Uffie

June 14th, 2010

On her single “MCs Can Kiss,” Uffie gets defensive straight from the get-go. “I’m an entertainer, not a lyricist” she rap-sings, atop Mr. Oizo’s hard-hitting, bouncy beats. The 22-year-old resident vixen of Ed Banger Records has received much flack for her bratty party girl antics since her career began in 2004 after she organized a fashion event and booked producer Feadz to spin. The pair started dating (they were linked until 2008), and Uffie wound up supplying vocals to some of Feadz’s tracks, including “Pop the Glock” and “Uffie & Me,” as well as Justice’s “Tthhee Ppaarrttyy,” all of which became dancefloor staples as the Parisian electro scene picked up steam. Ultimately, it matters not that Uffie’s persona overshadows her actual music. Her unique voice is like a futuristic, mutant version of Debbie Harry’s rap on “Rapture” – and it has launched her into full-on muse status.

Uffie, whose given name is Anna-Catherine Hartley, was born in Miami, raised in Hong Kong, and currently lives in Paris with her newborn baby Henrietta (whose father is French nightlife impresario and graffiti artist André Saraiva; the pair briefly married in 2008 but are now divorced). Sitting in a downtown New York hotel room wearing a muted sweatshirt and black scarf, this mommy exudes none of the cocksure swagger for which she is best known. Amidst the ruins of her stay – cigarette butts, three-day old bananas, rumpled sheets – she gives off a polite innocence, giggling as she discusses why it’s taken so long for her debut album, Sex Dreams & Denim Jeans, to be released. “For three years, me and Feadz were on the road. We’d come home for a week and I’d be like, ‘I’m going to my bed,’” she explains, pushing her short dyed blond hair behind her ears.

Perhaps this delay has worked out for the best. During the time between her initial thrust into the limelight and today, Uffie has had the chance to mature both personally and as a performer, honing her sound to produce a more varied record than anyone would have expected a few years ago. The album includes past hits as well as new tracks produced by the dudes who have nurtured her from the beginning, Oizo and Feadz. Mattie Safer (formerly of The Rapture) provides beats and vocals on “Illusion of Love,” a melancholy duet about heartbreak and loneliness accented by swirly synths and minimalistic drum claps. Uffie’s label mate SebastiAn contributes beats for “ADD SUV,” a heady electro/hip-hop tune about poppin’ pills and doin’ drugs to keep the party going, which features rhymes by Pharrell Williams.

In an unexpected move, a number of tracks are produced by Mirwais, former member of ‘80s French New Wave band Taxi Girl and, most recently, Madonna’s go-to production guy. While Uffie is used to crafting machine-made club bangers, she was challenged by Mirwais’ polished pop sensibility. “He really encouraged me to start singing on the tracks. I’ve never really gotten the chance to experiment with ‘feelings,’” she describes, using air quotes. “I think people will be surprised by the depth of it.”

With Sex Dreams & Denim Jeans finally being released (it’s out on June 15 in Europe and June 22 in North America), Uffie has started to tour again, both with the Ed Banger party crew and with her own band. Now, her biggest challenge is to balance her music career (and club kid ways) with the responsibility of caring for her daughter. “The partying every night and being so carefree…I used to be so good at it,” she muses. “Now it’s kind of hard to get back into that, then go home and be a mom.” Leave it to the ever-badass Uffie to find a way.

Words Ali Gitlow Images Ysa Pérez

Uffie – ADD SUV feat. Pharrell Williams (teaser video)