• croatiantimes.com
• romaniantimes.at
• salzburgtimes.at
• viennatimes.at
• austrianindependent.com

Today

• Vienna - VESCC English Catholic Mass
• Vienna - Unknown Underground
• Vienna - Art by Petronilla Hohenwarter.
• STOMP at the MuseumsQuartier
• Ice skating at Rathaus

© europics.at

27. 01. 10. - 14:00

• more Around the World news
• RSS Feed Around the World

27. 01. 10. - 14:00

Gender change teen launches record label

Teenage pop sensation Kim Petras is putting the finishing touches to a new album she wrote, recorded and produced herself after deciding to split from her old record label.

Talented Kim, 17, who will feature tonight in a TV documentary on Germany's Stern channel about her life after her sex change operation, said she had been working in the studio almost non-stop and that the first five songs were already finished.

Kim was born Tim and started having hormone replacement therapy at 12, before having the operation to become fully female at the age of 16.

She said: "The music side of my career was not going fast enough with my old label - so I decided to do it myself. It was an amicable split. I've got a really great team that believe in me and that is a really big help - and the new songs are really great."

Kim's manager Mike Leidig said: "Kim is always in the news internationally, she has had invitations from London through to Rome to perform. She's a regular now at red carpet events but ultimately the thing that means the most to her - the music - was going too slowly. That is why she decided to take it on herself."

Kim did a test run by choreographing and writing the words and music for her first video - Die For You - and said: "It was a learning experience for me and Philip Birkenstock who supervises all my TV work, but for a first attempt with no experience at all I think we did a good job. And the next time it will be even better."

Kim is in the studio in her native Cologne currently recording with Alex Brauer and said the co-operation was really great.

She said: "Alex is really great and has helped me enormously to move forward."

Kim is juggling the work on her music, modelling and TV appearances with her regular schoolwork and admitted it was not easy - but praised the fact that she had her family to help her.

She said: "They are really amazing and understanding. They don't like being in the spotlight but they know my career is important to me and they support me. That means a lot."

Kim is currently featured in the Italian fashion magazine Colours which followed her on a typical day with photographs by German photographer Alexander Basta who said: "I love working with Kim - she is a natural in front of the camera and has a big future."

As to the future the album is taking up a lot of time but Kim added: "I have had a few interesting offers for TV presenting work but at the moment my album and school are keeping me busy. I'll see how that pans out before committing to anything else. I've wanted to do this since I was four, so I'm really glad it's all finally coming together now."

Austrian Times

Set up tax on financial transactions soon, says Katzian
The head of the Association of Private Employees (GPA-djp) has called for a quick introduction of a tax on financial transactions.

Pühringer rejects U-turn on rightist ball
Young Social Democrats (SPÖ) have appealed to Upper Austrian Governor Josef Pühringer not to attend the Burschenbundball in Linz this Saturday.

FPÖ under fire after trip to Grozny
The Freedom Party (FPÖ) has been harshly criticised for meeting with Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov.

WKO boss wants pension age hike incentives
Federal Economy Chamber (WKO) President Christoph Leitl has identified attempts to raise the average retirement age as the key issue regarding Austria’s budget.

Woman and child run over in Vienna
A woman and child have died in a road accident in Vienna, Austria. The lorry driver was making a right turn when he drove into a group of pedestrians leaving a 59-year-old and a 12-year-old dead. The mother of the school girl was left with serious injuries.

Schlecker says Austrian jobs are safe
The son of Schlecker founder Anton Schlecker has claimed that the company has no plans to sell its Austrian affiliate.

SPÖ sees smaller parliament as key signal
The general secretary of the Social Democrats (SPÖ) has argued his support for a reduction of the size of the parliament.

Austrian food to feature in organic trade fair
Austria is expected to be well represented at next week’s BioFach 2012 international organic trade fair in Nuremberg, Germany. Some 90 companies and organisations from the Austrian organic good sector will feature at the fair from 15 to 18 February.

Brothel for the homeless in Vienna
Homeless people are queueing up for free rooms in an Austrian brothel after owner Peter Laskaris said it would be unfair not to do everything he could during the current cold spell.

Deep-freeze snacks for orangutans in Schönbrunn
The lucky orangutans who take up residence in Europe’s oldest zoo have been indulging in a twice weekly take-away. Despite the trees in Schönbrunn Zoo in Vienna, Austria now being completely bare the fury friends have fresh branches and leaves delivered twice a week.