Swayzak

This London based deep dub-house duo got their moniker from a bastardization of actor Patrick Swayze's name, wanting something memorable but not immediately recognizable. This description also applies to their general approach to music: distinctive and not easily classified. Though James Taylor and David Brown began playing together in 1994, they spent three years studying their instruments and recording techniques in their basement studio. When a friend finally urged them into making their music public, 1997's Bueno EP emerged on their own Swayzak label, which the group also ran on their own. The success and critical acclaim that Bueno and the group's following singles met with were doubly surprising, as Swayzak had very little connection with the London DJ scene. A chance meeting in a London record shop sparked the group's distribution deal with Medicine records for their debut album, 1998's Snowboarding in Argentina. The full-length collection of the group's clean, atmospheric live electronics also met with acclaim in dance circles, although by this time their creativity and independence was no longer a surprise. Mixer voted Snowboarding in Argentina the 1998 Album of the Year, furthering the duo's recognition in the U.S. Following a collaboration with the Detroit techno artist Theorem, Swayzak released Himawari and cashed in on their growing acclaim within the global electronic music scene. The brave album featured ambitious collaborations with dub poet Benjamin Zephaniah, Opus III vocalist Kirsty Hawkshaw, and vocalist JB Rose. Dirty Dancing, released in 2002, found the duo adding more elements of pop, and 2004's Loops From the Bergerie saw the first vocal features from Swayzak's David Brown. ~ Heather Phares, All Music Guide