There's no doubt that Faithless have rocked my world. In the two years since they debuted "Salva Mea (Save Me)" on the UK Cheeky imprint, I have always awaited new singles by them, with most of them usually ending up being four-star reviews here in DMA, as well as in my year end top-10 charts. What sets these tracks apart from other dance tracks is that, while being crowd-motivating dance floor smashes, they have a listenable quality which translates well to the home or car. While not exactly setting the pop charts overseas ablaze on first release, Faithless have recently rocked many people's worlds over there in Europe, charting high in the charts which really matter -- national pop charts. All of this success has even resulted in Arista Records finding an interest in the band and giving them a huge U.S. deal. With the album Reverence due here in stores this April and the pot-smoking anthem "Insomnia" currently out on double pack 12" with new remixes from Armand Van Helden and Dedonatis, Faithless look to finally transform all the underground accolades they've recieved here into displacing Celine Dion from the top of our pops.
Now, Faithless are not some conveyer-belt dance troupe who can easily replace each other if the producers' egos get in the way. Besides their highly individual, yet totally recognisable sound, the 10 or so people who make up the band all come together as one to make the whole of the group. At the helm is producer-extrordinaire Rollo Armstrong, who over the past five years, has turned the dance and pop world on its colletive ear with productions on his own Cheeky label (distributed through Champion Records) as well as remixes for such diverse acts as Gabrielle, Roxy Music, Fine Young Cannibals and Moby; Sister Bliss, one of the most respected female DJ's in the land where DJ's are pop stars as well as producing her own hit singles "Can't Get a Man, Can't Get a Job (Life's a Bitch)" and "Bad Man;" the "grand oral disseminator," poet/rapper Maxi Jazz who got his start in 1984 as a hip hop DJ, then graduating to work with Longsey D (he rapped on the follow-up single to "This is Ska" interestingly titled "Mental Ska") as well as much work on the Acid Jazz label; breathy-voiced folk singer Jamie Catto; diva extrordinaire Pauline Taylor (who has already proven her solo skills with "Constantly Waiting" background vocalists Dido (Rollo's sister) Collette and Penny Shaw; as well as many more session bassists, guitarists and background vocalists who give the band it's distinctive sound which has already sold millions of records the world over. [p] "I never imagined that my music would ever end up topping the charts" offers Rollo, on the phone from his North London studio. Their single "Insomnia" which has been available since November 1995 has recently gone at least top three in every country in Europe except France where at press time, it has just entered the Top 10. Even though sucess surprises Mr. Armstrong, he is no spring chicken to the upper eschelons of pop charts. As producer and remixer of Felix's massive 1992 single "Don't You Want Me" he's watched that track go to #3 in Britain on it's first release and then again twice more into the top-10 since then. Even as we speak, with all the props and chart positions which have been afforded Rollo, none of it has gone to his head. "I'm still just this guy who sits in a studio and makes good dance records," he muses. [p]_z_dancemusic_z_);
