An interview with the voice of Cascada, Natalie Horler (b/c there isn't enough dance music on ONTD)


Twenty-eight-year-old Natalie Horler is the face of Cascada, and it’s her powerful voice which sets the German Eurodance outfit apart in a genre where artists are often interchangeably anodyne. Part girl-next-door, part Ann Summers catalogue vixen, her image is at once fun and assertive with a charmingly cheeky edge.

Third album 'Evacuate the Dancefloor', released earlier this year, has seen Cascada expand their musical range, with some tracks coming much closer in style to the glossy R&B of Lady Gaga than the beat-heavy Eurodance of DDR games and fairground rides. Riding high on the success of the title track and first single, they're soon embarking on a Clubland tour with N-Dubz, Darren Styles and Agnes, which includes a date at the HMV Hammersmith Apollo on 5 December.

I caught up with the bubbly Horler on a long-distance phone call to Germany, where she resides, to get the dirt on Cascada's new sound, their upcoming UK tour and her take on London.


Hi Natalie. Firstly, I'd like to clarify: are you considered to be Cascada, or are you the image and vocalist of what is, in fact, a group?

Natalie Horler: We actually are a group. I work with two producers [Yanou and Manian] and the three of us make up Cascada. They just don't come on tour, that's all; I do the whole live bit and they do all the producing. They've always chosen to stay low-profile where I've always been the face of everything, that's why sometimes there's a misconception.

What about the song-writing, is that a collective process?

NH: Yes. Although Yanou and Manian do most of that... Yanou is the brains behind it.



I wanted to talk about Cascada's sound. I'm a fan of former hits 'Everytime We Touch' and 'Miracle', but it seems that with the new album, your sound has evolved. The title track and first single, 'Evacuate the Dancefloor' – which reached number one in the UK charts over the summer – is more electro-R&B than purely Eurodance.

NH: Yeah, this album compared to the first two albums is a little bit different. You said it in the right words – we did evolve. The thing that I like to stress is that there are tracks on the album that resemble the old style, especially because we are loyal to our fans. But as artists, on a creative level, you want to change and try new things and evolve slightly; it's a natural process. That we chose to bring 'Evacuate' out as our first single was risky business, because people don't know us for that. And the reactions were in that direction, because people literally didn't even think it was us.

Indeed!

NH: But I love it – it's definitely my favourite album. It shows a different side of us. We tried to make it versatile and I think we did a good job.

What do you say, then, to people who don't take vocal dance music seriously?

NH: [laughs] Watch on YouTube when we did the unplugged version [of 'Evacuate the Dancefloor']! It's just raw vocals and guitar and you can see that there's musicians behind all this. You can take any pop song and pick it apart and it's not that much different to a dance track. Just because you use a computer to add a harder beat or make it a few beats per minute faster – if you strip all that down, it's still a pop song!

You'll be in the UK later this autumn as part of a Clubland tour. What can we expect from Cascada live?

NH: Definitely a very energetic show, because we do get the crowd riled up. We have fun doing that. I think we're doing about forty minutes, and yeah, it'll be a mixture of all three albums – a trip into the past, but also a little taster of what's to come.

Energetic dancing forms a big part of your shows and also your videos. Are you personally into clubbing and going out?

NH: Yes. Nowadays I don't get the chance to go out that much, on a private level – especially on weekends, because I'm working. But when I do get the opportunity, it's something I still enjoy. I love going out with friends and just getting on the dance floor, dancing about and having a few drinks. I've never been the librarian type! I'm more of a party girl. [laughs]

Do you like going out in London?

NH: Oh yeah! I have a lot of gay friends, actually, and they always let me into the gay clubs.

Since you're a repeat visitor, is there anything you particularly like about the city?

NH: I just love London, it's an amazing city. I've grown up visiting, obviously, because I'm actually from England although I grew up in Germany. London is partly home, and it's just so multicultural, which I love. The only thing I don't like sometimes is the overfilled tourist parts, but you get that with every big city. Oh, and the shopping is definitely incredible, I love the high streets. I'm big on Camden Town too. And I always have fun in Soho. There's great night life and I love the people!

Cool. Thanks for your time, Natalie, and enjoy London next time you're here.



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