The Prodigy

Hard-hitting UK electronica act, The Prodigy, have been wowing audiences with their incendiary live performance since 1990, with their punishing mishmash of rave, hardcore techno, jungle, breakbeat and rock/punk influences. The group currently consists of members Liam Howlett (founder, keyboardist and composer), Keith Flint (dancer and vocalist), Leo Crabtree (drums), Rob Holliday (lead guitarist) and Maxim (MC and vocalist). The Prodigy have sold over 25 million records worldwide, becoming known as 'the premiere dance act for the alternative masses.'

The Prodigy achieved success early on in the UK, with their single "Charly" reaching number three in the UK SIngles Chart in 1991. Their first full length, "Experience" (1992) also achieved critical acclaim, with its singles "Everybody in The Place," "Out of Space" and "Fire/Jericho" becoming big hits on the UK rave scene.

It was not until their release of "The Fat of the Land" (1997) that Prodigy broke into the international market, with their single "Firestarter" becoming a huge hit, reaching number one in the UK Singles Chart. The album featured a heavier, more punk/rock influenced sound that attracted fans outside of the electronica scene, becoming a big crossover hit and helping The Prodigy to become one of the most successful acts in the dance genre. Their music was not without controversy however, with their single "Smack My Bitch Up" attracting much criticism for its lyrical content supposedly promoting violence against women. The music video was particularly extreme, featuring a first-person viewpoint as the protagonist indulges in drugs and alcohol before embarking on a wild night clubbing.

The Prodigy have achieved continued success, with a short hiatus in 1999 before reuniting in 2002. Their record, "Invaders Must Die" (2009) charted at humber one in the UK within the first week, as well as reaching the top ten in several other countries. Their live performances have become stuff of legend, often featuring dramatic light shows and pyrotechnics, becoming huge favourites on the global festival circuit, headlining many festivals every summer.

One of Britain’s best-known and, indeed, best-loved house DJs, Cox actually began his career in hardcore and rave in the eighties, where he commanded crowds at iconic clubs that included Heaven in London and The Hacienda in Manchester. His charisma and personality guaranteed him several radio jobs during his nineties heyday, including on Radio 1 - where had a monthly residency - as well as on Kiss FM. He’s released four solo albums to date - 1996’s ‘At the End of the Cliche’, 1999’s ‘Phuture 2000’, 2005’s ‘Second Sign’ and, in 2011, ‘All Roads Lead to the Dancefloor’. He’s put out a slew of single over the course of his career, too, but he’s best known for his live work.

His main focus these days are his two record labels, Intec Records and 23rd Century Records, but he continues to perform live; he curates a night at Manchester superclub the Warehouse Project on an annual basis, and also has his own stage at Ultra Music Festival in Miami, Florida, Electric Daisy Carnival in New York, and the world’s biggest dance festival, Tomorrowland in Belgium. The free reign he's given over the curation of a stage at these huge festivals tells you everything you need to know about his revered status in the dance world.

Andrew Clarke is proof that you’re never too young to innovate. Soon after his first experiments in programming breaks as a teenager, he and fellow bedroom producer Art Miles created the track that would define them both at the age of 15. Completed in 1991, “Valley Of The Shadows (31 Seconds)”, walked the line that connected happy hardcore and drum and bass just as the two styles began to diverge from each other and become genres in their own right. They rightly felt that they could have a huge underground success on their hands, and in 1992, the nascent duo (then known as Origin Unknown) decided to start their own record label, Ram Records, to release it.

They released the track on their debut E.P “Sour Mash”, and sure enough, it went on to become one of the defining drum and bass tracks of the era, netting the duo a Hardcore Dance Award for Best Hardcore Tune in 1993. With the acclaim and exposure that came from his work with Miles, Clarke began a solo career proper in the same year, releasing his first single as a solo artist in 1993 before playing his first live shows as Andy C soon afterwards. Ever since then, he’s remained one of the most respected names in drum and bass, who’s remixed everyone from Busta Rhymes to Jay-Z and played truly astonishing live sets all over the world.

He’s flown the flag for English Electronica for over two and a half decades and he’s not going to be letting up any time soon. For that, Andy C comes highly recommended.