"At the very beginning we didn't even think of it as a whole project," Levine admits. "James and I basically wrote one song, 'Europa', as a joke between us. The record company really liked it and we sort of got the vibe that we could make something out of this. As soon as we thought of the idea of the cartoons and characters and the story line, we thought it's got to be a television show, a movie, a Broadway musical, all of those things."

The legend of Simon and Milo is that they were brought together during an ancient war torn time, and sent on a musical mission around the modern world, on a quest to find true love. Along the way, Prozzäk manages to send up various musical styles; 'Pretty Girls', the new album's leadoff track, is a splendid Europop spoof, while 'Usted Es Muy Loco' capitalizes on the current Latin music craze. Apparently, the latter track came about quite naturally.

"Simon and Milo are kind of global characters so they love Latin music," says Levine, who brings a foppish English accent to all of the songs. 'Usted Es Muy Loco' wasn't conscious, we just wrote it that way.

"I also like that kind of guitar playing," adds McCollum. "It's something I like to squeeze in now and again. We also had a Reggae song called 'Sunshine Girl', which didn't make the cut this time."

Other standout tracks on Saturday People include 'It's Not Me It's You', which employs a wonderful techno slice from 'Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairies', and the title track which describes the rave scene. ("We're not trying to make any statements," says McCollum. "It's just about what goes on at raves.") The disc's first single, www.nevergetoveryou (which actually links to Prozzäk's website at www.prozzak.com) is certainly appropriate, as the web has been a key to Prozzäk's success.

"Fans love the idea of Simon being this sad character, and the first time we realized that was on the internet," Levine explains. "The idea of getting into character is something a lot of kids can relate to because a lot of people chat on-line in some sort of character. There's some safety behind that little disguise you put on. Our website also helped us out with a new track, which is kind of an 'All You Need Is Love' update, called 'As Is'. We took some of the messages we received from our fans, turned them into little testimonials against stereotyping, and tried to convey the thought that you have to be whatever you want to be."

We attempt to make contact with the cartoon characters, and this time we are successful as the images of moody vocalist Simon and striking blonde guitarist Milo flicker onto the screen. (The characters reflect the creators' personas) I begin by asking Simon about his vocals, which appear to be more mature on Saturday People.

"I'm getting more confident and the tour definitely helped," he says. "I'm also going through a slight dark period right now and I'm becoming a little annoyed with some of the things I see around me. I was very timid on the last album and I guess I'm coming out of my shell a bit".

With Simon at the forefront singing about his various relationships, I wondered if there is any envy on the part of Milo who, for the most part, stays behind his guitar.

"I never wanted to be in the spotlight," Milo explains in his thick Austrian accent. "Simon and I ended up in the modern world together and we developed our friendship together. Our relationship is symbiotic…we need each other. I also got to shine through my guitar a lot more on this album."

While Levine and McCollum provide the voices and music for Prozzäk, like Pinocchio, Simon and Milo seem to be taking on lives of their own, casting their inventors into the shadows. Unfortunately, we lose our connection before I am able to ask them if there's any sort of power struggle going on between the cartoons and their creators.

"Simon and Milo are very demanding and we have to make sure they're the stars," Levine offers. "That's true for the CD, videos and stage show…they're up front. It's one thing for James and I to sit here and talk about creating the ideas and stuff but, as far as the entertainment goes, it has to be Simon and Milo. Besides, we're more comfortable when we're pretty anonymous".

The great news for Prozzäk is that Hollywood Records, which is owned by the Disney Corporation, will release the new album in the U.S. Given this connection, the marketing potential for Simon and Milo is enormous, and there's already talk about developing a television show based on the characters. However, when you work for a company in which the 'f' word stands for family, you just know they're not going to be thrilled by a band name that sounds like an anti-depressant.