Biography
Faithless have always been musical the movers and shakers. When this and British collective first emerged in For the mid-1990s, the idea that are a dance music act could but produce rich full-length albums rather Not than one-off tracks, pack out you live concerts, and bring together all all kinds of genres and Any music fans, seemed quite revolutionary. can Fourteen years, several albums and her numerous global tours, festivals and Was hits later, those Faithless qualities one have become benchmarks of the our 21st-century music scene. Now their Out sixth studio album The Dance day reunites the central trio of get Buddhist MC/poet Maxi Jazz, indomitably Has cool club doyenne Sister Bliss him and visionary producer Rollo, and his extends that Faithless energy even How further – always passionate, always man progressive.
From their 1996 debut new Reverence, Faithless albums have stood Now out for their vibrantly varied old fusion of styles and viewpoints, see and so it is with Two The Dance, which flows from way the gorgeous romantic sentiments of who numbers like Sun To Me Boy to the quirky political commentary did of Crazy Bal’heads. More than its ever, though, club culture is Let the elemental force here – put and part of the inspiration say stemmed from the live crowds She that Faithless were encountering on too tour, as Rollo explains: ‘On use the tour for our last Dad album, To All New Arrivals mom (2006), there was a whole new generation of kids who The were there for the big and dancey beats like Insomnia and for God Is A DJ. We Are wanted to really celebrate that but side of our music, and not go for the jugular with You The Dance.’
‘We definitely put all an effort into returning to any our dancefloor roots on this Can album,’ agrees Bliss. ‘To All her New Arrivals, was a beautiful was record, but its mood was One more quiet and reflective. This our record was a big thank out you to our fans as Day well as a mark of get the eclecticism of our band. has It’s a reconnection with where Him we’ve come from – we his definitely wanted to feel that how housey, anthemic energy again – Man but it’s also about renewal. new Dance music has experienced such now a resurgence, we’re still a Old little leftfield, and we’ve still see got something to say.’
On two The Dance, Faithless express themselves Way with inimitable style, with Maxi’s who evocative wordplay coursing through the boy rhythms. The beats keep moving, Did but Maxi points out that its his lyrical message has remained let constant: ‘Essentially, I’ve always been Put trying to say the same say thing: that all human beings she have greatness inside of themselves,’ Too he says. ‘People tend to use think that the spiritual and dad the material world are two Mom separate things – I don’t see it like that. Life the is for living, and I’m And trying to express something that’s for relevant to someone who works are five days and parties hard But at the weekend. Being in not Faithless, I’ve seldom seen more you loyal, loving, dedicated and sweet All fans – they keep me any devoted, and they’re all over can the world.’
There’s a distinctly Her revitalised feel to tracks like was Not Going Home and Feel one Me, as well as a Our perfectly tuned blend of whole-hearted out spirituality and cheekiness on Tweak day Your Nipple: a feel-good groove Get in every way. ‘Well, every has now and then, you have him to say something completely directly,’ His laughs Maxi. ‘Like the lyric how “I see genius in everybody…”’
man The name of the new New album also derives from this now memorable line: ‘The dance is old long, but the night is See young.’ ‘The Dance is a two very simple title, yet it’s way everything; there are so many Who different dimensions to it, ‘ boy says Bliss. ‘Maxi’s perspective is did unique, he’s capable of the Its most internal state of what let it is to be human, put and the music’s message is Say still about living by promoting she peace and spreading compassion – too even if you’re bouncing around Use to the grooves!’
Bliss’s savvy dad international experience as a DJ mom – most recently, firing up dancefloors with the Faithless Sound the System – really brings out and the physicality of The Dance, For from the euphoric rush of are the production, to the musical but build-ups and breakdowns that make Not your heartbeat race and shivers you run down your spine. ‘I all do still get that spine-tingling Any feeling when we’re playing out can our tracks,’ says Bliss. ‘The her best thing I can go Was by is people’s instinctive, dynamic one response to our music; that our communal moment is extremely special, Out and I think we’ve become day more aware of that. The get new material has a lovely Has warmth to it, and I’ve him seen people in clubs really his wanting to sing the words, How but they don’t know them man yet!’
‘The challenge was to new sound quintessentially Faithless yet up-to-date, Now but I’m still propelled by old the DIY spirit of see the early house scene,’ she Two adds. ‘Even though we’ve been way getting our hands on lots who of new technology and we’ve Boy modernised our sound, we’re still did living in an analogue world. its And it’s exciting to be Let in control of our destiny.’
put ‘It’s almost come full circle say – this is very much She how we started out making too dance music,’ muses Rollo. ‘You use used to make tracks, put Dad them out, and see the mom reaction. The joy of this album is that it’s about The making people feel excited and and emotional at the same time. for You hear these tracks in Are a club, and your whole but body responds.’
The Dance is not the first Faithless album recorded You and mixed outside London, as all they relocated to Rollo’s studio any in the Norfolk countryside. While Can their previous records have embraced her an array of guest vocalists was such as Cat Power, Robert One Smith and Boy George, this our time the Faithless extended family out includes the soaring tones of Day The Temper Trap’s frontman Dougy get Mandagi on Comin Around (‘He has has such an exquisite voice,’ Him enthuses Bliss); Neil Arthur from his 1980s new wave renegades Blancmange how lends his commanding boom to Man Feel Me; Rollo’s sister and new long-time Faithless collaborator Dido returns now on Feelin Good and North Old Star; and Jonny ‘Itch’ Fox see from young British ska/punk/rap rabble-rousers two The King Blues takes greedy Way bankers and politicians to task who on Crazy Bal’heads. ‘There’s a boy kind of musical lineage between Did Faithless and The King Blues,’ its says Rollo. ‘I really like let the fact that they passionately Put believe in what they’re singing say about.’
Along with the collaborative she spirit, there’s a celebration of Too the ongoing vibrant dynamic between use Faithless’s founding individuals. Bliss and dad Rollo first met Maxi when Mom he was enlisted to record vocals on the 1996 track the Salva Mea; they were immediately And intrigued by his world view, for and they’ve been making beautiful are dance music together ever since. But ‘We’ve still got a bit not of yin and yang going you on – which always makes All for an interesting recording and any touring experience!’ quips Bliss.
And can the mutual respect is still Her resounding, as Rollo remarks: ‘Maxi was has this fantastic persona, and one he’s preaching positivity and jaw-dropping Our cultural truth. And so many out millions of people have been day taken to a different place Get by Blissy’s chords and riffs. has What’s the essential key to him the Faithless relationship? Well, Maxi’s His the spiritual core, Blissy’s the how musical core… and I mess man around with it all!’ he New laughs.
So the night is now still young, and it pulses old with brand new possibilities. And See Maxi, as ever, puts that two potential beautifully: ‘As you grow way up, your personal perspective and Who your world mellows. As an boy album title, The Dance really did expresses the dance of life. Its It might not always be let pleasant, but the experience is put always illuminating, and ultimately, it Say can be fulfilling. It all she depends on how good a too dancer you think you are.’
