music

Burlesque queen Dita Von Teese dons her signature vintage corsets and gowns to incarnate a woman lost in sensual fancy in this video for electronic outfit Monarchy’s new single, “Disintegration,” directed by Roy Raz. “She’s a 1950s style housewife stuck in a toxic, dry relationship. She’s fantasizing, releasing herself in a dream world of lovers,” says the band’s Andrew Armstong. The fortuitous pairing began on Twitter, and after spending an extravagant Christmas in Paris together—joined by local characters like Catherine Baba and Diane Pernet—a friendship was forged. Soon Armstrong and partner-in-music Ra Black were penning songs for the master of striptease. The result is a synth-soaked track that brings model and author Teese’s inimitable suggestive touch to Monarchy’s soulful dance. “We considered doing an x-rated version of it,” says Armstrong. “Maybe we will some day.” Switching between stark domestic scenes to muscular choreography performed by Israel’s young Batsheva Dance Company, Tel Aviv-based Raz draws us into an imagined erotic world that is part retro, part surreal. “There should be something reserved, unreachable, unobtainable about an ideal muse—close enough to inspire but just out of reach to keep the mystery,” says Armstrong. “We have that in Dita.” Here Von Teese makes some confessions, including ex-husband Marilyn Manson's thoughts on her foray into music.  


How did the collaboration come about?  
Dita Von Teese: I had done a couple recordings of me “talk-singing” Mae West/Marilyn Monroe style for my burlesque shows, but those songs together with onstage visuals is different to just listening to my voice. Monarchy believed in me, so I did it anyway, and asked them to make me sound good!  

Have you always been interested in music?
DVT: I love music, of course, but I never had any intention of performing or helping create anything besides the music for my shows. I had a lot of input into things like styling for some of the music videos that my ex-husband [Marilyn Manson] did, but I wouldn’t ever have dared get involved in any other aspect of music. Actually, we played the song for Manson and the first thing he said was, “Why didn’t you tell me you could sing?”

How was it working on film rather than live performance?
DVT: I’ve been in a lot of music videos over the years, so I thought it was fun to be performing the lyrics while taking off my clothes for once! It’s nice to let go of the control of all of that and to trust someone. But I’m also a control freak about my hair, makeup, and wardrobe and doing it all myself for the video while also being in front of the camera isn’t so easy. I think I drove them crazy, asking if they could fix that “one hair out of place”!

What was it like working with Roy Raz?
DVT: He’s amazing. I loved the video he did for “I Won’t Let Go,” so when they told me they were trying to get him to do one for this song, I was thrilled to have the chance to work with him. We had an amazing time together in Tel Aviv making the video. It was an absolute pleasure, and delightful to be in that amazing city. 

Shanghai’s most feted and original singer premieres her latest track “19” on NOWNESS. After seven years on the scene as a vocalist, songwriter and MC, ChaCha is still experimenting with sound, with a repertoire that bounces from reggae to trip-hop to dub. For this release she teamed up with Along, Guangzhou producer and founder of the hip hop crew Chee Productions, whose Cantonese rap keeps things exotic against ChaCha’s lilting Mandarin, the lyrics looping around the theme of youth. ChaCha is no stranger to collaboration, however, having worked with international notables from Scottish electronic music veteran Kode9 to Jay Soul and Finnish dub DJ Desto, who all helped produce her debut album under the name AM444. Her breakthrough came after becoming the first Chinese mainlander to win a coveted place at the Red Bull Music Academy Sessions in Madrid last year. “When I got back from Spain, I went into the studio for two months solid,” says the Guizhou-raised songstress. “I suddenly felt so much more freedom to make music.” ChaCha—who also goes under the moniker Faded Ghost, a rare female DJ on the Shanghai circuit—is putting her talents into overdrive, working on a solo album. “It’s time for something experimental,” she says of the impulse. Add to that a reggae album for exclusive release in Japan, a small tour and a set of mixtapes, it makes for a packed calendar—with just enough room for ChaCha to share her opinions on music, food and Chinese megastars with us. 

Shanghai slick or Beijing gruff?
Beijing gruff.

Reggae dancehall or dubstep?
Dubstep.

Late nights or early mornings?
Late nights.

Hot lips or smoky eyes?
Smoky eyes.

Jacky Cheung or Jackie Chan?
Jacky Cheung.

Green tea or gin fizz?
Green tea.

Denim or leather?
Denim.

To the beat or off key?
Off key.