I'm quoted in this snapshot of a great piece by Stephen Armstrong.
Tuesday 30 November 2010
Friday 26 November 2010
Thursday 25 November 2010
23/11/10 - Viktoria Modesta and Princess Julia interview
Viktoria Modesta is just as striking in reality as you would expect a beautiful model in a magazine to be, yet so warm and animated, a far cry from the icy, statuesque shots I'm used to seeing of her. Having emerged as the current queen of the fetish scene as a cover star for Bizarre magazine, modelling for Agent Provocateur among others, heading international fetish club Torture Garden's clothing line and dating it's boss, the girl has only just started gaining momentum.
Viktoria, 23, is more than your average alternative model. She is an amputee as confident and graceful someone with all limbs intact. Viktoria had suffered from a stunted leg all her life until in 2007 she had it voluntarily removed below the knee. Her story is one of courage and composure, her personality sweet, forthcoming, humble and giggly. This is a characteristic more commonly seen than not in the fetish world and something that could find most people stopped in their presumptuous tracks. She has been launching herself as a musician for the past year under Viktoria Modesta - her industrial dance sound and strong euro-pop vocals slowly gathering a dedicated fanbase. She has been taken under the wing of arguably the best possible mentor for her – i-D magazine's music editor and East End club idol, the legendary Princess Julia.
Princess Julia dominated the alternative London music and fashion scene in the 80’s with Boy George and the rest of the Blitz Kids. The age-defying beauty, now 51, is still at the height of influence. She is crowned music editor of hipster bible i-D where she can propel new artists to their deserved place in the music industry while displaying her industry skills by DJing at the hippest venues.
It's hard to ignore the similarities in their look - both women sport the same bangs and similar style, having both influentially experimented with modelling and music, no wonder Julia identifies with her. The two met in a club, "The way I meet most people".
Princess Julia calls Viktoria a "star" and "sensation", rooting for a label to sign her, while Music Week have described her music as "slick production led pop fronted by an artist already boasting a healthy following through her modelling work". While this may be true and Viktoria is looking after her current fanbase, she is trying to challenge her critics and tap into a wider audience who may be unaware of her modelling past.
Julia's backing Viktoria Modesta’s pursuit of pop means only one thing - the girl is destined to succeed. I caught her after only her second music showcase at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, where Princess Julia DJed before and after her set. The modern icons took a minute to chat to me after the show.
D: Hello Viktoria, how are you?
V: Hi, I’m very excited and very relieved, good night. I’m very good.
D: How are you finding the transition from model to musician?
V: Um, it was quite hard to start off with because I think people had a lot of judgement in terms of ‘Oh can she really sing?’ – ‘Oh ok she can sing.’ ‘Is she writing her own songs?’ – ‘Oh she’s coproducing her songs and she can sing.’
I think after all the showcases and performances I’ve finally gathered a group of people who come to all of my shows for all the right reasons – because they love the music and they love the concert. So I think the transition is over now. And now I can enjoy doing a bit of modelling on the side and music as a main career.
D: Is the music maybe going to overtake? If it gets big enough will you quit modelling?
V: I think I’m always going to keep doing everything. I’m so creative and you know I think ultimately what I do now as well as music is I creative direct everything that I do from photo shoots, to videos, to my styling, to you know, the stage set. I like everything to speak Viktoria Modesta. I think it’s getting there.
D: Who influences your sound?
V: A very big mixture of people and music actually. I love twangy kid of Tarantino rockabilly guitars – that’s the only kind of guitar that I like and I really love all the English 80’s electro bands – everything from Depeche Mode to Kraftwerk and stuff. But obviously I come from Eastern Europe so I like catchy songs that you really remember – it’s a fusion of different attitudes.
D. Last question – when can we expect a single or record release? Because I wanted to buy your song on iTunes and I couldn’t find it.
V: Well I’m currently trying to convince – I’m trying to spread the word and I’m trying to convince enough of the right people that they should take it on and that they should take this to the next level. The purpose of the showcase is to keep all of my fans satisfied with loads of visuals, loads of music, and also excite all the music industry that can turn this around really.
D: So you’re building up a record.
V: Absolutely building up a record and I think this was the last showcase this year. We’re going to concentrate on writing more tracks and we can produce a mega album that nobody can miss.
D: So we don’t know yet, it’s in the works.
V: It is in the works. Saying that I might be releasing a limited edition single just for the people that are actually already hooked.
D: That song that I love Jane Bond – it’s recorded, it plays on your website. It’s a brilliant recording, why don’t you put it on iTunes?
V: That’s the track that I’m considering putting out to release as a limited edition. I might actually release some proper CDs with great artwork for the people that really want to have the track, to have the whole thing and hold it in their hands.
D: I want it.
V: Sign up to our mailing list!
D: Princess Julia! Hello, how are you?
J: Alright very well thank you.
D: How did you like Viktoria’s second showcase tonight?
J: I thought it was wonderful.
D: Apart from i-D who else have you written for?
J: I write for QX International, I do weekly column which I love. And I’ve done lots of other writing for this and that. Ooh you’ll have to get back to me on that one!
D: Does i-D’s music agenda reflect your taste exactly?
J: Well it’s not exactly a music orientated magazine, it’s a style magazine. I go in there and I go ‘Ooh shall we do so and so and this and that?’ and they go ‘…Yeah!’ I choose people that have a style element attached to them, but I suppose everyone has haven’t they really, even if it’s an anti-style.
D: Is the creative control over the music choice all yours? Do you get a brief given to you? What you write about – is it all up to you?
J: I can go and choose what I want really – but there is another music editor as well. She does other stuff too so it isn’t all up to me. It’s a real team effort. There’s lots of other people in the magazine as well, they come to me and they go ‘Well what about so and so…’ No, it’s a very fluid, very flexible sort of set-up. It’s not rigid at all. There’s a huge crossover of things.
D: Ben Reardon, what’s he like as an editor? Is he your boss or… what’s he like to work with?
J: No, Ben Reardon works for GQ Style now.
D: Pardon me.
J: No but I’m going to work there too. I’ve already started.
D: Lovely.
J: Yeah, so I’m on the team of GQ Style as well. Yeah it’s really exciting.
D: How has i-D changed since you edited music – since you joined the team?
J: Ooh I don‘t know you’ll have to tell me that. I hope that I’ve made some sort of difference, I don’t know. I do a mixture of established people, really underground people from a bygone era that influenced me and really new people, unsigned people. Viktoria Modesta is one such unsigned artiste that I think needs to be signed and I’ve put her in the New Year’s edition of i-D.
I think i-D’s always been a platform for new things as well as an archive now for like, really fabulous old things. Most people come back with us as well. I interviewed Lydia Lunch for i-D and James Chance and so from my perspective I like a real crossover of conversations of sorts.
visit http://www.viktoriamodesta.com/ and http://theworldofprincessjulia.blogspot.com/
Viktoria, 23, is more than your average alternative model. She is an amputee as confident and graceful someone with all limbs intact. Viktoria had suffered from a stunted leg all her life until in 2007 she had it voluntarily removed below the knee. Her story is one of courage and composure, her personality sweet, forthcoming, humble and giggly. This is a characteristic more commonly seen than not in the fetish world and something that could find most people stopped in their presumptuous tracks. She has been launching herself as a musician for the past year under Viktoria Modesta - her industrial dance sound and strong euro-pop vocals slowly gathering a dedicated fanbase. She has been taken under the wing of arguably the best possible mentor for her – i-D magazine's music editor and East End club idol, the legendary Princess Julia.
Princess Julia dominated the alternative London music and fashion scene in the 80’s with Boy George and the rest of the Blitz Kids. The age-defying beauty, now 51, is still at the height of influence. She is crowned music editor of hipster bible i-D where she can propel new artists to their deserved place in the music industry while displaying her industry skills by DJing at the hippest venues.
It's hard to ignore the similarities in their look - both women sport the same bangs and similar style, having both influentially experimented with modelling and music, no wonder Julia identifies with her. The two met in a club, "The way I meet most people".
Princess Julia calls Viktoria a "star" and "sensation", rooting for a label to sign her, while Music Week have described her music as "slick production led pop fronted by an artist already boasting a healthy following through her modelling work". While this may be true and Viktoria is looking after her current fanbase, she is trying to challenge her critics and tap into a wider audience who may be unaware of her modelling past.
Julia's backing Viktoria Modesta’s pursuit of pop means only one thing - the girl is destined to succeed. I caught her after only her second music showcase at Hoxton Square Bar & Kitchen, where Princess Julia DJed before and after her set. The modern icons took a minute to chat to me after the show.
D: Hello Viktoria, how are you?
V: Hi, I’m very excited and very relieved, good night. I’m very good.
D: How are you finding the transition from model to musician?
V: Um, it was quite hard to start off with because I think people had a lot of judgement in terms of ‘Oh can she really sing?’ – ‘Oh ok she can sing.’ ‘Is she writing her own songs?’ – ‘Oh she’s coproducing her songs and she can sing.’
I think after all the showcases and performances I’ve finally gathered a group of people who come to all of my shows for all the right reasons – because they love the music and they love the concert. So I think the transition is over now. And now I can enjoy doing a bit of modelling on the side and music as a main career.
D: Is the music maybe going to overtake? If it gets big enough will you quit modelling?
V: I think I’m always going to keep doing everything. I’m so creative and you know I think ultimately what I do now as well as music is I creative direct everything that I do from photo shoots, to videos, to my styling, to you know, the stage set. I like everything to speak Viktoria Modesta. I think it’s getting there.
D: Who influences your sound?
V: A very big mixture of people and music actually. I love twangy kid of Tarantino rockabilly guitars – that’s the only kind of guitar that I like and I really love all the English 80’s electro bands – everything from Depeche Mode to Kraftwerk and stuff. But obviously I come from Eastern Europe so I like catchy songs that you really remember – it’s a fusion of different attitudes.
D. Last question – when can we expect a single or record release? Because I wanted to buy your song on iTunes and I couldn’t find it.
V: Well I’m currently trying to convince – I’m trying to spread the word and I’m trying to convince enough of the right people that they should take it on and that they should take this to the next level. The purpose of the showcase is to keep all of my fans satisfied with loads of visuals, loads of music, and also excite all the music industry that can turn this around really.
D: So you’re building up a record.
V: Absolutely building up a record and I think this was the last showcase this year. We’re going to concentrate on writing more tracks and we can produce a mega album that nobody can miss.
D: So we don’t know yet, it’s in the works.
V: It is in the works. Saying that I might be releasing a limited edition single just for the people that are actually already hooked.
D: That song that I love Jane Bond – it’s recorded, it plays on your website. It’s a brilliant recording, why don’t you put it on iTunes?
V: That’s the track that I’m considering putting out to release as a limited edition. I might actually release some proper CDs with great artwork for the people that really want to have the track, to have the whole thing and hold it in their hands.
D: I want it.
V: Sign up to our mailing list!
D: Princess Julia! Hello, how are you?
J: Alright very well thank you.
D: How did you like Viktoria’s second showcase tonight?
J: I thought it was wonderful.
D: Apart from i-D who else have you written for?
J: I write for QX International, I do weekly column which I love. And I’ve done lots of other writing for this and that. Ooh you’ll have to get back to me on that one!
D: Does i-D’s music agenda reflect your taste exactly?
J: Well it’s not exactly a music orientated magazine, it’s a style magazine. I go in there and I go ‘Ooh shall we do so and so and this and that?’ and they go ‘…Yeah!’ I choose people that have a style element attached to them, but I suppose everyone has haven’t they really, even if it’s an anti-style.
D: Is the creative control over the music choice all yours? Do you get a brief given to you? What you write about – is it all up to you?
J: I can go and choose what I want really – but there is another music editor as well. She does other stuff too so it isn’t all up to me. It’s a real team effort. There’s lots of other people in the magazine as well, they come to me and they go ‘Well what about so and so…’ No, it’s a very fluid, very flexible sort of set-up. It’s not rigid at all. There’s a huge crossover of things.
D: Ben Reardon, what’s he like as an editor? Is he your boss or… what’s he like to work with?
J: No, Ben Reardon works for GQ Style now.
D: Pardon me.
J: No but I’m going to work there too. I’ve already started.
D: Lovely.
J: Yeah, so I’m on the team of GQ Style as well. Yeah it’s really exciting.
D: How has i-D changed since you edited music – since you joined the team?
J: Ooh I don‘t know you’ll have to tell me that. I hope that I’ve made some sort of difference, I don’t know. I do a mixture of established people, really underground people from a bygone era that influenced me and really new people, unsigned people. Viktoria Modesta is one such unsigned artiste that I think needs to be signed and I’ve put her in the New Year’s edition of i-D.
I think i-D’s always been a platform for new things as well as an archive now for like, really fabulous old things. Most people come back with us as well. I interviewed Lydia Lunch for i-D and James Chance and so from my perspective I like a real crossover of conversations of sorts.
visit http://www.viktoriamodesta.com/ and http://theworldofprincessjulia.blogspot.com/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
