Prozzäk

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Prozzäk, also known as Simon and Milo, is a Canadian virtual pop duo formed in 1998 by Jay Levine (Simon) and James Bryan McCollum (Milo). Their music is paired with animated videos that tell the funny story of two best friends who are trying to find true love. The act grew out of Levine and McCollum’s time in The Philosopher Kings.

The duo’s name comes from Prozac, and they chose animation so Levine wouldn’t have to perform in a real accent. Their characters, Simon (short, dark-haired) and Milo (tall, blond), were created with artist Scott Harder and went on to star in most of their videos.

Studio albums:
- Hot Show (1998): featured hits “Sucks to Be You” and “Strange Disease” and went triple platinum in Canada. They received several Juno Award nominations.
- Saturday People (2000): included “www.nevergetoveryou” and “Be As”; it went gold in Canada and earned a Juno nomination.
- Ready Ready Set Go (Disney collaboration): a mix of songs from the first two albums plus a new single, “Get a Clue,” made for the movie Get a Clue.
- Cruel Cruel World (2005): a darker, more limited-release album with a redesigned look for Simon and Milo; Milo didn’t sing on this one.
- Forever 1999 (2017): after a long break, they released new music and toured Canada.

Other notes:
- The group had a brief kids’ release in 2008, “Chloe the Chicken.”
- They announced a farewell tour in 2019 after years of touring and new music.
- They reunited for live shows in 2022 and 2023, including Fizzfest in Toronto and a Pride event in Edmonton.

About the characters:
- Simon (Levine) and Milo (McCollum) were created to tell a story of two mismatched friends learning about love. Their adventures were told through animated videos and skits, with an original backstory about a long-ago war and a guiding voice that set them on their mission to find love.

Beyond Prozzäk, Levine runs Lefthook Entertainment and pursues other music projects, while McCollum has his own UMI Entertainment and works with artists like Nelly Furtado.