It was
just an ordinary day for Millennium in Los Angeles. I was sitting across the
table with my pen and pad. Stryker was sipping his coffee reading the Wall
Street Journal and Sapphire was thumbing through emails on her Android phone.
The breakfast table was littered with the wreckage of pancakes, scrambled eggs,
bacon and fruit. Suddenly Sapphire shrieked causing Stryker to spill his coffee
and momentarily bite his lip in mild irritation. "Newswire wants to
feature us in an article!" she gushed excitedly. "And it's
titled..." She paused for dramatic effect. "The Sultans of
Swag!". Stryker shoveled more pancake into his mouth, took a big swig of
coffee and looked up with a grin. "Cool!"
Like I said, it was just another day
for Millennium, the innovative pop duo out of Los Angeles, California that is
quickly generating a buzz for some good reasons. First, Millennium has a look
that turns heads. Even on an off day, Stryker is typically seen with a fur on
his shoulders, high-tech goggles, spiked wristbands and giant black combat
boots. Sapphire, is often spotted in a tight metallic silver dress with white
fur boots and lots of bling (sapphires of course). Secondly, they write,
compose and produce all of their own music. While Stryker will insist that the
music they create is derivative, drawing upon the work of his favorite artists
from decades past, it does feel like a breath of fresh air in the stagnant mire
of pop music. The truth about Millennium is this: The two live in a
sphere that few of us could fathom or understand- a combat zone of beats,
fashion and original music. It occupies their every thought and word from the
moment they sit down to breakfast to discuss strategy to the moment they
retreat from the studio late at night. Millennium is a force to be reckoned
with, gifted with great songwriting ability and an unusual ambition to express
their life experiences through music.
Millennium's first single "When
We Walk In The Place" is the perfect opener. It's a bold and slightly narcissistic
dance song about the importance of embracing one's own personal style- at first
listen. However, I'm convinced that in a society that is becoming increasingly
homogeneous and creativity disinclined, the seriousness of the song cannot be
dismissed. Curious to know the real inspiration behind 'When We Walk In The
Place', I asked Millennium if my alternate impression was correct. Both
exchanged nervous glances, seeming uneasy that such a critical interpretation
should arise. "Honestly, we weren't thinking that deep when we wrote it.
It's actually a song that ran through my mind when we'd walk into a restaurant,
bar or club. It's completely self-centered and comical. I think that'll come
through in the music video." So what's the video about? "Well, you'll
have a to wait a couple weeks to see, but basically we're just swagging across
the city running errands, getting coffee, going to the drugstore, dry cleaners,
gas station..." Okay, that all sounds rather tame. But that's probably
exactly what they want me to think. This duo doesn't do tame so there's bound
to be a catch.
What's
swagging? "Swagging is what people first started calling our walk when we
started filming the video. It's pimp walking with swagger, or Swagging
for short. It garnered enough laughter on set that we decided to film an
entirely separate video "Swagging In L.A." which features ordinary
Los Angeles residents doing their version of swagging. It really is quite
entertaining." Swagging? Hmm, is it a bit like this? I ask the question
while beginning a faltering limp across the living room floor that sends both
Stryker and Sapphire into a fit of laughter. "You've got it brother.
You're swagging!"
Judging
by the writeups Millennium is receiving in Newswire, Avant Garde, Source One
and others, in response to their first single, Millennium is seriously swagging
too. The new dance club hit can be purchased here on:
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