The disco revival has well and truly established itself as a credible genre in dance circles and leading the charge on the home front is Melbourne-based MIAMI HORROR. The newly formed live act can thank producer Benjamin Vanguarde for generating a buzz with past work that involves a series of remixes as well as standout work with the tongue in cheek Gameboy/Gamegirl. Vanguarde though is quick to sing the praises of his new bandmates.
"I had collaborated with our guitarist Josh Moriarty [ex-Young & Restless] before and Dan [Whitechurch, keys] and I have been friends for about five years," explains Vanguarde. "Then I met Josh's mate Aaron [Shanahan, drums] and we all started throwing ideas around together. The live show has turned out really well. They were all the right people for the job."
Like most aspiring musos Vanguarde started as a teenager creating loops and riffs in his bedroom but found band life too erratic. After maturing his sound with solo work which included his EP Bravado, Ben decided the best way to promote Miami Horror's unique mash of pop and italo-disco was through the incarnation of a live show. "Sometimes people come to one of my Miami Horror DJ sets after coming to the live show and I think they are a bit disappointed," says Vanguarde. "I mean the live show has a lot going on and it completely outshines the DJ show. The response to both though is generally good."
The vintage throwback feature video for their 2008 track Don't Be With Her skyrocketed to popularity online and it was with this success that Miami Horror were gifted a contract with EMI. Their first studio effort is set for release early next year. "Our next album is set to come out in mid-January," the 22 year old producer enthuses. "It will be quite different to our earlier stuff. There will be a vintage pop element and although it is unstructured and varied it still flows together. Our sound is a bit different to a lot of other electronic production out there. We have a very '70s influence. It's very dreamy. To be honest we haven't thought too much about it."
The Miami Horror live ensemble has so far impressed audiences at renowned festivals like Good Vibrations and Splendour in the Grass. Canberra has its turn to catch the show at the third Trackside Festival in late November and Vanguarde is eager to show the nation's capital what they have to offer. "We are aiming to play songs off our upcoming new album," he says. "It is different from what we have done in the past because we are probably not going to play remixes, just about ten originals. The visuals will be similar to our film clip."
Catch Miami Horror at Thoroughbred Park on Saturday November 21 as one of Trackside's headline acts. Tickets are $85 (+bf) and are available from Moshtix, Ticketek, OzTix and Landspeed Records.
