(Sony BMG)

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last couple of months, you would have no doubt heard the latest offering from the Rogue Traders stable – Voodoo Child. Much to the surprise of many in the scene, Rogue Traders have emerged with a whole new sound plus a female member to their pre existing duo. Voodoo Child is the first single from the band’s second album, which is scheduled for release later this year.

Without a doubt, this new direction of sound and style can be classified as electro – clash pop. Its vampish vocals, punk energy and ultra pop feel make it perfect for both the dance floor and airwaves alike. After its initial release in May of this year, Voodoo Child has gone on to be placed on high rotation on all commercial radio outlets throughout Australia. Everyone’s humming the words, it’s hard not to. On the release itself, James Ash says: “The Sex Pistols were the biggest influence for Voodoo Child. But it’s not so much a musical influence as the attitude they had. The Sex Pistols were really about energy. It’s exciting to listen to them. It’s immediate music”.

While some may not like the new musical direction that the Rogue Traders have adopted, there are obviously many, many more who love it. Their latest release has done very well and the new hybrid of styles they compose makes them appealing to a vast number of music fans, both rock and pop combined. Steve Davis says “We don’t think of ourselves as a dance act, we think of ourselves as a band that uses electronics. We love our rock music and we love our electronic music and we’re meeting right in the middle. We’re making music that works on the dance floor and on the radio”. True that, and love it or hate it, it’s here to stay – so get used to it!