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Groove Armada
Yo Britannia: A funky fleet sets sail and conquers the New World
by Sam Molineaux
July 7, 2000
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Groove Armada just mad chillin'.
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After years of successfully navigating the British dance scene, Groove Armada is charting a direct course for the American mainstream. Following in the wake of fellow Englishman (and brother-in-funk-and-soul) Fatboy Slim, the duo of Tom Findlay and Andy Cato -- each a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and DJ -- has been making waves Stateside since the February U.S. release of their second album, Vertigo (Jive/Electro).
Groove Armada's American success may not constitute a full-fledged British invasion, but there's no question that their tuneful grooving is reaching an ever-wider audience: Vertigo's first single, "If Everybody Looked the Same," was featured in the recent Madonna movie The Next Best Thing. The latest single -- the infectious "I See You Baby" -- has been setting dance floors on fire (thanks to an electrifying Fatboy Slim remix); if you're not the clubbing type, you might have caught the tune powering up the soundtrack of a recent U.S. Toyota TV commercial.
Part of what sets Groove Armada apart from more mundane acts is their sonic diversity. You can hear a half-century's worth of stylin' in Findlay and Cato's laid-back funky grooves: '50s, '70s, and '90s influences fuse together into a uniquely compelling blend of nostalgia and ultramodern dance floor delirium. While funk icons Sly & The Family Stone may be their obvious heroes, give Vertigo a spin and you'll detect pinches of Louis Armstrong, Patti Page, and Portishead spicing up the eclectic brew.
Groove Armada may also be among the hardest working bands in the dance music biz. Fresh off a U.S. tour with a 9-piece band -- when less-energetic musos might have chosen to kick back for a month in Malta -- the duo have just remixed Madonna's new single, and have written a song for the cutting edge HBO series Sex & The City. They're also in the middle of writing and producing their third album -- which, like their evolving live show, is moving into increasingly organic territory.
Harmony Central recently went one-on-one with Groove Armada's Tom Findlay. Catching his breath between sessions, he offered insight into the making of Vertigo, the remixing process, and the trials of translating their sampled and sequenced studio sound into a fresh, funky, and dynamic live show.
Next Page: Making the Album....
Sam Molineaux is a freelance music journalist based in Los Angeles. Her articles have appeared in such magazines as Keyboard, Recording, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player, and she's a regular contributor to the music pages of the LA New Times weekly newspaper.
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