Freaks come out

>> dZihan & Kamien are here to sample you

by CHRIS HATHERILL

The first thing that strikes you about Viennese downtempo duo dZihan & Kamien is the incredibly ugly cover of their album Freaks & Icons, which depicts the two of them in a Star Trek-meets-Italian-Renaissance-style pose, apparently suffering from some kind of facial rash. A budget UFO hovers in the background. It's a far cry from the Armani suavity of Thievery Corporation or the retro porn chic that laced the cover of Terranova's debut, but the music inside is right up there with the new downbeat elite; the Kruders and Dorfmeisters and Jazzanovas who are being rocked by everyone from your little sister to the Jetta-driving yuppies next door.

"It's a good fusion of dance music elements and more listenable, traditional musicianship," says Mario Kamien, explaining the genre's universal appeal. His partner dZihan can be heard talking in the background. Depending on which record label's bio you're reading, it's pronounced Jay-han, Gee-han or Gee-Whiz-han. Easier just to call him Vlado.

"Our music is influenced by all the other stuff happening in Europe," says Kamien, "but it's also got a lot of Eastern influences. Vlado's background, for example, is that he comes from Sarajevo and this is a very rich meeting point between Eastern and Western cultures, so he grew up with that. Myself, I had a girlfriend from Turkey for a long time, so I've been there many times, and this is why we both have an Arabic influence."

Instead of just lifting beats and strings from the Turks, the intrepid pair spent a week on the streets of Istanbul, which resulted in a track creatively entitled "Streets of Istanbul." They also used the Turkish recordings throughout the album, giving Freaks & Icons a definitive theme and vibe, something often lacking on today's full-lengths. But it's not all world fusion cooking, either. Most of the East-meets-West bits are subtle little touches that don't go overboard on the volume or quantity. It's not the in-your-face sitar vs. 303 sound that people are growing weary of, but a pleasant walk through a museum full of the best of both worlds.

"For our next project we will keep the Oriental roots," says Kamien, "but after the tour we are travelling to Cuba and probably going to record some musicians and noises there. We are very interested in recording background sounds. We usually make tapes everywhere we go."

So look for the "Streets of Havana" single soon, followed by a "Drunk Montreal People" track, since they're planning to capture samples at the show. Alternately, their adventure in Montreal (the pair's first-ever appearance in the frozen North) could result in the sounds of blowing snow and freezing rain.

"Is it really that bad?" Kamien asks on a day when it really is that bad. "I will have to bring some really warm boots."

Given their disregard for fashion, it's a good guess they'll buy those really ugly, warm, sensible boots. So if you see two Trekkies with microphones wandering around the Main in big moonboots, beware--you could end up on the best album of next year.

At Quartier Latin on Wednesday, Dec. 6, 10pm, $8