...Infernal
Dance the devil: They've been in the UK singles charts for the past nine weeks, and embedded in the Irish top 10 for three whole months now, but who are these people gifted with a Gnarls-like power of chart longevity? They are 29-year-old Lina Rafn and 28-year-old Paw Lagermann, Denmark's biggest dance act, with numerous gold and platinum discs to their name, a raft of club awards and even a Danish Grammy. They're also one of Denmark's most long-lived dance acts, having released their first record way back in 1997. The Infernal formula is simple: get beat, add sample, write inane lyrics and watch the records fly out of the shops. The current single, From Paris to Berlin, has been doing the business all over the Eurozone, establishing Infernal as a force to rival even Denmark's greatest-ever europop export, Aqua.
Danes' world: Lina and Paw, both from Copenhagen, met in 1991 and found they shared a passion for bassomatic, technotronic dance pop. It didn't take them long to establish themselves as the country's top dance duo; they played all the big clubs in Denmark and regularly topped the charts. After nearly a decade of domestic success, the duo decided it was time to push the boundaries and break through internationally. From Paris to Berlin was three years in the making, and sees them trying out different dance styles, from chillout to hardcore under- ground to old school pop. "This is a declaration of love to a genre that we love in all its shapes and forms," say the duo.
Pitch control: As expected, the album coasted to No 1 on the Danish hit parade in late 2004, but the "international edition" didn't come out till a year later. By that time, all of Scandinavia had fallen for Lina's platinum blonde Barbie looks and Paw's beefcake physique, and other countries were falling like dominoes for these danceable Danes. The single, From Paris to Berlin, hit the UK top five around mid-April and the infernal thing has been clinging on ever since. The duo even cut a special World Cup version of the tune, entitled From London to Berlin, with the lyrics changed to appeal to footie fans.
Hell to pay: Infernal's rise to the top hasn't been without its little setbacks. Last year, the duo felt the wrath of a German metal band called Infernal who didn't like sharing the name with these dancey Danish heathens. It seems the metalheads posted some not-very-nice remarks on the duo's website, but Lina and Paw were quick to offer a dove of peace. "To us there is no problem in them having the same name as us. If they play hard guitar-based rock, there will hardly be any confusion."
