"I guess you could say Nile Rodgers is my Paul McCartney."

When Steven Hawley, commander of the Codebreaker musical project makes that statement, it's hard to argue. Especially if you've heard the group's latest disc, "What Is This Earth Love?"

Part British technopop (think Depeche Mode), part late-'70s and early-'80s synth-heavy disco, Codebreaker -- which also includes the multi-talented Sage Schwarm (of Wild Kingdom, Citizen King, the Hi-Fi Café and Luv Unlimited) -- is making music like no one else in Milwaukee. And it's working for them.

The band released two previous discs -- "2" and "Spacecamp Luxury"-- and supplies are nearly exhausted, Hawley says.

"We sold out of '2' and are almost out of 'Spacecamp Luxury.' All of the reviews were really quite flattering, for the most part. Those releases definitely helped us gain a lot of ground outside of Milwaukee. We made a decent splash on college radio with '2' which led to a string of small licensing deals for television placements."

But, Hawley says, most of their success hasn't come close to home.

"By far, most of our sales come from iTunes UK. The most rewarding though, was getting emails from fans in unlikely regions telling me what particular song or record helped them through something or inspired them in some way. It's incredible how much significance an album can have with someone ... and I can't imagine a better function for it."

Danceably, funky, celebratory and with a decidedly good-time vibe, "What Is This Earth Love?" carries on the musical torch lit by those previous EPs. There are the swirling strings that juiced up the great commercial disco records of the '70s, film dialogue samples, a four-on-the-floor club beat, Latin percussion, an almost disaffected vocal style and the funky, percussive Fender Strat funk of Chic's Nile Rodgers, whose songs, performances and productions are nearly the story of American popular music from 1977 until the '90s.

Above all, it's got an alluring retro-futuristic sheen.

"I think we really wanted to extrapolate on our previous flirtations with futurism in general, and take it into a more wild, exotic adventure-esque vibe," says Hawley. "It's eclectic, yet cohesive. We definitely took a few unexpected turns. The production is even much stronger than our previous releases for sure, thanks to Sage. Bold, individualistic, forward-thinking was the mantra."

And Codebreaker took its time getting the disc together, recording it over the course of two years with their co-conspirators: percussionist Neil Qusba and guitarist Brian Tarney, who, after moving to San Francisco, will be replaced by Jason Samonik.

"We had a bunch of songs written before that, that we decided to scrap because, to be frank, I got in this pattern of writing introspective, futuristic ballads, until I realized that I shouldn't be putting out for another 20 years. I've got too much energy. Bottom line, I'm really happy that we took our time."

The 11-song disc was recorded entirely at Schwarm's basement studio and was written and recorded by the duo, although Tarney helped keep the ship righted, Hawley says.

"He was a good third party opinion when Sage and I would get a bit too mad scientist."

Only Mount Sims -- a former band mate of Schwarm's now based in L.A. -- is making music like this, although Codebreaker's is a warmer, more fluid sound when compared to Sims' calculated, almost mathematically sexy music. So, from where do they draw their inspiration?

"Hmm," says Hawley, scratching his head. "Retrospectively speaking: disco, disco, disco. The underground hits of the era, and some of the most popular hits of it. I always come back to it. It's one of the only things that I've kept so close to me since I was a kid. Some of those tracks just capture such determined, inspiring, driving funkiness that always has a way of seeming brand new to me every day. For instance, by far, my favorite Rolling Stones stuff is the lazy disco-y flavored material."

And other bands or artists out there today?

"I'm really digging some of the more tasteful German dance pop stuff coming out. I could give you a short list of 12" singles, but that won't make a good read I assure you. One of the main motivations of 'What Is This Earth Love?' was to fill what we saw as a much-needed voids in today's music."

Anyway, Hawley says, he picks up his inspiration piece-meal, like a gleaner seeking missed fruit among the post-harvest dregs.

"I see pieces and aspects of myself stylistically and persona-wise in many things, but I'm not one of those people who has that one artist who inspired me to do what I do. I find inspiration in small ways from different people and music every day. Sonically, it's all a wide open canvas of possibility from where I see it, I don't subscribe to the 'it's all been done' attitude, it just means you're a bore really.

"One tip that's works pretty well, though, in finding great new music is referencing Pitchfork Media reviews and picking up all the records they hate."

Codebreaker plays a CD release party for "What Is This Earth Love?" Saturday, Oct. 22 at 10 p.m. at The Mad Planet, 533 E. Center St. The Etiquette, Anacron (live) and Old Man Malcolm also perform.

The band's Web site is codebreakermusic.com

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