New "Queen of the Americas"
Get Ready Boys, Aria Is On Her Way

>> Aria is much more than a pretty face. >>

If you haven't had the chance to hear Aria sing yet, you don't know what you're missing.   With a voice from the heavens and the face of an Icelandic goddess, Reykjavik's latest export combines ethereal vocals with sublime dance music to create a sound all her own.  Like of many of Iceland's prior musical exports, Aria creates her own path and isn't content to follow the trail of those before her.

With Aria in Reykjavik and VOX here in America, we thought it best to make useful of the technology and conduct an e-mail interview.  As you'll note in Aria's replies to our questions, she has something of a sense of humor. Check out the interview, enter the contest, and get into Aria's music.

VOX: Why "Aria"?
Aria: My original name is Maria and since there are already several Marias who've made great names for themselves, including Callas and Carey, I figured I better drop the M and name myself after some of the highlights of the Opera world. Dropping the M may also be a subconscious effort to distance oneself from the typical M people of the world, i.e. Mediocre, Middle class, Middle aged, Morons.  

VOX: How do you construct songs?  What's the process like?
Aria: It's like constructing a house: You start by laying the foundations, i.e. the basic track, the groove pattern of the drums and the bass. On top of that you then lay the chord structure, which is parallel to a room structure of a house.  Then you choose your colours and decorations by writing a melody and giving it depth and meaning by the lyrics. This is the way it works for me. A lot of people do it the other way round, i.e. starting with the lyric and working your way from there on to the basic track itself.  

VOX: You're classically trained - what got you into electronic music?
Aria: Classical training opens up the voice, teaches you the correct breathing etc. It does not mean that you commit yourself to world of classical music at all. To me electronically programmed and conceived pop music is the most exciting and creatively stimulating format to work within, no disrespect to those poor bastards of the opera world who spend their entire lives belting out the same four or five operas by some dead Italian composers.  

VOX: What was the last day job you had?
Aria: Running a music school for children which is probably the most lovely and rewarding work anyone could dream of, eh…besides pop stardom of course!  

VOX: What are the biggest cultural differences or misconceptions between Americans and Icelandic people?
Aria: You'd be surprised as to how similar we really are to you Yanks. This is possibly due to the American NATO base we've had here in Iceland since the fifties, including an Armed Forces Radio and TV station.  It has also often been claimed that the American soldiers who came to Iceland during the Second World War, taught Icelandic men proper personal hygiene, such as brushing their teeth properly, chewing gum, polishing their shoes, not to mention the finer things that matter in life, such as treating women with the great respect they always deserved but never got, until the Americans came and charmed many of Iceland's loveliest young ladies, some of them all the way back to America.  

VOX: Is there something about the musical culture of Reykjavik that has caused it to produce so many hit artists (Gus Gus, Sigur Ros, Bjork) for a city of it's size?
Aria: Being both somewhat geographically isolated as well as so conveniently situated right between Europe and America, we get the best of both worlds, only we try to make up for the geographical dilemma by staying that much better tuned to what's going on elsewhere in the world. This makes us possibly a bit trendy as such, but first and foremost I would credit the success of Icelandic music to the maverick spirit of the Viking population who always will seek new adventures, if not through rape and pillage, then at least through innocent little pop ditties.  

VOX: Do you think America is ready for dance music to become more mainstream?
Aria: Absolutely yes!  

VOX: "Ariella" is the first single.  Where does the title & what is the song about?
Aria: Originally I had in mind a young lady from Brighton named Ariella who made a name for herself by writing controversial poetry. You may have read some of her masterpieces such as this one: There was young sailor from Brighton Who said to a girl "You're a tight one!" She said, "Upon my soul, you're in the wrong hole, There's plenty of room in the right one!"  

VOX: Please tell me about "Orange Meadows."
Aria: Just a charming little title really, sorry.  

VOX: Who do you listen to that inspires you?
Aria: My favorite source of inspiration at the moment is a recent record by The Human Body Orchestra, an Icelandic outfit featuring my fellow songstress Ragga.  This outfit creates fantastic music using only the equipment God gave them in the form of divinely sounding flesh and charming vocal effects, which they microscopically record and treat to the finest detail, creating a brilliant soundscape, suitable for both successful digesting in the dining room and lovemaking in the bedroom.  It was recently voted one of the 10 best records to come out in Germany.  

VOX: What are your plans for coming to America?
Aria: As you should be well aware of, it was us Icelanders who first sailed to and discovered America, a good 500 years before that Spanish sod Columbus. I would therefore suggest that the White House start preparing a formal invitation for me to return to my former colony, as the Icelandic Queen of the Americas!  Thank you very much for that, George, I'll be with you shortly!