Last updated at 13:45, Thursday, 29 May 2008

The same but different. The familiar with a new twist. House music but with guitars and drums.

About to be exposed:Burn The Negative, from left, David Oliver, Gareth ‘Basserilla’ Milburn, Mark Baker, Lee Smith and Gary Little

As Lil Devious, Mark Baker and Gary Little have created dancefloor anthems for more than a decade, having hits around the world and featuring on huge-selling Ministry of Sound compilation albums.

In 2001 Come Home was number one in the UK’s dance, house and DJ charts and a hit in Italy, Spain, Japan and Australia. Now Mark and Gary have been joined by fellow Carlisle lads Gareth Milburn (bass), Lee Smith (guitar) and Dave Oliver (drums) to form Burn the Negative. The band have signed with Gung-Ho! Recordings, their first gig is just around the corner, and Mark is set to sing live for the first time in his career.

“We decided on a new name because the Lil Devious name didn’t work with this material,” Mark tells Nightlife.

“Lil Devious was a little bit more house music. This is house music pared down. It’s a little bit more song-based. It’s shown more of our songwriting skills, which you can’t necessarily do with house.”

Burn the Negative’s introduction to the world comes at Spirit on Crosby Street in Carlisle on Saturday, June 7. The band also play the Beat-Herder Festival in Lancashire in July.

The Spirit gig will be the first time Mark has performed with a full band, and the first time he has sung in front of an audience. He describes himself as an accidental vocalist.

“I used to do the guide vocals when we sent the Lil Devious records off to other artists to do the vocals. On a new track, You Control Me,

“I did the guide vocal with a view to giving it to another artist but everyone who heard it said it should stay.

“I was reluctant. We’ve been playing for 15 years and I’d always managed to avoid singing. It’s the first time I’ll be in front of the synths rather than me and Gary hiding behind a rack of synthesisers and using various different vocalists.

“Half of me feels a little bit anxious about it. On the other hand I’m really confident that the material’s everything we want it to be.”

The material is described as “epic keys, huge guitar licks, and percussion to drive nails into floorboards”.

About 80 per cent of the album has been recorded, at home studios in Carlisle, and hopes are high that it will be released this summer. While many of the tracks were written on keyboards several were created by guitar. “I think we have moved forward,” says Mark. “I think we have got a lot of credibility by the way we create a piece of music through the contrast of house music and songwriting.”

Burn the Negative: what does the name mean? “I like the double meaning. It could mean burn the photographic evidence or burn the negative feelings.

“That sounds good to me.”

First published at 11:42, Thursday, 29 May 2008
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk