The Moog’s Razzmatazz Orfeum

The Hungarian group The Moog first emerged on the American music scene with their 2007 debut album Sold For Tomorrow, this summer The Moog is back with their new release memorably titled Razzmatazz Orfeum. The members of The Moog are a group of stylish and energetic gentlemen; they are Tonyo Szabo on vocals and keyboard, Gergo Dorozsmai on drums, Adi Bajor on guitar and Miguel Gyorgy also on guitar and Csabi Szabo on bass.  The Moog sound has been compared to that of The Strokes, The Hives and Franz Ferdinand. Razzmatazz Orfeum shows a significant evolvement in the band’s sound and also shows a clear distinction from previous comparisons.

The songs in Razzmatazz Orfeum still contains some of the elements that made their debut memorable like catchy hooks, the emergence of multiple pop-rock genres like glam, goth and post punk garage rock  and of course high doses of pop. The new release also showcases Tonyo Szabo’s more forceful voice; his voice is inflicted with power and creates immediacy. Beneath the glam and pop, there is a deeper thread that holds the songs in Razzmatazz Orfeum as a well unified arrangement. The album allows an aura of darkness to emerge, an effect that provides a well needed contrast to balance the catchy hooks. Darkness assists in transforming the album into a dance with depth where even a trace of Bowie can be heard.

Sinister Girlz caught up with The Moog’s lead singer and asked him about the difference between an American audience and a Hungarian one, and what does Razzmatazz Orfeum actually means?

Sinister Girlz: Your new album is titled Razzmatazz Orfeum what exactly does that mean? And why did you decide to name the album that?

The Moog: This title is a mixture of a Hungarian and an English word which sounded great together and reflects the vibe of the album too. Razzmatazz is the English word so I won’t explain that one, but Orfeum is an old-fashioned Hungarian word for a type of ”night club” which only existed in the Austro-Hungarian Empire and only around the turning of the century. That’s not the only thing which we took from that period. Some song titles and even the album cover have the vibe of that era which we really like.

SG: What was the creative process like for Razzmatazz Orfeum?

The Moog: I wrote the majority of the songs for our second album but Gerg (our drummer) wrote one too and there’s a song that he and I wrote together. Anyhow when one of us brings a song to the rehearsal all the members put their ideas in, so the final version of a song is not necessarily the same as it was when it was originally written.

SG: Which song on the new album has the most meaning to you? And why?

The Moog: I like every song of course but “You Raised A Vampire” has the most meaning to me maybe, as I think the lyrics came out really good and we were able to catch the same meaning and vibe which the song represents. This song is rather about the connection between me and the world so you doesn’t necessarily mean one particular person.

SG: For audiences who have not been introduced to your music how would you describe your sound?

The Moog: I think we sound more like a rock band but the songs are still pretty catchy and more on the pop side. Our sound began to get a bit darker through the years not only because our guitar sound has changed a bit but we started to use synths, which made the songs more exciting and more characteristic at the same time.

SG: What’s the lasting impression you want to leave audiences with after attending one of your shows?

The Moog: After an ideal Moog show everyone is sweaty and screaming like crazy. If that is the reaction then I don’t care about the impression.

SG: What would you say is the difference, if any, between performing in front of an American audience and one from Hungary?

The Moog: There is a difference of course. The Hungarian audience knows us better so they are less shy and dance more.  In America the people seem to be more open minded about attending live shows. In Hungary people after 30 don’t really go out to a rock show unless it’s a huge legend [that's] been around at least for 25 years. The U.S. is different from this view-point. We’ve seen every generation at our shows, both men and women too.

SG: Have you ever had to work hard to win over an audience? What did you do?

The Moog: Sometimes they are a bit shy at the beginning but I try to loosen them up by jumping from the stage into the floor and singing right into their faces.

SG: What initially inspired you guys to sing and write your songs in English?

The Moog: I always listened to American or British bands mainly so it seemed pretty obvious to start singing in English. Not that I’d have anything against singing in Hungarian, but almost all the bands I like sing in English so I relate more to those bands than to Hungarian ones.

SG: Here’s a chance to plug your album why should people pick up a copy of “Razzmatazz Orfeum”?

The Moog: Because it’s similar in some ways to the music which comes from America but it still has an interesting touch which makes it a bit different. Hopefully in a good way.

SG: What are your plans for the fall and winter of 2009?

The Moog: We plan to come over to the U.S. this fall and do a tour as a support or our own. The dates are not confirmed yet but we’ll know more in a few weeks so check our MySpace page (www.myspace.com/moogband) or official site for updates as much as you can!