Clown of the Class
Bif, the daughter of a dentist, surely got a mind of her own. When
others of her age still used to play with dolls, she discovered beer and
boys as an entrance to her personal heaven. To be in a band was a more
than logical step to take for a permanently extrovert 17 year old,
who used to entertain the whole class during school. Not to be caught up
in routine, that was it all about. Some more or less unsuccessful band
stories after, she landed her first solo record deal. BIF NAKED was a typical
indie-record full of power and roughness. She didn’t bother that most of
the energy fell flat unfocused. "I was so happy to be able to do a record.
I had no idea of producing etc.. I was floating on a different cloud."
style hotchpotch
What takes us back to the cover. Beside Bif is also a glass of wine
and a well filled ash trace to be seen. "It seems to me that this
picture was taken eons ago," she says. She now got rid of drugs. As a happy
early riser and a regular work outer, she found her interior harmony. Besides,
she is more relaxed than ever. "I truly was reluctant to wear make-up
and decent clothes. I thought, this was so uncool. Well, that is bull shit."
I BIFICUS sounds way more relaxed, positive and like a real studio
production. The sound of the nineties came definitely to the music of the
Canadian. This is mostly due to her new producer Glenn Rosenstein, who
supported, and mighty promoted her. What remained the same is the style
hotchpotch. But there is no trace of the country- song and gangsta rap-
number, which she threatened to put on the new album 3 years ago. Never
mind, there is enough replacement for it. For example, the glorious single
SPACEMAN, that unites hardness and melody.
grilling and Easter eggs
Bif doesn’t think much of the nowadays so popular "girls with guitar."
"That’s is not a movement but just a fashion," she complains. "Sure, the
Lilith-Fair-Festival was a big success but I find it bad, that there were
no guys. I found it just as bad that there were no women at Lollapalooza.
I come from a society that doesn’t consider it right to ostracize any one."
She prefers organizing her own tour like last year the successful Bif
Naked’s Rap Punk Pop Invitationals in Canada. One sat together before the
show, grilled, had fun and played inline-hockey. "That’s how I imagine
a festival should be like," she is enthusiastic.
Bif would too like to present her music to the European audience. She remembers well her first Swiss concert 2 years ago as a fore group of Life of Agony and liked it despite having some serious problems with the sound. "We were playing in this hall right next to the lake. [meant is the Rote Fabrik] It was around Easter and we got as a gift some chocolate eggs. Isn’t that cute?" she rejoices. The ones who know the hardened promoters of North America, will understand Bif’s enthusiasm. If possible, the vivacious lady will show up for some concerts around May. If the lake (of Zürich, city in Northeastern Switzerland) will be warm enough to swim in, she asks at the end of the interview. Now that shouldn’t be a problem for Canadians.
Rolf Wyss
music scene, nr. 3, April 98