Groove Armada, named after a 1970s disco, released four singles in their first year as a signed collective with songs such as “At the River” which featured a sample of “Old Cape Cod” originally by Patti Page, which would go on to be one of Groove Armada’s most well known tracks. They released their debut album “Northern Star” on March 9th 1998.
However, it wasn’t until they released their sophomore album “Vertigo” on May 24th 1999 that they earned themselves a silver record. It was also around this time that they released “At the River” as a single in its own right. “Vertigo” featured some of the duo’s biggest hits such as “I See You Baby”, which would go on to be used in Renault Megane and Ford Fiesta car commercials and then the song “”If Everybody Looked the Same” being used in the films, Gone in 60 Seconds and Miss Congeniality. The album went on to peak at number 23 in the UK Albums Chart too.
Their third album “Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)” released on September 10th 2001 shot up the charts to number 5 in the UK and number 8 in Australia. This album also features “Superstylin” which was a huge international hit for the duo, and earned the band a Grammy nomination.
The duo released a greatest hits album called “The Best of Groove Armada” in 2004, which ended their list of released with Pepper Records, before releasing “Soundboy Rock” on May 4th 2007, which was Groove Armada’s self proclaimed best album yet. The album after that, “Black Light” released on January 29th 2010, cited influences from Fleetwood Mac and Gary Numan.
With almost twenty years in the business now firmly under their belts, Groove Armada are now officially veterans in the UK electronic scene, to be filed alongside the likes of Fatboy Slim and Massive Attack as part of an old guard that continue to surprise and impress and the years roll by. They’ve often threatened a genuine mainstream crossover, without every quite managing it - number eight as is high a singles chart position as they’ve managed, with 2007’s superb ‘Song 4 Mutya’ - but with the likes of ‘I See You Baby’, ‘Superstylin’ and ‘Get Down’, they’ve certainly cemented a place in the British public consciousness. Their glowing reputation is down in no small part to their thrilling live shows; on their most recent UK jaunt, they performed in front of a giant screen broadcasting complex visuals to the crowd, whilst reworking the classics with a live band and bringing a host of guest vocalists into the fray. Stylistically, you’d struggle to find a more diverse gig than a Groove Armada one; they range from downbeat trip hop and electro to their signature big beat cuts and tracks that touch upon the niche likes of dub, reggae and disco. The inclusion of a full live band is key to properly translating the London duo’s vision; with a new EP, Pork Soda, due this year, we can only hope there’ll be a tour to go with it.