Berkeley, CA. (Top40 Charts/ Indie-Pop Records) - So what's the big deal about two Bay Area teens mashing up Hip Hop, electronic, dance and pop music? Let Berkeley-based duo The Cataracs give you an answer. While still in high school, the once-rival songwriters joined forces in 2003 to create a futuristic fusion of sound. Their new mixtape KIDS defies definition as the two young men intermix a dozen original Cataracs songs eclectically with classic alternative Rock, Hip Hop and Dance tracks.
Presented by New York's DJ Eleven, KIDS features artists like Prince, Mac Dre, B.O.B., UGK, The Cure, B-Legit, Usher, T-Pain, Uffie, Zion I, Kid Cudi, Andre Nickatina and more blended with The Cataracs' self-produced unique musical stylings. The group is currently highlighting their singles "Murder She Wrote" and "Baby Baby (The Lover's Anthem)" which are both available at www.tygereye.net/cataracs, along with their new video for "Murder She Wrote."
The Cataracs, Cyrano and Campa (19 and 20-years-old now, respectively), grew up in a generation influenced by a broad musical spectrum. DJ Eleven worked with the duo to put forth a project representative of their complex tastes.
"KIDS is really a great juxtaposition of our music and the music that inspires us," says Cyrano. "The song order is especially interesting. Start with the opener - 'Two Space Boys' reflects that classic raw Hip Hop style of the early '90s, an ode to the roots of The Cataracs, revisited. From there, Eleven takes you through a gang of classic Bay songs, mashed with more recent joints and sprinkled with a few of our own."
Campa continues: "As the CD approaches its close, the songs begin to take on a more electronic, more pop feel, climaxing with our single 'Baby Baby.' The song really gives you an idea of our direction and a taste for what is to come...our spin on pop music. The Cataracs is just our spin on everything really, hence the name. We see things differently."
Taking a progressive approach to their business, The Cataracs engage with fans through every avenue, from the magnetism of their live shows to the far-reaching voice of online communication. On the creative side, they absorb the energy from all genres of music, and ultimately let their own inner spirits guide them in their songwriting.
The duo recently teamed with New York-based Indie-Pop Records to reach the world, and partners Ben Willis, Joshua Andriano and Mark Bolkovich have high hopes for the group. "Indie-Pop truly sees The Cataracs at the forefront of the next generation of popular artists," says Andriano. "They're free from the archaic constraints and demands of major labels, and will develop naturally at their own pace and on their own time, which allows them the freedom to do what they do best: make great music."
For more information on The Cataracs and to hear the KIDS mixtape, go to www.tygereye.net/cataracs and www.myspace.com/cataracs