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Hello! This is the first of a series of interviews that Synthpopalooza Radio will be doing with premier and unknown acts in the synthpop genre. We hope to feature these once a month. And now, without further ado ... we present our featured Artist of the Month!



This unique three-piece outfit from Boston is just the thing for you if you miss the blippy videogame new wave culture of the early 80's. The band was formed in 1999, and consists of three members:


photo by tony norton

Liz Enthusiasm: She's the main songstress here, and her hairstyle and clothing apparel (most of it bought on e-bay) are definitely stuck in 1983 where they belong!

The Other Sean T. Drinkwater: He does synth and vocoder work here. The story behind him is that he's actually the genetically engineered "clone" of the original Sean T. Drinkwater (from the "Lifestyle" band).

The Duke of Candied Apples: The real programmer of the band. His main expertise is in programming the Yamaha QY-70, the main piece of musical equipment which drives Freezepop music.


Their music is really unique, at times recalling the videogame culture of the 80's, the retro-future cartoon vision of the 60's (The Jetsons), and other forms of 80's new wave kitsch. Their first recordings were two EP's (the Purple and Orange EP's) in 2000. These got the band some notice and they started playing gigs in April of 2000.



In early 2001, came the band's first full length album, Freezepop Forever, which has taken the synthpop scene by storm. Consisting of tracks from both EP's plus a couple of new ones, the whole album is an exercise in carefree, blippy synthpop music, at times with strong Japanese Pop influences. This is a band which really knows how to have fun with their music. They never take themselves too seriously, and the songs themselves are light cheerful colourful fun, laced with the cold icey roboticism of the 80's new wave.






photo by roland oulette

Perhaps the most unique element of their musical style is their minimalism. In the studio, the only items which are used in the music (apart from the vocals of course) are a vocoder, and a Yamaha QY-70. This is a small musical sequencer which on appearances looks very similar to a Nintendo gameboy. In effect, this musical style is a reference not only to the band's simplistic and carefree mindset, but also to the Japanese culture which heavily influences this band. In addition, the Duke himself brings his QY-70 with him when the band plays live. During his performances, the image of the Duke twiddling with his QY-70 gives the band a unique live appearance.
Several songs stand out on the debut album stand out: "Science Genius Girl", a vocoder-driven affair about a very smart girl who does various scientific experiments that result in the cloning of her band members; "Tenisu No Boifurendo" ("Tennis Boyfriend"), sung entirely in Japanese; "Robotron 2000", about a love affair between a girl and her favorite robot after a nuclear holocaust; "Freezepop Forever", the band's signature tune, which provides an excellent introduction to the group. The band has it's more serious side with tunes like "Tender Lies" and "Plastic Stars" but even these are laced with enough carefree stylings to keep them in the realm of blippiness. It is this unique approach which has garnered the band much attention, and resulted in them winning the ASA award for best new artist in 2000 at SynthCon.




The following interview reveals insight's into the band's music and personality.


SYNTH: Where did your colourful names (Liz Enthusiasm, The Duke of Candied Apples, the "other" Sean T. Drinkwater) come about?

LIZ: My parents, Professor and Mrs. Enthusiasm, named me Elizabeth. Liz is just my nickname!

DUKE: the other sean wrote down a list of some pretty fantastic names and it was the most absurd one on the list. i have a love of the absurd and strange. it has made some people uncomfortable though. they seem to dislike addressing me in royal terms. their loss i suppose.

SEAN: I am the only child of David and Cheryl Drinkwater. They can be reached for comment at 207.338.2038. I encourage all readers to do this.


 SYNTH: It seems that your music style is very firmly entrenched in the 80's, as is your fashion style. Did any of you ever carry on this dress sense during the 80's?

photo by eric johansen

LIZ: Hmm. I think the way I dress now is kinda 60's-meets-80's-meets-2040. The way I dressed in the 80's was definitely more of a pure 80's aesthetic, and very music-related. The capezio shoes and skinny grey leather tie a la Nick Rhodes. The day-glo pink lace scarf in my hair and fingerless Madonna gloves. The "Choose Life" shirt before all those pro-lifers co-opted it from Wham. Those were the days.

DUKE: in the 80's i was a HUGE cure fan and thusly looked a bit like a teenage robert smith with messy dyed balck hair and black sweaters, dont let anyone know that i have a goth past will you? kidding, i'm proud of my goth heritage!
photo by eric johansen

SEAN: There has been absolutely no change in my overall aesthetic sense (including dress) since I was 11 years old. I wear a little less make-up now. My mullet is coming back in nicely
SYNTH: Could you describe what your first live performance as a band was like?

LIZ: I was really nervous. Even though it was just at a party.

 DUKE: it was at a theme party that was a Prom type event. no one there was remotely high school aged though. it was a lot of fun! a little scary though since i couldnt remember how the songs went and liz had to tape the lyrics up to a few songs since she wasnt too keen on the lyrix either...
SEAN: I looked good. I seem to remember they looked good too. We're fairly cute in person. Using the old vocoder set-up (a rack vocoder with a separate keyboard to trigger it) was a real pain and I'm glad we have an all-in-one unit now.


SYNTH: I understand that the only instruments you use in your recordings (apart from your voices) are a Yamaha QY-77 and a vocoder. What prompted you to try for this minimalist approach?

DUKE: first of it's a qy70 not 77 although if there was a 77 then there would probably 7 more sounds in the box which would be helpful since there arent that many to begin with. i got the box initially as a song-writing tool thinking i could hack out songs and then replace all sounds with other programming but quickly realized that is had great sounds for synthpop! sometimes in my home studio i get a bit overwhelmed by having lots of gear and sometimes it's hard to start a song because i look at all the gear and end up spending most of the time troubleshooting rather than writing. so with the qy70 i can be anywhere writing songs as finished products which is very liberating. also the challenge of trying to push the box as far it will go brings some fun to the process as well. and i'll have to say that not having to bring a ton of gear to shows is fantastic!

SEAN: We were impressed that what would've taken tens of thousands of dollars worth of gear in 1981 was possible with a $400 box in 1999. It seemed like an interesting experiment and still does.


SYNTH: I have noticed your music has a lot of J-pop influences (especially the Japanese-sung "Tenisu No Boifurendo") ... have either of you spent any time in Japan, and what were your experiences like, and how well has your album been received in Japan?

LIZ: I love Japan. It is the craziest place in the world. It is constant sensory overload. Nothing makes sense. I've been there twice. The first time, I was visiting a friend who was teaching there. I stayed for 2 1/2 weeks. My friend lived only about 1 1/2 hours outside of Tokyo, but it was very rural. I got stared at a lot, being the pink-haired gaijin. Really, kids were amazed by me, it was like I was some kind of superhero or something! The last time I was there was last year, and only for a few days. I stayed in Tokyo the entire time. I really want to go back!!


Our album has not officially been released there yet, but Elefant (the Spanish indie label) have licensed it for release in Europe/Asia/South America, and it's due in October, so let's hope for the best...

SEAN: I have only spent time in Japan vicariously through our friends on the Space Battleship Yamato.


SYNTH: For those of us who don't speak Nihon-go, could you explain what the lyrics to "Tenisu No Boifurendo" are about?

LIZ: Oh, but that would destroy the mystery. People probably think it's really deep and moving....

SEAN: It's about a hero who falls prey to greed and prejudice. This hero eventually has a dream sequence in a desert and is visited by spirits who redeem him. All he has with him is his tennis racket to recall his former life and loves. It's very Dickens.


SYNTH: I detect a bit of 80's video game influences, especially in your "Robotron 2000" track. Did any of you ever own or play an Atari 2600?

LIZ: No, but I played my neighbor's Colecovision Smurfs game a lot.

 DUKE: i have a 2600 and spend many hours still playing yars revenge and subhunt. missle command comes in a close third. oh, and in the haunted house game you can write neat little songs with the sound fx in the game!

SEAN: Oh yes. Raiders of the Lost Ark. Nightdriving...


SYNTH: In "Summer Boy" I detect a lot of influences from the 80's girl new wave music. I can detect a few lyrical similarites to "I Want Candy" by Bow Wow Wow. Which female-fronted new wave acts from the 80's do you count as influences?

LIZ: Human League, obviously. But in terms of specifically female-fronted acts, that would be more of the J-pop thing. Not the super-cheezy J-pop, but stuff like Takako Minekawa, Kahimi Karie, Yukari Fresh, Hi Posi.

 DUKE: for me the only girl synth band i listened to was book of love. only recently have i been listening to human league... i wish there were more out there though. most girl synth bands from the 80's seemed to be one hit wonder acts, sadly.

SEAN: "I Want Candy" was actually released as a single in 1965 by a group called The Strangeloves, so again our sixties influences are easily confused with our eighties influences. Personally I would say Yaz is an influence, but more on the Vince Clarke side of things than the Alison Moyet side. There's always Blondie too...


SYNTH: In many ways your music is unique and refreshing. Do you ever worry about being classified as a novelty act like Weird Al Yankovic, or a one-hit wonder like Men Without Hats or Kajagoogoo?

LIZ: Although we're aiming for more of a "cult success" sort of thing, if fate made us a one hit wonder, I would not mind it at all.

DUKE: it seems as if bands that want to be silly or happy or absurd tend to get lumped into novelty bands. especially when all the songs on their album follow that formula. i think bands that yell and scream all their lyric and write about how sucky their lives are, are novelty bands. i think there are times when freezepop does cross into slilly fluffy songs, but there are just as many serious songs there as well. just trying to mix it up a bit...
SEAN: Weird Al is the most dependable artist in the last 25 years. You always know when that guy releases something that it's going to be good. Who else can you say that about? I'd love to be in his class. I would also say that none of us would shy away from being primarily identified with one song if it were the right song. Better than not being identified with any song.


SYNTH: I understand that all of you (or your clones, as the case may be) are or have been involved in other musical projects. Could you give a little bit of background on these?

LIZ: Sean and I are partners in the Archenemy Record Company with some other friends of ours. (www.archenemy.com) We've put out a pretty diverse variety of stuff, basically just whatever we like.

 DUKE: i was in the electronic rock band splashdown, until it's demise earlier this spring. that was a lot of fun, but sadly got crushed by the steamroller of a recording industry. i also write instrumental electronic music in genres ranging from trip-hop to ambient to trance under the band name "symbion project". in an upcoming PS2 video game there will be 4 symbion project songs and also "science genius girl" by freezepop! should be lots of fun.

SEAN: I sing with a group called Lifestyle who have gone through many stylistic and line-up changes in the last three or four years. We finally have a solid four-piece line-up now, and we'll be releasing new material shortly. More along the New Order/Duran Duran/Smiths side of things than Freezepop, but similar in some ways. http://www.lifestyleland.com




SYNTH: You were recently selected at the ASA as Best New Artist. How did you feel when you won this award?

LIZ: It was great! Even though it's really niche-y, it's our own little niche. Obviously, not everyone is going to be into our music, so it was good to get some validation from synthpop fans.

DUKE: it felt really great!!! it meant that in only a brief year we were able to make a substantial impact on the US synthpop scene. i hope we can continue to reach listeners in many genres and make them aware that there is a flourishing synthpop scene alive and well in the states.

photo by eric johansen

SEAN: Amazing. It was a validation of what we've been spending all of our time and energy on in the last three years. It was perfect. I wish we could've been there with The Duke. I would liked to have seen some of the bands playing as well.


SYNTH: What are your immediate plans for the future regarding a new album, tours, or remix projects?

LIZ: We have a big EP coming out in October, with new songs and remixes from the album. Hopefully we'll be doing some touring early next year.

 DUKE: we are working on an EP to come out in the late fall that will have new freezepop songs along with remixes of songs off the full length and some oddities that we've received by email. then our goal is to finish a follow up full length cd to come out in spring or maybe early summer. so keep your ears peeled.

SEAN: There's a Freezepop ep in the works right now. There have been rumors of a Spring tour...


 Okay, now for the final 10 catch-all questions:

1. What was the most outrageous outfit you have worn during your high school days?

LIZ: Errr... that would be my SCHOOL UNIFORM!! Icky plaid skirt, yellow shirt, navy blue sweater and knee socks. I think it really made me what I am today, because I've clearly overcompensated for my uniformed years by acquiring a ludicrously extensive and flamboyant wardrobe.

DUKE: one day i took a scrumptious piece of white bread and toasted it up real nice and poked a hole in it and tied a show lace through it and made a nice necklace and then wrote the word toast across the front of it with balck magic marker and then wore it to school. when i got hungry, i just nibbled on it. hmmm. toast!

SEAN: Anything that made me look like VIolator-era Dave Gahan. A ripped jean-jacket comes to mind.

photo by melissa gibbs

2. What was the name of the first album you ever purchased.

LIZ: Seven and the Ragged Tiger

 DUKE: kick. speaks volumes dont you think?

SEAN: Seven and the Ragged Tiger


3. If you had your choice, which character in theatrical movies (past or present) would you be, and why?

LIZ: Movies make me fall asleep.

 DUKE: the guild navigator from Dune. he got to float around in a giant tank of gas and get high all day and travel around without really going anywhere and then have minions sweep up after him. now that's the life.

SEAN: That's easy, Count Dooku from "Attack of the Clones"


4. What sort of arguments did the duke's QY-70 and QY-100 have with each other, and why did it become necessary to sell one of them?

DUKE: the qy100 was really pushy and thought that it could take over and boss everyone around. i wanted to have it put to sleep but ended up finding it a better owner at the pound. i mean ebay.

SEAN: I thought the qy-100 was kinda sexy. I don't mind a little extra weight through the hips. I guess that made the qy-70 even angrier.




5. Who is your favorite sci-fi robot (past or present)?

LIZ: IQ-9 from Star Blazers

 DUKE: the floating trash can robot from the movie "the black hole"

SEAN: Bishop from Alien. Also, what is Lucifer from Battlestar Galactica? Is he a robot of some sort? He'd get my vote if he were definitely a robot.


6. If you suddenly became world famous millionaires overnight (hey it could happen!) what would be the first thing you'd buy with your newly-found riches?

LIZ: A nice house. And lots of space-age furniture for it.

 DUKE: a giant tank filled with the spice melange.

SEAN: A Yamaha CS-80, a Oberheim Matrix 12, a Waldorf Wave, a PPG Realizer, A Fairlight CMI IIcx, a Sequential Circuits Prophet 10 and T-8, and a Jupiter 4 and 6 to go with the 8. I suppose I'd buy a 909, but I have a feeling I wouldn't keep it. It would be nice to have a really solid Modular system like a Roland 100m. Oh, and a sit-down Star Wars arcade game.


7. Do any of you have any pets, including those Japanese tamagotchis? If so, did any of the electronic pets ever die on you? (by the way, there's a good lyrical idea for you Liz: Write a song about a tamagochi!)

LIZ: I have Swedie, the cutest chihuahua ever. All he ever wants to do is snuggle. Which is fine by me. He is so funny and amazing. I know I sound like a psycho mom when I talk about him, but I just can't help it.

And yes, I had a Tamagotchi. And yes, it died. I had serious guilt over that one. I think if I wrote a song about it, it would be just too sad.

 DUKE: does my harem count as pets?

SEAN: We did have plans to introduce a new member of Freezepop, a Sony electronic dog who can read standard midi files. We'll have to see if one that pans out.


8. Who is your favorite Pokemon character?

LIZ: That's one aspect of Japanese culture I've just never gotten into.

 DUKE: sailor moon

SEAN: Leader Desslok.


9. To Liz: What was the most recent transaction you had on e-bay?

LIZ: I recently sold a LARGE amount of clothing. I got really motivated to clean out my closets, and it went pretty well, so it's motivating me to get rid of even more!

As for purchases, I just got some pink, orange, and gray fake fur. So if you see me onstage wearing a pink/gray/orange fake fur outfit, you'll know where it came from


 10. Last one guys: What is your favorite flavour of Freezepops? (I like the Grape ones, personally)

LIZ: I just go on a whim, I don't have a decisive favorite. I guess green is my least favorite though.

 DUKE: mango.

SEAN: I'm very very partial to grape, although blue raspberry and strawberry also hit me the right way. I'm not a huge fan of cherry. Liz is probably my favorite flavor Freezepop.




Well, that's it. Thanks to Freezepop for participating in this interview! If you are interested in Freezepop music and would like to find out more, go to their website at freezepop.net ... and until next time, keep on synthpoppin'!