About Me
XLOVER is a 4-piece electro rock project based in London. The debut album 'Pleasure & Romance' is available now on i-tunes.
featuring princess superstar, felix da housecat, and others
It's a hot and sweaty Saturday night and
the men of XLOVER have found themselves at a late night
party in London. Without even knowing, the lead singer of one of the most
exciting bands of the future is somewhere in the same building.
Nina Rai (pronounced 'ray'), has just agreed to meet the
boys and discuss this new project they are starting called 'XLOVER'.
The idea is to make the most sexy, supersonic music possible.
Having just left his job working with Prince at Paisley
Park Studios in his hometown of Minneapolis, Bryan Black
(cofounder) only wanted one thing: to show his former employer how it should
be done. By then Prince had forgotten most of what had made his music so
irresistible. XLOVER was going to pick up where Purple Rain left off, but
in a way that no one could have predicted.
Nina Rai could pass as a female version of Prince if not just in her appearance,
but also in the way she gracefully commands the stage. No one can determine
where she came from, or how she got here, but one thing is clear: She's
a star. Her stark beauty perfectly compliments her dry vocal delivery, telling
tales of watching it, faking it, making it. Onstage she switches from sex
kitten to bitch from hell and back again before you've had time to rub your
eyes.
Oliver Grasset, fresh from the industrial wasteland of
Val d'Oise, France was playing drums/programming for an up-and-coming, and
greatly over-rated band, Dirty Harry when he met bryan
and then decided to leave Dirty Harry to start XLOVER.
Scott Fairbrother was caught playing with Death
in Vegas and a local electro act called Client,
before he was pinched and then quickly, almost without a fight, coerced
into playing guitar.
After distributing a few CDs of their first recordings to DJs such as Hell
and Felix Da Housecat, XLOVER soon found themselves in
the studio with Felix working on his new album and remixing the likes of
Marilyn Manson and Gwen Stefani.
After a string of shows in Berlin, Munich and their hometown of London,
including shows with the Scissor Sisters, and an rapturous
performance at a fashion show for Vivienne Westwood, XLOVER
were ready to record their debut album. Titled 'Pleasure and Romance', the
album was recorded over an intense 6 month period. 'Pleasure and Romance'
is a collision of pulsing analogue synths, jilted guitars, sexy minimal
percussion, a 10 piece orchestra, and the unforgettable voice of nina rai.
One of the most ambitious and innovative pop albums of our time, the 'Pleasure
and Romance' sessions produced over 40 tracks. Guest appearances from friends
like Princess Superstar (on the cover of Prince's 'Darling
Nikki'), Felix Da Housecat, and Jon Klein (The
Cure, Souxsie and The Banshees) provided the icing
on the cake.
The band carefully selected 12 songs and sent a CD to DJ Hell. Upon receiving
the CD, Hell invited the band to perform in Berlin, at the Gigolo
Love Parade. After a very raw, and impassioned performance in front
of a sold out, completely mesmerized audience, the band were officially
invited to join Gigolo Records.
The first single to be taken from the album, 'So Blue' is quite simply one
of the most beautiful love songs ever written. And an absolutely perfect
introduction to the world of XLOVER.
