Remember when there were dance music vocalists who successfully merged mass-appeal accessibility with underground savvy? Alas, club music?s increased fragmentation during the past several years makes that seem like ancient history. Clearly, the dance music world needs someone like SK8 right now. Luckily, she needs them as well, and she is more than ready to keep them satisfied. " I will always love dance music, regardless of trends or how the radio market has changed in America," the New York transplant insists. "It is an ingrained part of me." SK8?s musical evolution is quite interesting. The Boston native and Vassar College grad first tasted the limelight with her 2000 club hit "My Imagination." Todd Terry (famed for his smash house remix of Everything but the Girl's "Missing") produced the single, which was released by BMG imprint Logic Records. SK8 proclaimed herself a "raver girl" at the time, but went outside her own persona for "My Imagination," which fused straight-ahead pop hooks with jerky electro breakbeats that pre-dated the subsequent electroclash wave. "Working with Todd was amazing!" SK8 says. "He taught me how to make a record from scratch. Ultimately, I didn't release an album because of creative differences between Logic and my management at the time, but the Logic staff was so great to me - they were truly like a family.  Kelly Schwinesberg [former ceo of Logic(d)] was a wonderful friend and mentor.  She went to the mat for me every time and showed me the real meaning of A&R." Although a full-length release wasn't in the cards for SK8 back then, she made the most of her time with Logic, including a national tour with boy band, LFO, in support of their platinum debut album. She also headlined the DJ tour for "Beat of America," a compilation on BMG.  SK8 and Terry joined forces again for a cover of "Amazing Grace" which charted on DJ record pools following the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Then SK8 seemed to disappear from the radar...."I needed time away from the city, so I moved upstate and did session work in and around Woodstock," SK8 explains. "It was great to expand my studio skills -- I wrote hooks, performed backup vox, and helped with digital editing and arrangements...  I still work with those studios because the vibe is up there is great and the studios are top notch.  Recently I did backgrounds for Coheed & Cambria, a rock group whose third album went top ten this year.  I'm the chick singing on their first single The Suffering.  It was a major rush to work with Claudio.  He is so talented and dynamic." Recently resurfacing with several trax from producer/remixer Chris Cox (formerly of Thunderpuss), the seeds that blossomed next for SK8 were planted in early 2004 during an impromptu trip to LA.  She met Chris through the Digital Performer chat room "Unicornation." Their first collaboration was "Nation," released by Tommy Boy in June 2006 and a featured track on Cox?s upcoming album, 12 More Inches of Cox. "Nation," a vocal house anthem, was recorded as a tribute to the renowned Washington, D.C. nightclub. The song inducts SK8 as a full-on dance diva driving this party record to a hands-in-the-air climax. "Nation" stakes its claim as the definitive soundtrack for all-nighters on the former warehouse's sprawling dance floor.  "There's something magical about this club," SK8 says.  "It sets me free!"   One only needs to see SK8 in action to fully appreciate her aura.  Every appearance, even on non-performance nights, is immaculate. Skintight dresses stop just low enough to qualify for a PG-13 rating. Go-go boots that take serious effort to wear hug feet that are still twirling to sexy house beats at 6 a.m. Ginger hair is piled high atop SK8?s head, cascading well past her shoulders. One minute she leads the charge to the dance floor, the next she holds court in the VIP lounge as if she were throwing the party herself. The gay men in the room offer effusive praise; everyone else's mouths simply hang open in wonder. However, SK8 is ultimately a denizen of all the world's dance floors," She co-wrote and is featured on the current UK smash, Deep End" produced by BBC radio DJ/global tastemaker Pete Tong and Chris Cox.  Deep End was the focus track on Tong?s Pure Pacha 2005 album, as well as his 2006 Essential Mix She performed at Space (Ibiza) in 2005 for the BBC 10th year anniversary party.  Deep End is additionally signed to Time/Rise out of Italy and was recently released as a single with a variety of incredible remixes. Last January (2006), SK8 set out, incognito, to the Midem licensing conference in Cannes, France.  There she met a group of producers affiliated with Berkeley Square Publishing in Gothenburg, Sweden.  Straight away, CEO Margareta Anderberg organized a writing trip for SK8.  SK8 spent one week with this efficient and progressive team -- including Carl Ryden and Random Productions.  The great chemistry between them resulted in a full-length album, and already!  the first single, Tina, is exploding on both continents.  This record is backed by Billboard guru, Sergio Goncalves and also Chris Cox!   SK8 can be spotted at a select few Gay Pride events in the US this summer, including Junior Vasquez''"s "Summer Camp" at Spirit NYC on June 25th.  Among other international dates, SK8 will also attend closing parties in Ibiza.  Stay tuned for more info on SK8's performances and upcoming album release.  Please see the contact page for bookings and PR with Sacha Green. Written by Pete Glowatsky