Deep Zone & Balthazar - Bulgarian entry at Eurovision Song Contest 2008

Ó Exclusive interview by OGAEMALTA.com

1. Is this the first time that Deep Zone & Balthazar are working together and how did the idea to join your efforts come about?

No, this is not the first time we're working together. The idea to join our efforts came last year, when we were all booked for an event in a small bulgarian city. We met and talked a lot and found out that we have a lot in common, so we decided to do something together. Our cooperation began actually in June 2007, when we produced the hit song "Welcome To The Loop", which became very popular in Bulgaria. This was followed by 2 big national tours, which gathered more than 40,000 clubbers total, and many people started to recognize the combination of Deep Zone & Balthazar as a new and exciting project.

2. Will Deep Zone & Balthazar continue to work together after the Eurovision Song Contest? Are you planning to release a follow-up single after 'DJ, take me away'?

We'll continue to work together for sure, obviously we are doing a really great job as a team. There will be a follow-up single after "DJ, Take Me Away", but we still need some time to choose the right song. Also, we just released in Bulgaria our debut album, entitled "Album Of The Year". It includes 11 original tracks, 2 bonus club remixes of "DJ, Take Me Away" + 2 videoclips.
 

3. Your music is quite innovative to the Eurovision stage. It is based on loops and can be described as a DJ project - quite different from the typical Eurovision-pop songs. Were you somehow inspired by Bulgaria's last year's entrants Elitsa & Stoyan's 'Voda'?

Yes and No. We respect a lot Elitsa & Stoyan, we admire their work and their great achievement. However, our intention was to produce a different song, a non-typical Eurovision entry that would stand out on stage. And we think we succeeded.
 

4. Joanna can you please tell us how you managed to shoot the videoclip of 'DJ take me away' almost entirely naked with so many guys around you? And do you plan to 'wear' the same body paint for your Eurovision performance?

In the beginning I thought it's a really crazy idea, but then I decided that it would look very cool in the video. I was quite shy and that's why I asked all the guys (except the director) to go out from the studio, while we shot the naked part. However, the end result was definitely worth the efforts. For the Eurovision performance I will not use a body paint, I'll wear real clothes.

5. It is said that you have created a new musical instrument - the laser harp. Can you please tell us more about it and how different is this from Jean Michelle Jarre's? And will you take it with you to Serbia?

Yes, this musical instrument is something unique and it was made specially for us and our live performances. It's more or less similar to Jean Michelle Jarre's harp, but with a much modern design. The harp projects 20 green laser beams, which are controlled by a midi protocol. When you touch a beam with your hand then a sound is produced and you can play the harp like a real synthesizer. Of course, we'll take it to Serbia, it's an essential part of our show. We will even allow the journalists at the press conferences to try the harp for themselves.

6. What are we to expect as a performance for your Eurovision entry, especially, seen that your entry has quite a long instrumental introduction without any vocals?

At the moment we're preparing our performance for Belgrade and we believe it will be very spectacular. We will have a brand new styling, better choreography and many new elements. Now I can also reveal the newest addition to our stage show. We will use and present - for the first time in the world - the revolutionary product of the Japanese company Vestax, a turntable in the shape of a guitar. It will allow us (the 2 DJs) to go out of the Dj booth and scratch live like a guitar player. It was really hard to get these instruments, because they are still prototypes and not for sale.

7. Your entry has already hit MTV and promises to become a European dance hit. Do you think that the 'Eurovision entry' label on your track can hinder you from a wider success in the European charts?

We don't think so. In our opinion Eurovision could only help the track become even a bigger hit in Europe.
 

9. So, which entries do you think stand a good chance to be among the winners, (excluding your own entry, of course) ?

In our opinion the following 3 countries have quite a good chance to be among the winners: Iceland, Switzerland and Greece.

www.djbalthazar.com          www.deepzoneproject.com