Original Dodger

Original Dodger

Original Dodger is a UK garage group from the United Kingdom made up of Artful and Pete Devereux. It brings together Mark Hill and Pete Devereux, who first use the Artful Dodger name in the 1990s and return to working together after a split in 2001.

Background

Hailing from Southampton, the pair stand at the forefront of the late 1990s UK garage scene as Artful Dodger. They help push garage into the mainstream with tracks including “Re-Rewind”, “Movin’ Too Fast”, “Please Don’t Turn Me On” and “Woman Trouble”. They also work with Romina Johnson and other artists, and help propel Craig David to wider success.

After Artful Dodger

After leaving Artful Dodger, Pete Devereux becomes involved in several projects, most notably DEVolution with Tom Devos. Mark Hill also works on other projects, including releases under the name Artful. Although other performers continue to tour under the Artful Dodger name, Hill and Devereux adopt Original Dodger because of a legal dispute over that name.

Collaborations and recording

The group works on a record called Soundtrack with Nadia Rose, P Money, Donae’o, Shakka, Big Narstie, Avelino and President T.

Influence

The duo’s work is cited as an influence by artists including The Streets, Jack Garratt and Craig David, reflecting their lasting place in UK garage history.