Funny how they promote Faithless starting with..."you know that they are related to Dido ?"
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In June, “Faithless,” BMG’s house-crossover pioneers from London, will reassume command of the world’s dance floors and festival stages. After a two-year hiatus, the band is releasing “No Roots,” the successor to their chart-busting album “Outrospective.”
“No Roots” once again proves that musical talent runs strong in the Armstrong family. While Dido Armstrong is hogging all sorts of charts and awards all over the world with her two albums “Life for Rent” and “No Angel,” one tends to forget where and with whose help the elfin singer took her first steps towards international fame: It was her brother Rollo who had his sister sing the vocals for the recordings of his band’s first album, and who produced her triumphant albums.
But Rollo isn’t just the “man in the background” for his own sister. He is long established as one of the most in-demand producers and remixers in the U.K. – for U2, Simply Red and Björk among others. But arguably the best-known sphere of action of the man who claims “I can’t play an instrument, move to a beat, or carry a tune” is his own band Faithless.
In 1995, Rollo met the black DJ and Rapper Maxi Jazz and Sister Bliss, at the time London’s most popular House “D-Jane.” The two soon found a home with Rollo’s own Cheeky Records label. “Our becoming a band happened automatically, it just worked out that way because we worked together anyway,” says Rollo. This musical core can be extended as needed for Faithless’ recordings and – more importantly – for their live performances. The various musical influences of the musicians involved are then reflected in the band’s collective sound, a blend of soul, rap and folk that always ultimately returns to its techno origins.
The magic, indeed, appears to be in the mix: Faithless’ debut album “Reverence,” featuring the dance-club hits “Insomnia” and “Salva Mea” sold 1.5 million copies. The success continued with the next two albums “Sunday 8pm” and “Outrospective,” and hits like “God is a DJ.” The band’s singles alone sold a total of four million copies. But their live concerts have been truly instrumental in gaining “Faithless” a large and loyal fan following. Here, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz are the face of the band, while Rollo remains in the wings, off-stage. His musical work always ends as soon as the musicians leave the studio.
Now, after a two-year hiatus, Faithless are back with “No Roots.” The new album hits record stores in June. Like all of its predecessors, it will feature guest performances by Dido – and British hip-hop/reggae newcomer LSK, who is featured on six tracks.
