Andy Cato

Last updated

Andy Cato
Groove Armada Andy Cato (cropped).jpg
Andy Cato performing with Groove Armada in 2007
Background information
Birth nameAndrew Derek Coecup
Also known as
  • Caia
  • Journey Man DJ
  • Andy Cocup
  • Big C
  • The system
  • Seventh Sense
Born (1972-12-11) 11 December 1972 (age 50)
Barnsley, Yorkshire, England
OriginLondon, England
Genres Electronic
Instrument(s)
Years active1996–present
Labels Columbia UK

Andrew Derek Coecup Sr. (born 11 December 1972), known professionally as Andy Cato, is an English musician, record producer and DJ [1] who is currently one half of the electronic music band Groove Armada, the other half being Tom Findlay. He was also involved with Rachel Foster in Weekend Players, another electronic dance group, between 2001 and 2004. His stage name of Cato derives from Cato Road in Clapham, South London, where he lived.

Contents

Early life

Cato grew up in Badsworth, near Pontefract, and played the trombone in the Grimethorpe Colliery Band, [2] as well as the Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra and won the Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award in 1996.[ citation needed ] He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, a private school for boys in Wakefield, followed by Merton College, Oxford, where he read Modern History. At school, he was a prolific musician, frequently performing and leading school shows such as the Carol concert or as a pianist at school assembly. He often wrote his own songs e.g. "Christmas means to me - presents round the tree", from an early age.

Groove Armada

After Oxford, he moved to London, where he began acting as a disc jockey at nightclubs such as Fabric where he started in the upstairs bar, and composing music. He set up the label Skinny Malinky, which produced records under various aliases included Big C, Mother's Pride, Vadis, Beat Foundation, Fatback Boogaloo and Qattara (with Alex Whitcombe). [3]

He formed the successful Groove Armada after he met Tom Findlay in 1994 in Cambridge, through a common friend who was his girlfriend (and now his wife), Jo, whom he met at Oxford. In London they had a dance night called Captain Sensual at the Helm of the Groove Armada. In 2003 they started the Lovebox Festival, named after the club night they started in London venue 93 Feet East in 2002.

Personal life

In 2008, Cato moved with his family to Gascony in France. In 2013, they acquired a 100-hectare farm, where they now grow organic no-till crops and raise livestock in pasture. Cato is now a full-time farmer, but he still finds time to DJ, with occasional gigs in the UK and Ibiza and regular DIY releases. [4] Groove Armada performed a farewell tour of Australia and New Zealand in 2022.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Acid jazz</span> Music genre

Acid jazz is a music genre that combines elements of funk, soul, and hip hop, as well as jazz and disco. Acid jazz originated in clubs in London during the 1980s with the rare groove movement and spread to the United States, Japan, Eastern Europe, and Brazil. Acts included The Brand New Heavies, D'Influence, Incognito, Us3, and Jamiroquai from the UK and Buckshot LeFonque and Digable Planets from the U.S. The rise of electronic club music in the middle to late 1990s led to a decline in interest, and in the twenty-first century, the movement became indistinct as a genre. Many acts that might have been defined as acid jazz are seen as jazz-funk, neo soul, or jazz rap.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music of Washington, D.C.</span>

Washington, D.C., has been home to many prominent musicians and is particularly known for the musical genres of Jazz, Rhythm & Blues, bluegrass, punk rock and its locally-developed descendants hardcore and emo, and a local funk genre called go-go. The first major musical figure from District of Columbia was John Philip Sousa, a military brass band composer. Later figures include jazz musicians, such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Rouse, Buck Hill, Ron Holloway, Davey Yarborough, Michael A. Thomas, Butch Warren, and DeAndrey Howard; soul musicians, including Billy Stewart, The Unifics, The Moments, Ray, Goodman & Brown, Van McCoy, The Presidents, The Choice Four, Vernon Burch, guitarist Charles Pitts, and Sir Joe Quarterman & Free Soul.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gilles Peterson</span> French-born British broadcaster and DJ

Gilles Jérôme Moehrle MBE, better known as Gilles Peterson, is a French broadcaster, DJ, and record label owner. He founded the influential labels Acid Jazz and Talkin' Loud, and started his current label Brownswood Recordings in 2006. He was awarded an honorary MBE in 2004, the AIM Award for Indie Champion and the Mixmag Award for Outstanding Contribution To Dance Music in 2013, the PRS for Music Award for Outstanding Contribution to Music Radio in 2014, and The A&R Award from the Music Producers Guild in 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Groove Armada</span> British band

Groove Armada are an English electronic music duo, composed of Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They achieved chart success with their singles "At the River", "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'". The duo have released nine studio albums, four of which have charted in the UK Albums Chart top 50.

The Nextmen is a UK production/songwriting/DJ duo consisting of Dom Search and Brad Baloo. Often incorporating hip hop, drum & bass, dub, pop, soul and various other eclectic electronic and indie genres into their sounds, they have worked with many artists from the UK and US.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">James Holden (producer)</span> English disc jockey of electronic music

James Alexander Goodale Holden is a British electronic music artist and DJ. After beginning his career as a DJ and producer, Holden has moved extensively into live performance and founded his own record label Border Community.

Sugardaddy is an English electronic music duo formed in 2006, consisting of Tom Findlay and session musician Tim Hutton.. The band signed to Tune Tribe Records in 2006. "Treat Me Like A Dog" appears on the soundtrack of I Want Candy.

<i>Vertigo</i> (Groove Armada album) 1999 studio album by Groove Armada

Vertigo is the second studio album by the British electronic music duo Groove Armada, released in 1999 on the Jive Electro record label. It contains the well-known singles "At the River" and "I See You Baby".

<i>Lovebox</i> (Groove Armada album) 2002 studio album by Groove Armada

Lovebox is the fourth studio album by English electronic dance music duo Groove Armada, released on 18 November 2002 by Jive Electro.

<i>Soundboy Rock</i> 2007 studio album by Groove Armada

Soundboy Rock is the fifth studio album by English electronic music duo Groove Armada, released on 4 May 2007 by Columbia Records.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)</span> 2007 single by Groove Armada and Mutya Buena

"Song 4 Mutya (Out of Control)" is a song produced by British music duo Groove Armada, featuring vocals by recording artist Mutya Buena. Initially intended to feature British singer Estelle, the duo ultimately decided to collaborate with Buena on the song following her departure from girl group Sugababes in December 2005. Supported by a new wave-inspired beat, dance synthesizers and a bass line, it is an uptempo electropop song. The lyrics were interpreted by the media as an "insult" to Buena's Sugababes replacement Amelle Berrabah, although Buena herself has denied such allegations.

BoomBox is an American rock and electronic duo formed in 2004 by singer-songwriter Zion Godchaux and producer Russ Randolph, both of whom have backgrounds as DJs. Originating in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, BoomBox has released numerous studio albums, starting in 2005 with Visions of Backbeat. Their second album, Downriverelectric, was released in June 2010, followed by Filling in the Color (2014) and Bits & Pieces (2016). Their newest album, Western Voodoo, was released on October 19, 2018. Their newest single released in June 2017 is titled "Right Around Two ".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">At the River</span> 1997 single by Groove Armada

"At the River" is a song by British duo Groove Armada. It was released as a single in 1997 on 7-inch vinyl, limited to 500 copies. The song appeared on the duo's debut album Northern Star and again on their second album, Vertigo, released in April 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Superstylin'</span> 2001 single by Groove Armada

"Superstylin'" is a song by English electronic duo Groove Armada, released as the band's first single on 13 August 2001, from the album Goodbye Country . Vocals were performed by Groove Armada's long-time vocalist MC M.A.D.. Groove Armada credited Daniels for the cross-genre sound of the track, saying it was house music with influences of dancehall, reggae, and dub, with a speed garage bassline.

Shaun Williams is a DJ and jazz dancer from Birmingham, United Kingdom (UK), notable for his pioneering role in the UK's jazz fusion and electro music scenes. He achieved success with the early electro club track, released with DSM, "Warrior Groove".

<i>White Light</i> (Groove Armada album) 2010 studio album by Groove Armada

White Light is the seventh studio album by the British electronic music duo Groove Armada, released on 18 October 2010 through Cooking Vinyl. It consists of alternative versions of songs from their previous album, Black Light, along with one new song entitled "1980".

Jess Cartner-Morley is a British journalist. She has been the fashion editor of The Guardian since 2000.

<i>Late Night Tales presents Automatic Soul</i> 2014 compilation album by Tom Findlay

Late Night Tales presents Automatic Soul is a mix album compiled by Tom Findlay of English electronic music duo Groove Armada, released 3 November 2014 as part of the Late Night Tales series.

"Purple Haze" is a song by English electronic music duo Groove Armada, taken from their fourth studio album, Lovebox (2002). The song contains elements from "April, Spring, Summers and Wednesdays", performed by English rock band Status Quo. Released on 21 October 2002, "Purple Haze" reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart and number 38 in Italy.

Cornelius Tshepo Mashilane, better known by his stage name Cornelius SA, is a South African music producer, remixer and DJ. He creates house music containing elements of Electronic dance, deep house, techno and Afro house.

References

  1. ↑ , Financial Times Interview, January 2017.
  2. ↑ Simpson, Dave (20 November 2018). "Groove Armada: how we made At the River". theguardian.com . Retrieved 29 November 2018.
  3. ↑ Profile, discogs.com; accessed 9 July 2016.
  4. ↑ , Financial Times Interview, January 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.