Following last August’s announcement of a long-term deal with Defected, legendary UK dance act Groove Armada revealed the first music with Free Jam EP on Defected’s sub-label DFTD. Following a run of successful club and festival appearances for Defected and Glitterbox, Groove Armada will continue to headline Defected’s international roster of events, while releasing new music that spans house and disco, demonstrating the sonic diversity of Defected’s label repertoire.
Showcasing their club proficiency with the two-track Free Jam EP, the best of their extensive dancefloor experience is demonstrated on the release; the title track is a love letter to deep house, featuring delicious, soulful vocals from prolific dance vocalist Kathy Brown that meld with the duo’s unique percussive choices. ‘New Kind Of Drama’ delivers another dose of expertly curated club music, bringing the heat with bold squelchy synths and in-your-face Slarta John vocals moulded into raw, unfiltered carnival bliss.
“’Free Jam’ was born in a Byron Bay hotel room after a sweat soaked house session the night before. It’s a return to those late-night moments of house euphoria, love and warm Red Stripe, at the free parties where me and Tom began.
‘New Kind of Drama’, with outtakes from the Slarta John’s ‘Pull Up’ vocal, has been our secret DJ weapon for over a decade, it was rooted in the bass heavy sonic chaos of endless nights in the yards around late 20th century Brick Lane. It’s lovely to be back in the house groove where everything started, and to be there as part of a Defected family who are taking the ethos of the original house party worldwide.”
– Andy Cato, Groove Armada
Achieving huge chart success with singles such as ‘At The River’, ‘I See You Baby’ and ‘Superstylin’’, and with nine studio albums under their belt, Groove Armada’s influence on UK electronic music is undeniable. Speaking on the signing, their management Nathan Thursting and Mike Cridland said, “the relationship with Defected is a perfect fit at a perfect time with Tom and Andy back djing across the globe, celebrating the culture and heritage of their sound.”
“Very few artists have been able to produce and perform across multiple sub-genres of house and disco and stand the test of time like Groove Armada, so I’m very proud of this signing. From their Shoreditch beginnings, Tom and Andy have always been at the very top of their game, and we’re very much looking forward to working with them in the future and releasing lots of great music.”
– Wez Saunders, CEO Defected Records
Free Jam EP will be released via DFTD on 24th May 2024. Pre-order/pre-save: DFTD.lnk.to/DFTDS200D
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