Creativity is key as the juggernaut takes off

THE power of an alternative radio hit is never more evident than at a festival.

As indie electronic outfit Midnight Juggernauts struck the opening chords of Into The Galaxy at Splendour In The Grass, the tent erupted into a mass of pogo-ing, happy people.

The band's surname-free founders Andy and Vincent and drummer Daniel Stricker beamed back at the bouncing boys and girls.

"Looking out to see 8000 people jumping together; that's really good," Vincent understates.

It was the day after the release of their debut album, Dystopia, a sci-fi soundtrack which was primed by two independent chart-topping EPs and the single, 45 And Rising.

A week later and the band are back on the road and preparing to sign contracts to release Dystopia in Europe, where they have critical acclaim and a core fan base after several successful tours there.

Vincent, responsible for vocals and synths, says they headline shows for 1000 people in France.

"It's weird having this buzz; the power of MySpace, people talking about us in magazines. In the past it has been difficult for bands here to get exposure overseas and now if the right people get into your music on your MySpace page, they start playing it in the clubs and introducing you to their friends."

An album that defies commercial fashion as Dystopia does could only have been made independently and released on their own label, Siberia.

"We have always been a band who needs the creative control," Vincent says. "We're not interested in becoming rock stars who shift units for a label. When we made the album it was such a luxury to have fun in the studio,explore different paths."

Dystopia has a sci-fi lyrical theme but the Juggernauts wanted to veer slightly away from the indie dance sound which had made their name on Triple J and in the clubs. Tours with Wolfmother, The Presets and Cut Copy dispelled any questions about their band status, as opposed to being classed as "producers", as most original artists in the genre are labelled.

And performances at festivals from Homebake to V confirmed their power as a live act, able to rock out with the best of their peers.

"A lot of people discovered us through the dancier tunes like Shadows and 45 And Rising and they thought we were a dance act," Vincent explains.

"But that's not all we are about - a lot of our songs are a lot darker than that. I was worried people might be disappointed that we didn't want to do an album of dance floor fillers because we wanted to make something that was more traditionally based. Bringing in acoustic guitars surprised a few people."

What surprised the band was not only the universal critical acclaim which has greeted Dystopia but the myriad touring opportunities being thrown their way. Not too many Australian bands can claim to have played a gig in China as they did on their way home for Splendour.

"That was a huge laugh," Vincent says. "We were invited to play in Shanghai on the way back from Europe and ended up playing to about 400 people in this club called Glamour Bar who had no idea who we were but really got into it."