by GERARD DEE

It's been a long time coming for Montreal-based duo Elektrip. Lead singer and lyricist Eugene Brotto first met bassist, keyboardist, guitarist, and drummer Simon Estérez 14 years ago. They even played in a band together for a while. Then they went their separate ways, until Brotto received an unexpected phone call from Estérez three years ago. The two reconnected and decided to record an album. Due March 16, the as yet untitled 13-track set was originally slated to be a double-disc release.

"We entertained the thought of launching our first album as a double album, which would have been very pretentious of us," says Brotto with a laugh. "And we were saying, ‘Well, we've got all this great music, why not?' But then for financial reasons we thought, you know what, it might be easier to stick to a single album."

The final project is a delicious blend of traditional and contemporary styles. "It's extremely eclectic, there's tons of fusion, there's all sorts of influences everywhere," explains Brotto. "Myself, I'm sort of bluesy, rock oriented. My influences come from the '60s and '70s. Simon is more on the jazzy side."

While Brotto is chief lyricist and Estérez handles the music, the two really work together to create the band's unique sound, which they describe as a "progressive blend of pop and electro-jazz."

Brotto says the band's goals for 2005 are simple: "Getting signed to a label, getting a booking agent, and getting exposure for the album as far across this planet as we can. I know that might take longer than a year, but if we could fit it all in a year, great."