ABOUT MIKA:
"I was born in lebanon and rasied in Paris and London, hopping from country to country like a footloose hippy with my four brothers and sisters.Coming from different background to most I found no place at school and delved into music from an early age. I started writing songs as a kid, not because of grand ambitions but because it was an easy way to tell a story, a joke and often the truth. Tell the truth in a song and people are less pissed off than if you were to say it to their face.I sent out my stories to anyone and everyone, not surprisingly I often got no reply. The further I got into music the more attention I was getting for my own song writing, I made a choice last year and decided to go for it.'Life In Cartoon Motion' is my first record. It has a coming of age theme, and deals with my transition from childhood to now. What's my sound? I guess it's in the writing. I apologise in advance to the people whos stories and characters I have borrowed from. Remember, It's only a caricature." - in MIKA's myspace ***********************************************************A
BOUT CHERISSE:I have been drumming since the age of 12.
Music style – wide ranging from Pop, Rock, RnB, Jazz, Blues and Heavy metal.
Won music festival + passed Grade 8 with honours - age 15. Have Grade 5 Music Theory aswell.
Am experienced recording in the studio – have done a variety of session work.
Can read drum music.
Have performed in music festivals across UK, Europe and America.Was part of a pop/punk/rock band called The Faders from 2004-2006 with Molly Mcqueen. Were signed to Polydor Records UK.
The Faders released 2 singles which both charted in the top 20.
The Faders recorded an album –Plug in and Play at Metrophonic Studios, UK -recorded the drums and backing vocals.
Toured South East Asia summer 05.
Did MTV Asia - ‘Staying Alive’ Aids Awareness Event – Dec 05 - 35,000 people in football stadium – Jakarta.Was the support act for Kelly Clarkson UK + Ireland Spring 06 - major venues including Hammersmith Apollo, Glasgow SECC, Dublin The Point MEN, Birmingham NEC, Newcastle Metro radio Arena, Sheffield Hallam, Nottingham Arena.
Appeared in 2 episodes of Veronica Mars cult US teen detective series filmed in San Diego. These episodes aired in UK June/July 06.
Appeared on many TV shows performing and doing interviews including TOTP, CD:UK, Popworld, Saturday Showdown etc.
Recorded an album – Zero Tolerance with heavy metal band, Mantas (ex Venom members) and toured with them to promote.
Other instruments – played Guitar for about 5 years + voice.Have studied with some of the drumming greats including Jim Chapin, Zoro, Billy Ward, Russ Miller, Johnny Rabb and Dawne Adams. Long-term coach - Mike Dolbear - the best!Have done drum clinics with prestigious American drummer Billy Ward (Joan Osbourne, Yoko Ono, The Knack)" She want to know Prince cause "he's the same height as me!" lol - IN CHERISSE'S MYSPACE****************************************************
ABOUT LUKE JUBY:"I'm a piano/keyboard player, musical director and songwriter - mainly for pop artists the last few years.I'm currently working with two new acts. Ross Copperman, signed to Phonogenic Records, SonyBMG and Island's Mika. Both are great fun and gonna be huge next year. We're currently touring loads which is always a laugh, if a little knackering. Also playing with a band called Superimposter. Check out the sites and tour dates below.Here's some of the other artists I've worked with... Brian McFadden, Delta Goodrem, Paul McCartney, Liberty X, Jewell, Holly Valance, Westlife, Kelly Clarkson, Rui Da Silva, Marc Anthony, Dane Bowers, Lee Ryan, Daniel Powter, The Pussy Cat Dolls, Ice Planet, Alexis Strum, Vittorio Grigolo, Mark Owen, Cathy Dennis etc. and I've also been lucky enough to work with some of the best musicians in the country.Try the Radio 2 link above for some recordings of my keys and MD work. Totally live at 9am in the morning after a heavy night before!!Feel free to contact me regarding any collaborations in songwriting or live performances. I have written with major artists from pop to rock to RnB to folk.Another link for more live work with Delta Goodrem and Brian McFadden" - in LUKE'S MYSPACE****************************************************A
BOUT MICHAEL CHOI:"Wasted a university education by becoming a bass player... did the usual... played for free (or drinks), signed on every 2 weeks, got drunk with mates, whined on about the music industry, acted superior because I played jazz fusion, played gigs in front of 3 people (but still had a rock n roll attitude) and waxed lyrical to girls about how I was too busy to have a relationship as I had to concentrate on my "art"! Life was simple but soooo much fun!Eventually, the reality of life hit me straight in the bollocks... hard! However, fortune changed when I met the genius and mentor that is Jerry Dammers in a make-shift rehearsal room in Brixton. Former member of The Specials & The Specials AKA, Jerry wrote and produced some of the most important songs in the modern era... such as "Ghost Town" and "(Free) Nelson Mandela"... He's also the man who inspired me to produce and program ("Mike, you should produce and program" he said...!). We (and several others) formed a project called Tone Productions for 2 years (in which I played flute and ate loads of crap chinese takeaway). It was an amazing time with some amazing recordings and played some amazing gigs!... including a comeback for Jerry at Glastonbury. We released a few of these recordings, including "World Mutation" on "Rebirth of the Cool 4".But alas, this eventually fizzled. I went back to playing some crap gigs, and some good gigs, neither of which sadly didn't do too much. Then I got involved with a band called Maroon Town, a 10-piece ska/funk band. We toured the world from Canada to Spain to Ukraine to Kazakstan, wangled £100,000 from Doc Martens, made an album, had a no.1 single in Spain, fell out 100 times with the band and eventually split (but about to reform for a one-off gig in Turkmenistan in June...I'm serious!).A few years later (through uber drummer Thomas Lang), fortune again lead me to another mentor, musical director Mike Stevens. Mike was looking for a some new musicians to play for Billie Piper for an appearance on The David Letterman Show in New York! Unfortunately after a few days rehearsing, it got cancelled at the last minute (I nearly cried!) but the chance did introduce me to Mike. With Mike I ended up either playing bass or programming (or both) for acts such as Atomic Kitten, Mark Owen, Annie Lennox and Gareth Gates and many others... the last two being particularly amazing experiences! Annie for her incredible talent and utter professionalism, traits every musician should see and hear (and fu*king learn!), and Gareth for his incredible & natural talent and for showing me how much we have become fashion-victims (especially the music media)... Musicians should be soley judged on how good they are, and not if they release only one semi-decent song, shoot up and shag a super model... *sigh*Aaanyway...I owe everything to Jerry and Mike...Through continuing encouragement from Jerry, and my love of computers (and Star Trek), I started dabbling in writing/recording, bought a computer, and began what you could call "producing"! I also shared a flat with my good mate Kojo (THE best Hiphop/RnB producer on these shores) and annoyed the sh!t out of the neighbours by having a studio each in the flat!! We argued PC vs Mac (which I won) and Arsenal vs Man U (which I always win) and even got a chance to record with his mom, the enigmatic and ever youthful PP Arnold! Watch out for her on tour with Roger Waters...After years of mistakes and recording bollocks, more mistakes and even more bollocks, I eventually got given a few chances to do some serious work... but this has also led to me having to curb my bass sessions and tours for producing.So that's it... I'll be posting some tracks I've produced so come back and check them out!" - in MICHAEL'S MYSPACE****************************************************A
BOUT MARTIN:
"Father, husband, guitarist. Live and love music. Been lucky so far to have worked with some great people and long may it continue. Been playing guitar since I was ten (think I would have mastered it by now!) Played with my Dad in pubs and clubs of Scotland when I was a nipper. I was always inspired by the fact that he had played the lead guitar riffs on "Where My Rosemary Goes" and "Yellow River".... two awesome Pop records in their day! In recent years I have toured and recorded with people such as The Swans, Sophie Ellis Bexter, Kristian Leontiou/ One Eskimo, and im am currently working with MIKA.." - in MARTIN'S MYSPACE
