#tom findlay

Groove Armada - My Friend

Many different electronic musicians went back in a way with their contemporary pieces as we've seen, so Groove Armada's Little Black Book shouldn't be out of the ordinary for our discussion. Yes, the DJ duo contributed another edition of this set of, hm, sets, where they play their own music mixed with their favourites. Their own pieces do feel closer to what the dance floors wants than the charts. Then again, we are noticing another edition of I'm-going-to-go-where-they-are-happy-to-see-me type of releases. While I wouldn't call this late style, Groove Armada still engage themselves with the outside world, you cannot really understand this as a reflection of the scene they achieved during their period of triumphs.

Groove Armada - Purple Haze

The current last releases of many musicians contain different viewpoints about the states of their careers. Some look forward to their next work, whereas some are not so sure about that. However, I am not certain how Groove Armada feel about their consequent activities. I would not claim they're in a rut, they continue to record and tour, yet they're like most members of the late 90's electronica boom, i.e. they're no longer seen as cutting edge. We talked about that already on our blog, though Groove Armada seem to be aware of the fact the scene around them changed completely. Maybe that's why they signed to Moda Black which specializes in house music. Nonetheless, that transforms them into a niche outfit, but many of their peers suffer the similar fate at this point.

The Lost Mixtape #11 - Tom Findlay by The Lost Disco Our 11th lost mixtape is something pretty darn special and comes from a man who is one half responsible for some of THE finest electronic music ever cooked up in a studio...Groove Armada's very own Tom Findlay! 60 mins of pure house music goodness which in his own words is "something a little deeper than I’d normally do, or likely to play but works nicely as a mix!" and we'd whole heartedly agree. Tom joins us in August in our maiden voyage to Croatia for 4 days & nights of sun, sea, sounds, socialising, dancing, chancing & romancing...hold tight...the hunt for The Lost Disco is on! Full Tracklist: Poluc - Johnny D H4 - M.F.S Observatory Metropole - Kink, Neville Watson The Basement is Burning - Marquis Hawkes It’s the Inside that Counts - Phil Weeks All you Desire - Chris Carrier Heat - Soul of Hex No I Don’t - Recloose Loving - DJ Nature

Once the 90's electronica boom ended, many members of it struggled with the scene and they all found different methods of dealing it. Tricky changed his idiom, Fatboy Slim kept travelling through his usual tones, Unkle tried to connect rock with electronics and Groove Armada went at one point completely retro. Black Light, one of their later albums, is basically a sound of a band that wants to honor its 80's influences with all of its sonics. Of course, to achieve that the record contained many guests, one of which was none other than Bryan Ferry. Yes, they convinced him to join on a track that reminds me of a Ferry's tune from the 80's. There is that patented croon of his, complementing the instrumental that would not look out of place on Bete Noire. No wonder Ferry continued to work with dance producers afterwards, his voice can also suit the electronic music.

It's heeeeeeere!!

The late 90's electronica boom had a lot of good side effects, you know. Many got interested in that idiom, since they noticed it's not something lethargic, but that it is quite vibrant. Groove Armada were not really at the forefront of that, to be honest, I think that both Moby and Fatboy Slim were much more played on the radio, yet Groove Armada got its share of popularity. Vertigo was the LP that put them on the map as we have already said, even though its singles were different from most of their ambient cuts. Yes, they are a different group on their early albums, they are much more calm. Sure, they also know how to party on some of their ditties, although the discs present us with a much more mellow side of them. It shows they could be your usual chill-out compilation material - with more edge, of course.