Faithless

Last updated

Faithless
Faithless - The Dance Never Ends at Budapest 02.jpg
Faithless performing at Budapest Sports Arena, on their last tour, The Dance Never Ends, on 21 March 2011
Background information
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Years active
  • 1995–2011
  • 2015–present
Labels
Members
Past members
Website faithless.co.uk

Faithless are an English dance music band that formed in 1995, with its core members being Rollo, Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz. [3] Their first album, Reverence , was released in 1996 and their most recent, All Blessed , in 2020. They have sold millions of physical records, and their catalogue was uploaded to streaming sites in 2018. [4] They average almost 3 million listeners a month on Spotify. [5] Faithless' records have charted at No. 1 in numerous countries and they were voted the 4th greatest dance band of all time by Mixmag .

Contents

Their lyrical style has been seen as sociopolitical. [6] All Blessed uses award-winning photo-journalist Yannis Behrakis' picture of refugees on the front, focusing on immigration as its core theme. [7]

Faithless have headlined numerous major festivals in Europe and beyond, including four editions of Glastonbury. [8]

History

1990s

Faithless was founded in 1995. [9] Jazz had his musical beginnings in hip-hop, [10] and was a rapper on the local scene in South London since the mid-1980s. [11] Bliss' and Rollo's primary interests were in electronic music.

Faithless' first album Reverence was conceived as a mixtape which covers many genres, encapsulating house, hip-hop, folk and classical music. The album was released on Rollo's label, Cheeky Records. [3]

Their first show at Camden’s Jazz cafe to showcase Reverence was a sell-out, and a global tour ensued as the record went up the charts all over Europe. The singles "Insomnia" and "Salva Mea" each selling over a million copies, and album going either platinum or gold in every European territory.

The second studio album, Mercury-nominated Sunday 8PM , [12] contained the global hit "God Is a DJ" and established Faithless as a major touring force in 1998. Emotive videos were directed by featured vocalist Jamie Catto, featuring the band’s transcendent live shows, and helped bring Faithless’ live prowess to the attention of music fans. They were nominated for Best British Dance Act at the Brit Awards in 1999. The same year, Catto departed the band to form 1 Giant Leap.

2000s

In 2001, their third album Outrospective was the first to be released on major label Sony BMG and captured the dreamy synergy between sadness and mad delirium giving rise to hit singles "We Come 1" and a tribute to Muhammad Ali. In 2002, they performed on the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury, with another nomination for best British Dance Act at The Brit Awards in the same year. They won Best Dance and Best Live Act at the TMF Awards in the Netherlands in 2001.

In 2004, their fourth album No Roots debuted at number 1 in the UK, conceived as a conceptual continuous piece of music in one key, with strong lyrical gravitas it featured vocals from Dido, new collaborator L.S.K, and the late Nina Simone. Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters cited Faithless’ hit protest song "Mass Destruction" as the song he most wished he had written during an interview with Q magazine, [13] and the lyrics were quoted in the US Senate. A powerful video directed by award-winning directing team Dom & Nick alluded to abuses of power during the Iraq War to chilling effect, tracing the connection from childhood bullying to terrorism and genocide.

Encouraged by their label, Faithless released a Greatest Hits album, Forever Faithless . The Greatest Hits album went four times platinum and was the best-selling dance album of 2005. A huge global tour followed the success of the album.

Their fifth album, To All New Arrivals , was released in 2006. It was inspired by the uncertain futures facing Sister Bliss’ recently-born son, and Rollo’s young family, exploring themes of global poverty, immigration, conflict and belonging through the concept of "new arrivals". The first single "Bombs", with its anti-war message and video directed by director Howard Greenhalgh, was not playlisted on daytime MTV or BBC Radio 1. [14] The album also featured collaborations with Cat Power and Robert Smith of The Cure. The band played Coachella Valley Festival in 2007.

2010s: Hiatuses and Jazz's departure

Their sixth album The Dance was released on 16 May 2010, after a four-year recording break for the band, on their own label "Nate’s Tunes" - and was 2nd in the UK album charts behind The Rolling Stones. Faithless again played the Pyramid stage at Glastonbury in 2010, as well as other festivals around the world, and arenas. They were seen by over one million people and sold over 400,000 records. [15] Faithless performed at Brixton Academy on 7 and 8 April 2011 and was transmitted live via satellite to cinemas across Europe. [16]

In 2015, Faithless released a remix album under the banner of Faithless 2.0 . The studio album featured contributions from the biggest names in electronic music including Avicii, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Claptone and Booka Shade. The album contained tracks from their 25-year career, encompassing seventeen Top 40 singles, six Top 10 albums and they embarked on a tour to celebrate the album released. [17] In 2015 and 2016, the band played a series of live dates under the Faithless 2.0 banner, featuring Maxi Jazz and a full live band. Jazz left the group for the final time in 2016.

2020s: All Blessed, death of Maxi Jazz, and Champion Sound

After a seven-year recording hiatus, the seventh Faithless studio album All Blessed was released in October 2020. The release came in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the themes of the album weaving around immigration, identity, empathy and lack of it. The first track that was officially released from the album came on the same weekend as the album release, Synthesizer, a love letter to electronic music. The album features vocals from newcomers Nathan Ball and spoken word artist & poet Suli Breaks, along with Caleb Femi. Other notable appearances on the album include Soul II Soul founder Jazzie B, Gaika, and Damien Jurado. Rollo said of the album, "We want to give them something else – something that could breathe." It continued their top 3 chart success in the UK and Europe. [18]

On 23 December 2022, Maxi Jazz died "peacefully in his sleep" at his home in London, England at the age of 65. [19] Seven days later, the band's compilation Forever Faithless re-entered the UK Album Downloads chart at number 7. [20]

In January 2024, Bliss announced that Faithless was returning to the "live arena" after eight years, with the group confirmed for dates [21] including Camp Bestival in Shropshire in August that year. [22] On 12 July 2024, Faithless released the single "Find A Way", which features Suli Breaks. On the same day, they announced the title of their upcoming eighth studio album, Champion Sound. [23] [24] On 30 August 2024, the group released the single "I'm Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell)" which features Amelia Fox and LSK, in tribute to Maxi Jazz. [25] [26] On the same day, they announced The Champion Sound Tour, which will visit UK and European cities in November and December 2024. [27]

Other work

In between album releases, Faithless also released compilation albums revealing more of their personality and influence including the long-running Back to Mine sessions as well as NME in Association with War Child Presents 1 Love, The Bedroom Sessions and the Renaissance 3D music project, in conjunction with the iconic Renaissance nightclub.

As well as their own studio albums, all three members have actively engaged in other people's work as solo artists.

Sister Bliss is a prominent dance DJ and has for a long time toured the circuit on her own, and has also scored numerous TV, film and theatre productions, along with presenting an award-winning Bauer Media show on Scala Radio joining the dots between classical and electronic music. Sister Bliss’ hugely successful weekly radio show and podcast ‘Sister Bliss in Session’, is syndicated to over 100 stations & 43 countries worldwide, and has around 10 million listeners per month and 60,000 podcast downloads per month.

Rollo released a solo record in 2019 under the moniker R PLUS called The Last Summer which features Dido. On 13 May 2022 he released WeDisappear, a collaboration album with Amelia Fox. [28] [29] [30] "Makes Me Feel Good" [31] and an edited version of "Let's Really Have Some Fun", released 28 April 2023, were released as singles. [32] On 24 November 2023, the album, For Lovers, Not Killers was released, once again in collaboration with Amelia Fox. [33] The R Plus albums have erroneously been credited to Faithless on many streaming services.

Maxi Jazz also collaborated with Faithless founding member Jamie Catto on his project 1 Giant Leap and released an album with his band Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys.

Finally, Rollo founded the label Cheeky Records and has produced the music of other artists, most notably his sister Dido's albums, as well as using various monikers to create popular dance music under the names Rollo Goes... (Camping, Mystic and Spiritual), Felix, Our Tribe (with Rob Dougan), and Dusted. [34]

Band members

Discography

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dido (singer)</span> English singer and songwriter (born 1971)

Florian Cloud de Bounevialle Armstrong, known professionally as Dido, is an English singer and songwriter. She attained international success with her debut album No Angel (1999); hit singles from the album include "Here with Me" and "Thank You". It sold over 21 million copies worldwide, and it won her several awards, including two Brit Awards; additionally, she won Best British Album and Best British Female as well as the MTV Europe Music Award for Best New Act. The first verse of "Thank You" is sampled in "Stan", a critically acclaimed collaboration with American rapper Eminem. Her next album, Life for Rent (2003), continued her success with the hit singles "White Flag" and "Life for Rent". In 2004, Dido performed with other British and Irish artists in the Band Aid 20 version of the charity single "Do They Know It's Christmas?".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rollo Armstrong</span> British record producer

Rowland Constantine O'Malley Armstrong, known professionally as both Rollo and R Plus, is an English DJ and music producer. He is one half of the remix/production duo Rollo & Sister Bliss and is a founding, non-touring, member of the electronic music group Faithless. He has produced and remixed many tracks for Dido, Rob Dougan, Pet Shop Boys, Simply Red, R. Kelly, U2, Moby, Grace, Tricky and Suede. He is also known for producing the UEFA Euro 2008 theme, which is also used as UEFA Super Cup, UEFA Women's Championship, and youth tournaments theme since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maxi Jazz</span> British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ (1957–2022)

Maxwell Alexander Fraser, better known by his stage name Maxi Jazz, was a British musician, rapper, singer, songwriter and DJ. He was the lead vocalist of British electronic band Faithless from 1995 to 2011 and 2015 to 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sister Bliss</span> British DJ, musician and songwriter

Ayalah Deborah Bentovim, better known by her stage name Sister Bliss, is a British keyboardist, record producer, DJ and songwriter. In the studio, she is best known for her work with Rollo Armstrong as one half of the production duo Rollo & Sister Bliss, and particularly as part of Faithless.

<i>Reverence</i> (Faithless album) 1996 album by Faithless

Reverence is the debut album by English electronic music group Faithless, released in April 1996 and then reissued in October. The album contains several singles that have subsequently become Faithless classics, such as "Don't Leave", "Salva Mea", and "Insomnia". The album reached number 26 on the UK Albums Chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">God Is a DJ (Faithless song)</span> 1998 single by Faithless

"God Is a DJ" is a song by British group Faithless, written by Maxi Jazz, Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Jamie Catto. It was released on 24 August 1998 as the lead single from their second studio album, Sunday 8PM (1998). The single reached number six in the United Kingdom and also reached number one on the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart in September 1998. The title and core lyric originated from words on a T-shirt worn to rehearsal by the band guitarist Dave Randall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">One Step Too Far</span> 2002 single by Faithless

"One Step Too Far" is a song by British electronic music group Faithless. The track features member Rollo Armstrong's sister Dido on vocals and was remixed for single release. "One Step Too Far" was released on 8 April 2002 as the fourth and final single from their third studio album, Outrospective (2001). The song peaked at number six on the UK Singles Chart, number four on the US Dance Club Play chart, and number 21 on the Australian Singles Chart.

<i>Faithless – Renaissance 3D</i> 2006 compilation album by Faithless

Renaissance 3D by Faithless is a 3-compact disc box set, of which each CD has a different theme. The first CD, Studio, includes remixes of both songs by Faithless and others. The second CD, a mix CD called Club, mainly contains uptempo dance songs. Both the first and second CDs are compiled by Faithless member Sister Bliss. The third CD, Home, is compiled by Maxi Jazz and contains less uplifting songs, from genres such as reggae and trip hop.

Pauline Taylor is a British singer and songwriter who came to recognition as the lead vocalist on the singles "Love Love Love, Here I Come" by Rollo Goes Mystic and "Let This Be a Prayer" by Rollo Goes Spiritual. Both groups are pseudonyms for producer Rollo Armstrong, a member of the band Faithless.

<i>To All New Arrivals</i> 2006 studio album by Faithless

To All New Arrivals is the 5th studio album by dance music act Faithless. The album was created after the positive response to the Faithless Greatest Hits tour, originally described as their "final tour". The album was released on 27 November 2006, a week after the single "Bombs". The title for the album was inspired by the recent birth of two babies to band members Rollo and Sister Bliss. The album cover features the 1880 oil painting, Nightfall on the Thames, by John Atkinson Grimshaw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insomnia (Faithless song)</span> 1995 single by Faithless

"Insomnia" is a song by British musical group Faithless. Released as the band's second single, it became one of their most successful. It was originally released in 1995 and reached number 27 on the UK Singles Chart, topping the UK Dance Chart in the process. When re-released in October 1996, the song achieved a new peak of number three in the United Kingdom and topped the charts of Finland, Norway, and Switzerland, as well as the American and Canadian dance charts. It also featured on Faithless's 1996 debut album, Reverence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salva Mea</span> 1995 single by Faithless

"Salva Mea" is a song by British electronic band Faithless, written by members Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Maxi Jazz. The female vocals on all versions are performed by Rollo's sister Dido. "Salva Mea" was released in July 1995 by Cheeky Records as the group's first single from their debut album, Reverence (1996), and became a hit on the UK Dance Singles Chart; following a re-release in 1996, it peaked at number nine on the UK Singles Chart. The single topped the US Hot Dance Club Play chart twice—during its first chart run in 1996 and again in 1997 when the track was remixed and reissued. A black-and-white music video was produced to promote the single, directed by British director Lindy Heymann.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">We Come 1</span> 2001 single by Faithless

"We Come 1" is a song by British electronic band Faithless from their third studio album, Outrospective (2001). The song was issued as the album's lead single on 4 June 2001, two weeks before Outrospective was released. The remixes by Wookie and Dave Clarke that appear on the single releases are included on the bonus disc of the album Reperspective: The Remixes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muhammad Ali (song)</span> 2001 single by Faithless

"Muhammad Ali" is a song recorded by British dance band Faithless. It was released in the UK as a single on 23 September 2001, and was the second single release from the group's third studio album Outrospective. The German release was a DualDisc containing a CD audio side and a DVD side. Muhammad Ali reached #29 in the UK singles chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faithless discography</span>

The discography of Faithless, a British electronic band, consists of nine studio albums, four remix albums, three compilation albums, thirty-seven singles and a number of other appearances. They are perhaps best known for their 1995 hit single "Insomnia"; it was voted by Mixmag readers as the fifth greatest dance record of all time in 2013, was certified triple platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) in 2023, with sales of over 1.8million.

<i>The Dance</i> (Faithless album) 2010 studio album by Faithless

The Dance is the sixth studio album by dance music act Faithless on their own record label, Nates Tunes, and first for PIAS Recordings. Dido is featured on the songs "North Star" and "Feelin' Good". Actress and singer Mía Maestro performs the vocals on "Love Is My Condition".

Aubrey Nunn is an English bass guitarist, songwriter, producer, and educator. He is best known as a long-serving former member of the British band Faithless.

<i>All Blessed</i> 2020 studio album by Faithless

All Blessed is the seventh studio album by dance music act Faithless. It was released on 23 October 2020. It is their first studio album in 10 years, succeeding 2010's The Dance. It is also their first album which doesn't feature lead vocalist Maxi Jazz.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don't Leave (Faithless song)</span> 1996 single by Faithless

"Don't Leave" is a song by English band Faithless, co-written by Jamie Catto, Rollo, and Sister Bliss and produced by the latter two. Catto provides the lead vocals on the song while Pauline Taylor and Rollo's sister Dido perform several backing vocals. A downtempo soul ballad, the track was included on Faithless's debut album, Reverence (1996), and was released as its third single in March 1996, reaching number 34 on the UK Singles Chart.

Champion Sound is the upcoming eighth studio album by dance music act Faithless. It is due to be released in 2024, and will be their first studio album since 2020's All Blessed.

References

  1. ↑ D'Angelo, Joe (4 May 2001). "New Faithless Album Features Dido Contribution". MTV News. Archived from the original on 24 December 2015. Retrieved 23 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "Ishkur's Guide to Electronic Music". Techno.org. 16 November 2007. Archived from the original on 11 February 2012. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
  3. 1 2 Strong, Martin C. (2000). The Great Rock Discography (5th ed.). Edinburgh: Mojo Books. p. 335. ISBN   1-84195-017-3.
  4. ↑ Faithless. "Radio Swiss Pop - Music database - Band". www.radioswisspop.ch. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  5. ↑ "Faithless". Spotify .
  6. ↑ Faithless: All the trouble in the world. The Independent. 4 June 2004. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  7. ↑ ALBUM REVIEW: Faithless - All Blessed. 20 October 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  8. ↑ "Faithless". www.vam.ac.uk. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  9. ↑ Faithless: Breaking Down Classic Tracks with Sister Bliss. Roland. Retrieved 25 February 2024.
  10. ↑ Maxi Jazz: the calm eye in the centre of Faithless’s rave storm. The Guardian. 26 December 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  11. ↑ Faithless singer Maxi Jazz has died, aged 65. NME. 24 December 2022. Retrieved 24 February 2024.
  12. ↑ "Mercury Prize a full list of previous winners and nominees". Sunday Times. 30 October 2013.
  13. ↑ "'The Music That Changed My Life'". Q .
  14. ↑ "Bombs Away". Shots.net. 1 November 2006. Archived from the original on 13 April 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2006.
  15. ↑ citation needed
  16. ↑ "Faithless – Passing The Baton – Live From Brixton". discogs. Retrieved 19 April 2018.
  17. ↑ "Faithless: On reuniting and a remix album". Evening Standard. 21 August 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2020.
  18. ↑ Middleton, Ryan (23 October 2020). "Album Review: Faithless - All Blessed". Magneticmag.com. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
  19. ↑ Lee, Dulcie (24 December 2022). "Faithless lead singer Maxi Jazz dies aged 65". BBC News . Retrieved 24 December 2022.
  20. ↑ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100 30 December 2022 - 05 January 2023". Official Charts. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 30 December 2022.
  21. ↑ "FAITHLESS - CHAMPION SOUND - LIVE 2024". FAITHLESS - CHAMPION SOUND - LIVE 2024. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
  22. ↑ Faithless announce a return to the stage to celebrate Maxi Jazz at Camp Bestival Shropshire 2024. NME. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  23. ↑ Lejarde, Arielle Lena (12 July 2024). "Faithless announce new album, 'Champion Sound', share 'Find A Way' featuring Suli Breaks: Listen". DJ Mag. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  24. ↑ Duran, Anagricel (12 July 2024). "Faithless announce eighth album 'Champion Sound' with funky new single 'Find A Way'". NME. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
  25. ↑ "Faithless - I'm Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell) feat. Amelia Fox & LSK". Spotify. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  26. ↑ Stickler, Jon (30 August 2024). "Faithless Release New Single I'm Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell)". Stereoboard. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  27. ↑ Johnson, Laura (30 August 2024). "Faithless Tickets For Champion Sound UK And European Tour On Sale 10am Today". Stereoboard. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
  28. ↑ "R Plus WeDisappear". Apple Music. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  29. ↑ "Rollo Armstrong redefines storytelling with second R Plus album: 'WeDisappear'". Front View Magazine. 16 May 2022. Retrieved 30 April 2023.
  30. ↑ "R Plus - We Disappear". Spotify. 13 May 2022. Retrieved 12 December 2022.
  31. ↑ "R Plus, Faithless & Amelia Fox - Makes Me Feel Good". Spotify. 18 March 2022. Retrieved 27 April 2023.
  32. ↑ "R Plus, Faithless, Amelia Fox - Let's Really Have Some Fun". Spotify. 28 April 2023. Retrieved 28 April 2023.
  33. ↑ "For Lovers, Not Killers - R Plus, Faithless & Amelia Fox". Spotify. 24 November 2023. Retrieved 9 December 2023.
  34. ↑ "Dido Joins Rollo and Sister Bliss of Faithless as R Plus, Debut Album The Last Summer Announced for October 2019 Release". Music.mxdwn.com. 1 October 2019. Retrieved 22 June 2021.
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.