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The Scumfrog Set to Release 'Simmer'

Author: TranZfusion
Tuesday, October 19, 2004

New York: On October 26, acclaimed producer/ remixer/DJ, The Scumfrog (aka Jesse Houk), will unveil his highly anticipated debut artist album, 'Simmer', through Effin Records. Several years in the making, it brings together the worlds of electronic, dance, rock and pop. It has resulted in a sound that, although deeply entrenched in the underground, remains accessible to a wide range of listeners.

'Simmer' was entirely written, produced and performed by The Scumfrog in his NYC studio, and like most of Jesse's music, the tracks on 'Simmer' are all prime time - filled with glorious synths, guitars, and fat beats, blended with his own unique vocal style. Although the music on Simmer has roots in dance, it is important to note that there is an overwhelming rock'n'roll feel to the album. Jesse was determined that 'Simmer' was an expression of his musical influences, but rather than relying on an assortment of featured performers, he created something far more artist driven; that is eclectic while remaining true to the core Scumfrog sound. Not an easy task, but we think you will be pleased with the result.

With 'Simmer', The Scumfrog aims to invade the territory previously marked only by electronic music's biggest and best: Underworld, Prodigy, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim and The Chemical Brothers. These legendary groups were all founded on a love for dance music, but always took it one step further by embracing the live elements of other musical idioms. Here, soaring pop rock tracks like 'Set It Off' (featuring live drums and guitars), 'Come On' (with vocals that sound like a young Mick Jagger) and 'Simmer' (the first single), are paired with great club tracks like 'Domino', 'F Karma' and '8 Days, 7 Hours' (the b-side to Jesse's remix of David Bowie's 'Loving The Alien).

'Bacon' is one of the few tracks to include a vocalist other than Jesse. He enlists the considerable talent of Lucy Woodward, who joins him for an old fashioned call and response duet that is largely improvisational and a ton of fun.

'Beauty' is the album's dark, dirty and poetic closing track, featuring the original words of Miami based poet Miss Mae Barkley. Jesse is currently working on the live version of 'Simmer' and preparing an album tour later this year.

Born and raised in Amsterdam, Jesse was trained in both classical and jazz, and on guitar, bass, and piano. Soon though, he found himself gravitating to a much wider range of sounds and recording artists including Duran Duran, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, the Rolling Stones and Frank Zappa.

For over ten years, he DJ'd in and around Amsterdam and Europe until he moved to New York in 1997, where he recorded the first Scumfrog single, 'The Watersong'. Three years later, his soulful 'Learning To Fly' was signed to Roger Sanchez's R*Senal records, and in 2001, The Scumfrog and Sanchez toured together extensively. That same year, 'We Love You' (a cover of the Rolling Stones 60's classic) became the first Scumfrog number one UK club hit, and ever since he has been a familiar face behind turntables around the globe.

Since 2002, Jesse has scored six number one club hits in the US and UK, and his extraordinary performances continue to draw bigger crowds each month.

His remixes and collaborations with artists like Annie Lennox, Britney Spears, David Bowie, Missy Elliot, Enrique Iglesias, George Michael, and Kylie Minogue are consistently at the top of club charts and the world's most influential play lists.

In 2003, The Scumfrog released 'Extended Engagement', an acclaimed two-disc compilation featuring select remixes and original productions. He was nominated as "Best Remixer" and "Best Breakthrough DJ" at the 2004 DanceStar Awards in Miami Beach. His live performances continue to light up chat rooms and message boards throughout the world. The Scumfrog is an advocate of file sharing and one of today's most fan-friendly artists, offering free downloads of his new, and some

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