Product.01
A first-ever music/food project arrives to heat dancefloors and whet appetites

Before London club sensations Product.01 debut in Tokyo, Metropolis reached one half of the duo, Rochelle Vincente Von K, to talk techno and food. The Austrian-Australian vocalist and her partner, Italian-English producer Marc Adamo, arrive for La Fabrique’s London Calling series with their album Bullet Ride in hand. Coinciding with the release, Von K has also worked with UK food icon Kate Wood, the bestselling author of Eat Smart Eat Raw, to create the Bullet Ride Power Bar.

How did you hook up with Kate Wood?
I walked in off the street to try her fresh raw chocolate. We met and became instant best friends. I bought giant slabs every single day from then on, and now I make my own. I am always covered in chocolate! So then I did a raw chocolate recipe, and was bombarded with emails from around the world. I was inspired to ask Kate if she wanted to do a raw chocolate bar collaboration for our album Bullet Ride. I figured it was more interesting than selling T-Shirts!

What is the relationship between music and food?
They are both sexy to me! As a singer I have very irregular hours. My profession relies on my body 100 percent of the time, so I needed to find things that would keep me going. I wasn’t getting it from regular food. I wanted something that would not only sustain me, but also give me that edge, so I started experimenting with raw unprocessed chocolate and then super foods, super herbs and wild foods. I was amazed at the difference on every level. Energy-, creativity-, sensuality- and consciousness-wise, it enhances every aspect of my life, and is fun food that tastes amazing. Product.01 is also very high energy. So if people are up all night, I can guarantee they will make it through to the end on a Bullet Ride Power Bar!

What was the germination process for Bullet Ride?
It was a little crazy really. We did a remake of Blondie’s “Heart Of Glass” as a joke, and it became a hit. Suddenly we were on the road with Adam Freeland, Tiga, Fatboy Slim and many others. We were also inundated with remix work and collaborations, and trying to write songs in order to have a live show. We were booked but had no songs, so [we] had to pop them out fast! This time around we were able to take more time.

Is this the first co-branded album and food project? Is there a future for music and food co-branding?
Yes, this is the very first album and raw superfood chocolate bar duo in the history of branding! I think there’s a huge future in it. In fact, I have a whole range coming out, called LOVER, which will be launched in London in early 2008, along with the next Product.01 EP. What we offer is genuinely the highest quality food ever: organic, fair-trade, eco-friendly, vegan, sugar free, etc. It is helping to build the communities of the people who supply it to us. The other thing with this “branding” is, it is not like someone is sticking our faces and music on this thing we know nothing about. I eat this stuff every day of my life and want other people to have that bliss. It is as much a part of my life as the music is.

What is right and wrong about the current London club scene?
London rocks! I love the UK; it’s the most amazing place for music. That’s why I left my family in Australia to live here—pretty dramatic! There is always something going on for everyone and anyone’s tastes at any time of the day all year round. You never know where a night might lead you: a recent one had me dancing with Bryan Ferry! The only thing that sucks is daft people who decide to move next door to a nightclub and then go “Oooh, it’s too loud, turn it down.” Please!

La Fabrique, Dec 8. See club listings for details.

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