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Groove Armada

One of the most critically acclaimed bands to emerge from UK dance scene in the last two years, Groove Armada are revered by the public as much as their famous fans.

Madonna, for whom they remixed the No.1 hit “Music”, and Sir Elton John are both Groove Armada aficionados. Upon Elton John’s request, Groove Armada were booked to play at America’s ‘Interview’ Magazine’s 30th birthday party, which he was hosting.

Their set was rapturously received by the likes of Johnny Depp, Calvin Klein, Liz Hurley, Jon Bon Jovi, Puff Daddy, Moby and Giorgio Armani.

In the year 2001 Groove Armada’s star is definitely on the rise but it all began some seven years ago when Andy Cato was introduced by his girlfriend to a group of Cambridge music makers such as Tim ‘Love’ Lee, the Idjut Boys and a young man called Tom Findlay.

Tom and Andy with the rest of the group sat around, chatted, listened to records, played bass guitar and discovered they had a shared love of jazz, funk, disco and real house.

Andy, a born-and-bred Yorkshireman, began his musical career in a colliery brass band, from which he progressed to become the UK’s Young Jazz Musician Of The Year.

He developed a parallel obsession with house music, introduced to it by his cousin Digs of the now-infamous DIY crew. "My whole youth was filled with music in school," recalls Andy, who plays a variety of instruments, including trombone, keyboards, and bass guitar. "I did everything with music that I could, without going to a music school. I was going to go to a music school when I was 17, but thankfully my parents talked me out of it and I stayed in the real world." Along with a host of nu-house luminaries - Harvey, Nuphonics’, Tim ‘Love’ Lee from Tummy Touch, Tom is an exile from dreamy Cambridge. He spent his youth seeking out obscure funk rarities, DJing and picking up skills on bass and trumpet. He relocated to Manchester and promoted a series of successful nights, and whilst there leant his considerable talents as a live musician to some of the area’s finest funk outfits.


Following a hugely successful residency at Oxford’s Spectrum night, Andy decamped to London where he set up the Skinnymalinky label. Tom had also just moved to London and the two hooked up and began a club night under the name of ‘Captain Sensual at the Helm of the Groove Armada’, taking their name from a Kitsch ‘70’s disco club night in Newcastle. Soon after the boys embarked on the idea for the recorded Groove Armada project, which would become a more mature outlet for their creativity - somewhere they could escape the 4/4 shackles of house. In 1997 Groove Armada’s first single ‘At The River’ was released on Tummy Touch Records. Originally a limited 7” release of 500 copies, the funky fireside dub of ‘At The River’ caused mass hysteria amongst the nation’s hacks “Spotters are swapping their grandmothers for copies of it”, said Kevin Braddock at the NME. The same year Tummy Touch released Groove Armada’s debut album. Combining jazz and funk influences with house rhythms and technology, ‘Northern Star’s’ wide range of references and eclectic feel led to praise from publications as diverse as Mixmag, Jockey Slut, Select, Echoes and Touch, and led to the coining of the phrase “Nu-Med” or “Nu-Balearic” to describe their sound In 1998 Groove Armada signed a record deal with Jive Electro Records, (an imprint of Jive/Zomba Records) and in April 1999 ‘If Everybody Looked The Same’, the first single from their second album ‘Vertigo’, was released. Reaching number 25 in the UK charts the little known Groove Armada had finally made their presence known to the British public. In July 1999 ‘At The River’ was given its full release and went straight into the top 20 in the UK charts. Following swiftly after came the release of the critically acclaimed ‘Vertigo’ album, which reached the album Top 20 and Gold status in the UK with sales now approaching 200,000 copies. ‘I See You Baby’ which featured vocals from legendary N.Y. and Manumission MC Gram’ma Funk (and a remix from Norman Cook), was the third single to be taken from the album, it was released in November and also went straight into the top 20. Early into the following year Groove Armada were nominated for ‘Best Newcomer’ at the 2000 BRIT Awards, ‘Best Live Act’ at the Muzik Magazine awards and won the ‘Best Chillout Album’ award for ‘Vertigo’ at the Ministry Magazine awards. ‘Vertigo’ went on to establish Groove Armada in many countries worldwide, including Australia and New Zealand where it achieved Gold status in both. 2000 saw Groove Armada moving into new musical areas and solidifying their reputation as one of the UK’s most exciting live acts. Starting with a limited edition remix album ‘Groove Armada - The Remixes’ (a compilation of 8 tracks from ‘Vertigo’ remixed by the likes of DJ Icey, Attaboy, Kinobe and Tim ‘Love’ Lee). ‘Northern Star’ was re-released by Tummy Touch, and Groove Armada compiled the critically acclaimed ‘Back To Mine’ album, a compilation of their favourite tracks by other artists (plus one or two of their own) released on DMC Records. In June Groove Armada set off on their most ambitious live tour yet. With their 9-piece band they completed a 12 date headlining tour of North America before going on to play several of the major European summer festivals including Glastonbury, Southside, Roskilde, Montreaux and V2000. Groove Armada’s third album “Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)” will be released on 10 September. The album is a tour-de-force that sees Tom and Andy taking the Groove Armada sound to ever expanding horizons. Together with guest musicians including Jeru Tha Damaja, Tim Hutton, Nile Rodgers and Richie Havens, they have crafted a collection of tracks that are, to quote the lyric of the first single ‘Superstylin’: “Inspirational music... for your spirit and your mind”. And here is the core of Groove Armada – music that is intelligent but not ‘clever’, electronic but soulful, dance but not dance. As the lyric concludes, “maybe just recline.” - It is surely the best advice. In the meantime Groove Armada continue their extra curricular activities including their monthly DJ residency at London superclub Fabric, they also have their own radio show ‘Fireside Favourites’ on London station Kiss FM. Following the album’s release Groove Armada will be setting out on a major UK and European tour in the autumn. Groove Armada website Off Its Face :: Clubbing, DJing & dance music :: Articles