Moa

by Mike DaRoncoAfter spending many of year being hypnotized under the influences cabaret style vocals of Billie Holiday, Louise Armstrong and Ella Fitzgerald, Iceland native Moa eventually followed in their footsteps as a jazz singer while still in high school. But after recording a full-length album of acid-jazz tunes, she felt that it was time to move on into the genre of electronica. Having the chance to lay down some vocal tracks on the occasional techno single followed a collaboration with Eythor Arnalds, resulting in the 1994 industrial rock project Bong. Even thought the band reached some success in Iceland and press attention in England, Moa eventually moved on upon Bong's disband to start her own gig of combining her early influences of jazz, blues and classical with her love for dance, techno and synth pop. Tommy Boy Records took notice to Moa's sound and released her first full-length "Universal" in 1999.