Sneaky Sound System

Biography: The past 12 months for Australia’s numero uno dance act Sneaky Sound System, have been nothing short of hectic. After supporting Jamiroquai on a their national tour of Australia, the core trio of MC Double D (frontman/man-about-town/MC), Miss Connie (frontwoman/vocals) and Black Angus (chief songwriter/producer/music guy) took off to Miami, New York, Italy, London and Hong Kong for a bunch of shows. Toured Australia with their 6 piece band as part of the Big Day Out and Good Vibrations Festival, released their super debut album, and went on three more sold-out, crazed tours of the country. Went top 20 with three singles I Love It, Pictures and UFO, top 20 with their album, spent more than 3 months at number 1 in the club charts, and were nominated for two ARIA’s (Best Dance Release and Breakthrough Artist). Scored the much sought after national support slots for Robbie Williams and Scissor Sisters, collaborated with US superstar Kanye West and turned up on countless TV shows and music compilations. Yeah… it’s been one hell of a stellar year!

Of course this is no overnight success story. Black Angus and MC Double D have been putting on parties and playing clubs and festivals around the world since meeting at a dodgy ‘Cowboys and Indians’ fancy dress party in the spring of 2000. As the story goes... in the midst of a lame entertainment line-up that included bull riding, line dancing and a whip cracking exhibition, MC Double D (Daimon Downey), bored and dressed in bright red chaps with tassels, steals a plastic horse from one of the performers and moonwalks across the dance floor with it between his legs. Another event sabotaged, he then nicks off with Black Angus' (Angus McDonald) toy flute and starts playing it. Impressed by his showmanship and dexterity with plastic blow-up toys, Black Angus nicked it back and the two hatched a devious plan. Across town, Angus was about to start a regular Sunday night at his mates fancy new club and the idea was simple: Black Angus jumps behind the decks, a few live musicians and the occasional guest DJ drop in every now and again, while MC Double D does whatever the hell he wants on the microphone. Sneaky Sound System was born.

That was the summer of 2001 and Sneaky Sound System, everybody's favourite party starting posse, has come a long way since then. Their mixed CD Other People's Music was released through Sony Australia in 2003, they have played alongside international acts like Robbie Williams, Jamiroquai, Scissor Sisters, Moloko and James Brown; they have toured throughout Europe on three separate occasions playing alongside veterans like Cassius, Roger Sanchez & Erick Morillo, played in the US with the likes of Felix da Housecat, Peaches, Hot Chip and Justice; headlined every club worth playing in Australia and played at literally dozens of festivals in this big wide land of ours. It appears wherever Sneaky Sound System go one thing is always guaranteed; you are going to be in party central.

In 2004, Black Angus and MC Double D decided to start their own record label, Whack Recordings. After hooking up with recording engineer/producer (and Tom Ford look-alike) Peter Dolso, they set up a studio in Bondi Beach called The Whack House, and set about making their own music. The first release was Hip Hip Hooray which immediately gained support from club DJ’s and radio alike, and soon become a cult hit for the young and reckless. All was going well, but the search for a super-hot, superlative defying vocalist was not going so well. Then one day as the boys were strolling through Hyde Park in Sydney, there sitting on a rug with a glass of wine in hand and guitar on lap was this beautiful girl singing this beautiful song. The boys stopped, smiled, listened, chatted, drank wine and suggested a trip down to The Whack House. Sure enough the beautiful girl with the beautiful voice, Miss Connie, came on down to the studio and the newly formed gang laid down the vocals for their hit song I Love It. Hairs stood up on the back of everyone’s neck and a group hug followed. Now with super-hot, superlative defying vocalist on board, the rejuvenated Sneaky Sound System started recording.

And presto, a slick debut self-titled album emerged that is doing for the local music industry what Paris Hilton did for amateur home videos. It’s an album that takes its influences from all over the shop…the world of P-funk, early eighties disco, The Cure, New Order, Human League, Prince, Kate Bush, The Cars, Eurythmics and more modern German electronic producers than you could poke a stick at. Think stiff beats, thick bass lines, lush melodies, haunting vocals, rolling guitar licks and urban tales of love and loss. It is part-melancholic beauty but for the most part, it's party mayhem.

“We were like this electronic garage band with delusions of stadium glory; fantasizing about the day we play to a billion people at the next Live Aid. All of a sudden we turned into a real b