Artist description Laguna! blends Caribbean rhythms and pop into an uplifting, danceable form. Sequenced percussion and keyboard assist in adding density and a strong foundation to the music.

Music Style Electronic Pop for the masses! Lounge-tronica sure to make you groove.

Musical Influences Japan, Pizzicato 5, Jamiroquai, Steel Pulse, the Sundays, Miles Davis and Radiohead.

Similar Artists Bjork, Pizzicato 5, Cibo Matto, St Entienne, Blondie, Cardigans

Artist History Laguna! began forming during the summer of '98. Between summer and late fall the initial 3-piece worked at songwriting. By November of that year Joseph Bean joined the group spurring the group forward. Latest to join has been Janet Utterback who takes care of all backup vocal responsibilities. Through most of '99 Laguna! has worked to develop their songs and their performance skills. The end of July '99 marked the release of Laguna's! first demo recorded at Mirror Sound Studios in North Seattle. The band now plans to release it's latest effort "Morocco" May 2001. Currently Laguna! is poised to hit the club circuit heavily in Seattle.

Group Members Shane Peck- Drums, Sequence programming, Vocals; Lydia Nor-Lead vocals, percussion, keyboard; Keane Peterson- Bass; Joseph Bean- Guitar. Janet Utterback backing vocals and percussion.

Instruments Sequencer, drums, bass, guitar, saxophone, violin and vocals

Albums http://

Press Reviews Review from "100% Unnatural", an Electronic Pop Music Webzine (July/August 2001 issue). http://www.100unnatural.com Morocco, the new EP from Seattle lounge-tronica outfit Laguna, greatly expands upon the sonic palette of their debut EP, Uta. On it, Laguna add touches of downtempo house, drum n' bass, and funk to their trademark blend of ambient electonica and breezy Caribbean jazz. The results might not be as accessible as Laguna's earlier material, but they're certainly a lot more interesting. Where the tracks on Uta sounded like trip-hop remixes of old Martin Denny records, the songs on Morocco compare favorably to the electro-tropical experiments of the Tom Tom Club and Pizzicatto Five. The opening track, "Shooting Star" (assuming the track order on the band's MP3.COM page is the intended album sequence), begins with a mellow club groove then adds a Cardigans-esque disco guitar riff that bounces throughout the length of the track. "Morocco", the title track, is built around an idiosyncratic drum n' bass pattern that leads into the Arabic chorus of "Habibe, Habibe..." (which roughly translates "Hey, baby"). "You and Me" is a slow, jazz creeper featuring dueling saxophones and vocals. The saxophones are even more prominent on "Atmosphere", an eerie jam reminiscent of the ambient bookends on Morphine's Cure for Pain. Morocco closes with "Shinkasen", a better-than-average specimen of the Japanese-language fetish that's become something of a cliche in Poptronica lately (for another example, see Freezepop's Japanese track "Tenisu No Boifurendo"). Laguna are already one of the most unique acts in the poptronica scene, a fact that won't change anytime soon if they continue along their present track of experimentation. If you're in the mood for something chilled out that isn't the same old ambient drone, then Morocco is definitely worth the time it takes to download. -EH- Rating: 8 of 10

Location Seattle, Wa - USA

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