Groove Armada

Groove Armada is a London-based electronic music group active since 1995. The duo consists of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay.

Career

The group first gains wider attention with the 1997 limited single At the River, which later appears on chill-out compilations and is used in Marks & Spencer advertising. The track samples Patti Page’s Old Cape Cod.

Their best-known release is I See You Baby, an international hit from 2000. Fatboy Slim remixes it in a big beat style, and it becomes associated with Renault Mégane advertising. The vocals come from Ibiza-based DJ Gram'Ma Funk. A radio edit of the song also appears with the chorus line “Shakin’ that thang”.

Groove Armada also release tracks that are frequently used in television advertising. In 2008, after parting company with Sony BMG, they sign an all-encompassing deal with the Bacardi rum brand allowing their tracks to be used in adverts.

Albums and recordings

Their debut album, Northern Star, is released in 1998. Vertigo follows in 1999 with a more polished, mainstream sound and includes the re-released single At The River, which reaches No. 23 in the UK.

Goodbye Country, Hello Nightclub appears in 2001 and shows a more upbeat direction, including the single Superstylin', which reaches No. 5 in the UK. In 2002 they issue the DJ mix album Another Late Night: Groove Armada as part of the Another Late Night series on Azuli Records, and later that year release Lovebox, which brings together a range of styles. On that album, tracks such as Madder include a rock element, while Lovebox and Remember lean towards house; Remember uses samples of Sandy Denny singing at Fairport.

A best-of collection follows in 2004 and includes hits and new productions, reaching No. 6 in the UK. Soundboy Rock is released in May 2007 and includes Get Down, with guest appearances from M.A.D., Red Rat and Mutya Buena. Their sixth studio album, Black Light, is released in 2010.

Use in film and television

Hands of Time appears in the film Collateral, where it is described by a character as a classic song. It also features in the television series Cold Case, as the closing song in the episode “Street Money”.

Samples and collaborations

Groove Armada’s Suntoucher is sampled by Jay-Z for What More Can I Say on The Black Album. Their recordings also feature vocals from Gram'Ma Funk and guest performers including M.A.D., Red Rat and Mutya Buena.