When WET COOKIES played their first live sessions in 1999, their music was raw, untreated and loud. It was pure improvisation, inspired by 70s free-funk and albums like On The Corner by Miles Davies. This not only applied to individual solos, but the music itself was created spontaneously. All they needed was a basic guideline to really get the thing goin. Although based on traditional jazz instrumentation, their sound was clearly influenced by electronic music and artificial, psychedelic soundscapes. As the band experimented with numerous sound processors, electronic drums and mallets, the engineering gradually became an integral part of their live performances. In order to maintain this energy on CD, their debut album, Earthling was entirely composed and recorded live at two studio sessions in Vienna. Rooted in tradition but also heading into the future Earthling recalls not only styles from the likes of Herbie Hancock, Chet Baker or Gerry Mulligan but also elements of todays music like Groove Armada or St. Germain. Founders Axel Hirn (also known for his work with the dub combo Noiseshaper) and Bjoern Klein set out to make not just another nu-jazz album with some jazzy flavours over contemporary dance music, but to create an original piece of music that is entirely based on improvisation. This feat was made possible thanks to an oustanding group of musicians who participated in the project, some already established figures in the international jazz scene who have collaborated with artists like Natalie Cole and Joe Zawinul, amongst others. Finally, after recording the album, Axel added his own brand of dub-inspired madness, to give the Cookies a unique and distinctive jazz/dub vibe. Describe the hype and say easily one of those: Its cool, its brandy, its a bit like Miles Davis meets Fela Kuti meets King Tubby (dont take it to seriously!)