Maria Eilersen (vocals and guitar), Asa Cerderqvist (vocals and synthesizer), and Nandor Hegedüs (former lead singer of the Swedish pop group Brick, here playing bass) formed Revlon 9 in 1998, originally with a fourth member playing drums. When the drummer left, the remaining trio incorporated a drum machine into the lineup and began moving into a more electronic, dance-oriented style. Three vinyl singles followed on small Scandinavian labels: 1999's "On the Roof," 2000's "Sharks," and 2003's "Someone Like You," an early version of a song that would become a highlight of their first album. Starting in 2004, the trio changed the spelling of its name to Revl9n, although it's still pronounced "Revlon Nine." (It can be assumed this was a sop to the multinational cosmetics company.) Following three more buzz-building singles in 2004 and 2005, "United," "Walking Machines," and the new version of "Someone Like You," Revl9n signed to WEA International for their self-titled debut album, released in 2006. ~ Stewart Mason