Groove Armada
BACK TO THE SOURCE Groove Armada Fuse Soul Classics with Hip-Hop Beats on Back to Mine
U.K. duo Tom Findlay and Andy Cato -- a.k.a. Groove Armada -- made a big splash Stateside in 2000 with Vertigo, a sexy mélange of house, disco, and hip-hop flavors that spawned the Fatboy Slim-remixed hit "I See You, Baby." They toured in support of the set with a nine-piece band and are now putting finishing touches on their third studio full-length. Findlay checked in with Barnes & Noble.com's Kurt B. Reighley to discuss the group's contribution to the after-hours DJ mix series Back to Mine.
Barnes & Noble.com: What are the key differences between Back to Mine and what audiences might hear in a regular Groove Armada DJ set?
Tom Findlay: Groove Armada club sets are for people to dance to. The chill-out stuff tends to stay at home, as we usually DJ at pretty peak times. Back to Mine is to be listened to at home, although there are several tunes on there which work on the dance floor at the right place and time.
B&N.com: Your Back to Mine program includes Barry White and Al Green. Were you both big fans of classic soul growing up?
TF: I grew up with it. Andy was more into the strange duo of blues and house music till Groove Armada got together.
B&N.com: Are there any big differences between your individual vinyl collections?
TF: Andy's vinyl contains a lot of house music, going back to the start of house. In there, too, are weird and wonderful bits from all different styles. The backbone of my collection is funk, soul, and disco with weird and wonderful bits thrown in.
B&N.com: How would you characterize your record buying?
TF: As DJs, we get sent a lot of new stuff. In terms of oldies, we're addicted and spend days at a time in dusty records stores.
B&N.com: Did you have an imaginary audience in mind while mixing your Back to Mine? Did you do anything special to set the mood in the studio?
TF: The only audience in mind was what we'd like to hear. The point of the series is that people are honest about what they put on at home. The studio mood was determined by the fact that we did the whole thing in one long, fuzzy 24-hour period.
B&N.com: What are the big differences in the sound of the next album versus Vertigo?
TF: The new album features more live musicians from the band we've been gigging with all summer. It's heavier, moodier but just as eclectic. Production-wise, we've moved on, with a lot more experimental stuff and experiments with strange live-recording techniques.
B&N.com: Any key guest stars on the new tracks? Weren't you supposed to collaborate with Boy George?
TF: We collaborated with Boy George a couple of years ago on a very limited twelve-inch. People to be featured this time include Jeru the Damaja and other wonderful people we can't mention yet.
B&N.com: How did your recent U.S. tour influence the new material?
TF: Playing live has influenced the new material a lot. And touring the U.S. convinced us that it's worthwhile to go to all the trouble we have to play a genuinely live dance-music performance. The miming people get away with in Europe just wouldn't be accepted [in America], which is refreshing.
September 5, 2000
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