The Big Chill

There's something kind of funny about being a chill-out band. Or more to the point, a popular chill-out band. Y'see, the whole idea of being chilled is just like, y'know, taking it easy and stuff, man. But with a new album release and a summer of blissed-out beats at numerous festivals and one-offs around Europe, the truly relaxed Groove Armada are about to become very busy indeed.

Having meet through a female friend at college in Cambridge, Andy Cato (the ludicrously tall one) and Tom Findlay (the not-so-tall one) immediately found a common thread between 'em – music.

A move to London later, and the two set up the Groove Armada club, with Andy playing house music in one room and Tom spinning funk in the other. Following their relocation to a one-room venue, they started swapping deck duties – mixing house with left-of-centre beats.

Mind you, they weren't the only ones from exotic Cambridge digging in the crates marked 'Obscure' at the time – Tim 'Love' Lee and jazz-funk-house bods Harvey and the Idjut Boys were all doing the rounds at the time. Must be summat in the water, eh, Andy?

"Yeah, it's an odd phenomenon - the Cambridge mafia! I don't know why, but there were a lot of people into different types of stuff around there at the time. And when we finished Northern Star (the group's first long-player), Tim and his Tummy Touch label were the only ones who’d put it out.”

And what an astute move that proved to be. Despite its low-key arrival, the album quickly earned holy grail status among the more horizontally-inclined trainspotters.

It garnered rave reviews from all the cross-channel glossies and lead to a major deal with Pepper Records, who rushed out 1999’s ultimate coffee table accessory, Vertigo. Even Elton John's a fan, ferchrissakes.

And now the pressure's on. The new album's "just finished" according to Andy - and even though it's their third studio effort, in the general public's eyes, this really is the Difficult Second Album.

"In a way it's taking things, the whole sound to what we see as its logical conclusion," reckons Andy. "It's a change of level. Really. It's the first record we've made over a different time scale – our own time scale. It's really the record we always wanted to make and, yes, we're proud of it."

Any chance of some insider gossip on what to expect?

"Well, we think we're going to call it Edge Hill after the place where we recorded it - despite what the A&R man says." Rock and roll. "And there's a collaboration with Jeru the Damaja which sounds great, some hip-hop stuff, some house stuff, the odd acid frenzy and a collaboration with (folkie-type legend) Richie Havens."

Another string to the good ship Armada's bow is their live performance. As anyone who, er, witnessed the spectacle at a large Irish festival in a field last year can attest, two blokes poring over a bank of samplers and PCs it ain't. A full-on seven piece band topped off with horns, percussion and other real instruments it is.

"We enjoy playing live," says Andy. "I mean, we've made some mistakes along the way, getting too jazz funk for our own good at times, but overall we like playing live, we're looking forward to getting back out for the summer."

Speaking of which, the Armada's next live outing is at the ultra-swank Lynx Gravity bash in London for 2,000 hand-picked ravers from across Europe in early July. Also on the bill for the fragrant event at a secret location are Armand Van Helden, the Fun Lovin' Criminals and Ian Brown.

“We did the last one in Ibiza last year which was a lot of fun, so when the offer came in for this one again, we said 'why not?' It was a good experience, and hopefully this'll be the same. And it's a good excuse for a party,” laughs Andy.

Amen to that!