Pecker

by Stewart Mason Pecker is the nom de dancefloor of Catalan indie electronic artist Raul Usieto Aquilue. Born in Spain's Aragon region and currently based in the city of Barcelona, the center of Spain's thriving indie pop scene, Pecker takes musical cues from artists as diverse as LCD Soundsystem, Fatboy Slim, and Daft Punk on one side and British twee pop acts like the Field Mice, Belle & Sebastian, and Saint Etienne on the other. Originally known as Pequeño Pecker -- and yes, that means "small penis," and yes, he's quite aware of that -- Aquilue debuted in 2004 with Diez y 1 Galaxia, featuring the single "La Noche No Es Para Dormir." Shortening his stage name to Pecker, Aquilue released two more singles, "Souvenir" and "Encantadora Lunatica," in 2006 and 2007. In 2007, Pecker jumped from the WEA dance-pop subsidiary East West Records to another Warner Bros.-affiliated label, the higher-profile Latin pop and rock en español imprint Nacional Records (Manu Chao, Mexican Institute of Sound, etc.). Collaborating with his new labelmates and fellow Barcelona residents the Pinker Tones, Pecker released his second album, 2 y las Nadadoras, in summer 2007.