotar

Mai întâi a urcat pe scena Hot Casandra care, alaturi de Selena (Elena Vasilache), si-a facut încalzirea cu un electro “potolit”, usor psihedelic. Cei doi au alternat piese mai vechi ca “Birds and boys“, “Tira Mi Su” si “Hold me tight” cu piese mai noi, dintre care ne-a atras atentia noul single, “Julia” – o potrivire jucausa de ritmuri bine lucrate.

Între interactiunile scurte cu publicul, Hot Casandra si Selena au jonglat subtil cu microfonul, tamburina si o sticla de bere, spre satisfactia publicului deja strans în fata scenei. Ne-a placut Hot Casandra, mai vrem. - Gabriela Tanase

Mai întâi a urcat pe scena Hot Casandra care, alaturi de Selena (Elena Vasilache), si-a facut încalzirea cu un electro “potolit”, usor psihedelic. Cei doi au alternat piese mai vechi ca “Birds and boys“, “Tira Mi Su” si “Hold me tight” cu piese mai noi, dintre care ne-a atras atentia noul single, “Julia” – o potrivire jucausa de ritmuri bine lucrate.

Între interactiunile scurte cu publicul, Hot Casandra si Selena au jonglat subtil cu microfonul, tamburina si o sticla de bere, spre satisfactia publicului deja strans în fata scenei. Ne-a placut Hot Casandra, mai vrem. - Gabriela Tanase

It reads like an indie-film competition pitch from a London based film-studies student, probably called Tabitha: Romania in the mid-noughties. A former teenage it girl, Elena, longs to break away from her reality-show-spawned teeny bopper band - which had enjoyed masses of success, national TV attention and helicopter-commuted parties years ago. Years pass as does the band. Fearing the inevitable slip into TV adverts, walk-ons in sitcoms and panels in comedy shows, she disappears from the public eye. At the same time, indie-band drummer recently turned tech house DJ and keen bedroom producer, Paul, has been making a name for himself in the local Bucharest electronic music community. Elena gets talking to Paul in the back room of a known techno venue in the capital. Within weeks, they’re dating.

However, at this point Tabitha’s script presumably becomes a series of montages involving dusk walks in Communist era parks, soft-focus moments in back-alley restaurants and nights in bars with a collection of similarly young attractive types, all of whom are wearing at least one item of leather clothing....

Luckily for Data Transmission, the story is not only true, but in reality, when Paul and Elena did go for dinner, It was Paul’s intention to get Elena back to his studio by the third date, with explicit the intention of getting her vocals onto a track. Paul then knew he had found The One...to bring onto his own long term pet music project: a duo termed Hot Casandra.

Officially launching as a duo in 2011, in just two years, Hot Casandra has had rave reviews from Romanian MTV, Romanian lifestyle magazines, Swiss Media and, since their move to London in 2012, sets at The Egg, Proud Camden, Pacha, Ministry of Sound and national press coverage to boot. Now, armed with a debut long-player Getaway Heart the duo are keen to step up into the international field.



Speaking to Paul shortly before their boxing-day set at Ministry Of Sound for the Toolroom Knights (Where he’d play a storming two hour set which even the turkey-drunk, great-aunt-senile-chat-weary crowd were furiously fist pumping to) what strikes DT as much as the lifestyle-mag love-story angle to the duo’s tale is the consistent theme of backward movement. Having achieved pop success, vocalist Elena was determined to start again from scratch on music on her own terms. Meanwhile, upon moving to London, Paul befriended a Hoxton based synth collector called Dan who became entranced by the duo’s story and sound, and subsequently gave Paul free use of his extensive analog synth collection. “I now make music in the opposite direction to most” he tells DT “I make a track, record all melodies on Ableton with the usual plug ins, then I replace and re-record everything with 90s Synths!”

Even their success feels like a counter inertial movement. Thanks to Elena’s residual fame, the duo had MTV coverage and national press exposure before they were particularly established as a duo in the electronic community. Their most popular track to date, the long-player’s title piece, Getaway Heart, is actually their oldest. “I recorded this one years ago” explains Paul. “But I was afraid of the sound. I was worried It’d get compared to Depeche Mode or something similar, I didn’t know how comfortable I felt making that kind of music, so I’ve only just released it now.”

Clearly a hurdle the duo got over: their entire sound has a dusty, basement bar in the ‘90s feel to it. Paul clams up when asked to compare his sound to other artists, but there are a couple of references to Depeche Mode a few times in the interview, and DT would certainly hedge bets on their being a key influence to the young Romanian Reformers.

So what next for the nostalgic synth Sid & Nancy? “We love London. It is very different however. In Bucharest, you’re sort of left alone. Club parties go on all weekend, and you can live in a world of never-ending decadent weekends where all sorts of things go down. In London everything’s that bit more safe, but more regulated too. We’re responding to that though. We working on our DJing now as opposed to live sets and we’re producing more and more re-edits of our work for the house-happy London crowd.” As for what advice he’d give other emerging musicians, Paul laughs. “I have no idea! I’ll tell you once I’ve finished emerging as an artist myself!” - allybyers

Sambata in Control s-a lansat noul videoclip Hot Casandra, pentru single-ul Hold Me Tight, cantat impreuna cu Bianca Ionescu si deja difuzat de posturile locale de radio. Concertul a durat 45 de minute si a inclus melodiile cele mai celebre ale trupei. Daca fraza anterioara vi se pare seaca -- nimic nu e intamplator pe lume.

Acum trei luni, un review Hot Casandra, tot pentru un concert sustinut in Control, puncta perfect intr-o singura fraza: „Hot Casandra inseamna de fapt Paul Ballo. Cunoscut mai ales pentru ca a plecat de la multe trupe (Go To Berlin, The Amsterdams si Kumm), Paul Ballo arata bine.” N-am citit review-ul inainte de concert. Poate ar fi trebuit s-o fac si sa-mi incalc principiul de a nu merge la concerte cu opinii prefabricate. Cert e ca acolo am cam stat si m-am can intrebat, timp de 45 de minute (fix, pe ceas!), cum poate un concert sa fie simultan ok si sec.



Cum sa ai piese dansabile si catchy (Larissa si Gagarin si Tira Mi Su), care sa nu miste oamenii din sala? Cum sa iti construiesti un look perfect pentru standardele electropop, dar sa dai impresia ca ai ramas la suprafata fenomenului? Cum sa umpli tu, solist, o scena intreaga cu energia ta… fara sa reusesti, totusi, sa ajungi la propriul public? N-o sa ma lansez in polemici si explicatii. N-o sa neg ca au fost si spectatori care au dansat si s-au simtit bine. Dar nici n-o sa citez lungile conversatii care se duceau in preajma mea in timpul concertului – si asta in conditiile in care piesele Hot Casandra sunt up-tempo si destul de zgomotoase. - Ioana Pelehatai