MySpace a place for friends

In a far off glamosphere of glitter-soul, funk-and-roll, somewhere between Al Stewart, David Bowie, and Funkadelic, skates a dandy-disco-roller-rocker. He has the looks of Frank Zappa, the suave of Serge Gainsbourg, the feet of James Brown and dress, words and a way, all his own. He is Conquistador.

Conquistador started when Bel Air, California-bred artist, designer, and DJ, Alexander Antebi got together with Brian Kehew, author of Recording The Beatles, keyboard player for the Who, half of the Moog Cookbook, and producer of Fiona Apple's 2005 record Extraordinary Machine started experimenting with everything from Earth, Wind & Fire's old tape machine and Larry Graham's custom bass amp to Mellotrons, Chamberlins, and famously customized analogue synthesizers.

Soon, it evolved from a two-man operation into a collaborative effort featuring members of the Who, the Moog Cookbook, Kinky, VHS or Beta, Banda Uniao Black, Nefertiti, and the Phenomenal Handclap Band, which appear on Conquistador's 2007 now-out-of-print, self-released EP, The Royal Fifth, which garnered critical praise. Time Out New York magazine dubs Conquistador "Candy-land-strip-mall-jet-set-executive-super-soul-seventies" music and Electronic Beats magazine describes the artist as "a combination of James Brown, David Bowie, and Austin Powers all rolled into an Edwardian funk character of sorts." "I like to call it glitter-flamenco-fuzz-baroque-rock-skate-disco-psychedelic that's quite tongue-in-chic," says 28-year-old Alexander Antebi, a.k.a. Conquistador.

"I find inspiration for my music everywhere - from 17th century Spanish influences to early '90s hip-hop to art deco, Turkish fuzz-tone, Italian horror film soundtracks, psychedelic, and baroque, and in supermarkets, thrift stores, and even in my utility bill," continues Antebi. "Inspiration can come from the click of new wave vato heel as I stumble home after a night of skullduggery and debauchery, or from an ice cream truck that plays forgotten music box songs through a distorted speaker."

These inspired sounds can be found on Conquistador's upcoming 2010 release, tentatively titled The Rise of the Conquistador. Among the guests on the release is Brian Kehew (the Moog Cookbook, the Who), who plays keyboards and Mellotron on "Vanity Fair," the T.S. Elliot T-Rex-tasy glam jam, and "Pirate Cigar Girl," a Mexican-Bowie-disco infused ditty. Carlos Chairez of Mexican super group Kinky contributes the guitar solo to "Vanity Fair," which also features Enrique "Bugs" González (Aleks Syntek, Jumbo, Dave Weckl) on drums. Chairez also co-produced "Canary in a Cage," the dark tropical electric-eclectic '80s nugget with Jarvis Cocker-y bravado, which also includes additional production by electronic artists Paul & Price.

Elsewhere on the EP, Conquistador takes on a fuzzy-roller-disco-rocker in "Tower of Power," which features string arrangements by Matthew McGaughey (Rod Stewart, Engelbert Humperdinck), Will Scott (Mooney Suzuki, Har Mar Superstar) on drums and the Phenomenal Handclap Band (Embassy Sound Productions) on keyboards. "Fugue Flames," a funk-rock-psychedelic ode to the Zazous (a subculture in France during World War II who were big on garish clothing and bebop), features Will Scott on drums, Reno Bo (Albert Hammond, Jr., the Mooney Suzuki) on bass, and Tiombe Lockhart (Cubic Zirconia) on backing vocals.

"I'm Sorry Little Boy," which Antebi describes as "Roxy Music on 'Mars' meets 'November Rain'," was engineered and co-produced by Rob Campanella (Brian Jonestown Massacre, Beachwood Sparks, scarling) and features Kinky's Ulises Lozano on keyboards.

"If You Wanted a Clone," the electric-flamenco rock opera, features string, horn, and orchestral arrangements by Matthew McGaughey, and Aaron Kaplan engineer and guitars (Charlatans U.K.'s Tim Burgess, Matchbox Twenty, Lyndsey Buckingham). And, lastly, Daniel Collas (the Phenomenal Handclap Band, Amy Winehouse) also provides percussion on "Fugue Flames" and "Tower of Power."

Conquistador's collaboration with Kinky started with the group's 2007 "Sister Twisted" single from its critically acclaimed Reina album. Antebi sings lead vocals and co-wrote the track, which was nominated for two Latin Grammy Awards (Best Latin Alternative Record and Best Engineered Record) in 2008. He also performed the song live with Kinky at numerous shows. The tuneful two also collaborated on a rendition of "Little Boxes," the theme song for the acclaimed Showtime drama, Weeds. Their version aired in episode three of the third season of the award-winning show.

Conquistador's collaborative work doesn't stop there. He hit the studio in 2007 to record a single with members of Swedish band the Ark, winners of the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest, the global Olympics of popular music.

Antebi's claims to fame don't stop there. Never one to shy away from a special, if not odd, honor for his personal style, the artist recently became the first American, as well as the youngest competitor in history to win the title of "World Imperial Moustache Champion" at the bi-annual World Beard and Mustache Championships, held in Brighton, England in 2007. Antebi came out of left field and owned up to the title of El Conquistador, beating the Germans and the rest of the European old guard at their own game. This was the only category judged exclusively by facial hair aficionado himself, Nick Cave.

"It is my mission as the CFO (Chief Funkadellic Officer) of Conquistador to galvanize this generation by tickling the hearts, spirits, and minds with my music, mustache and peacock-ery," adds Antebi with typical Conquistador bravado.