| Shaft | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Brighton, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Electronic music, house, dance, Latino |
| Years active | 1999–2001 |
| Labels | Wonderboy Records, Universal Records, Nitelite Records, Jellybean Recordings, Urban, |
| Website | http://www.discogs.com/artist/Shaft |
| Past members | |
| Alex Rizzo, Elliot Ireland | |
Shaft were a British electronic music production duo, known for their covers and remixes of "(Mucho Mambo) Sway" and "Mambo Italiano". Shaft went straight to No. 2 in the UK charts with the release of '(Mucho Mambo) Sway'. They followed this with the release of 'Mambo Italiano' which reached 12 in the UK chart. They went on to tour the world and win a gold disc for best performing group. Since then, they have recorded more songs such as: "Kiri Riri Boom" and "Shake Seniora".
Contents |
Alex Rizzo [1]
Elliot Ireland [2]
Once they had a decent home studio, they began what is still a work in progress, compiling a huge database of samples and soundclips. Their biggest hit to date originated here: a sample of an old Perez Prado (50s King of Mambo) song entitled "Sway" became "Mucho Mambo" by Shaft, which, along with Lou Bega’s "Mambo No. 5" (curiously enough, also based on a Prado song) competed for the top position in the UK Singles Chart in the summer of 1999. Now "Wassuup!", a timely collage of the Budweiser ad catchphrase and the Rick James track "Superfreak", memorably used by MC Hammer in his megahit "U Can’t Touch This", is making waves all over Europe. Essentially a novelty record, although a second single and album will follow, it’s performed by Da Muttz, the latest of the Al & El projects.
Al & El operate, as do many dance producers, under various guises. Before Shaft and Da Muttz came Skeewiff, of some notoriety on the UK dance scene. Going back further, their personal histories span stints working at promotion companies, record labels and as musicians, remixers and studio engineers - all these invaluable to them not only as experiences in themselves but also as a way of building up a contact base across the whole music industry. The highlight in this formative period is a spell working at Power Studios in Acton, where they come into contact with legions of well-known dance and pop acts. They carry out remixes for Bjork and produce tracks for Alison Limerick and Schooly D, amongst others, and periodically release their own records on their own label Drop Dead Discs ( now defunct ). They eventually tire, however, of churning out tracks for the dancefloor, and long to produce something with more longevity. They begin work on the first Skeewiff album, soon to be released on their own brand new imprint, Jalapeño Records ( teaming up with the Ministry of Sound’s FSUK label ) and for the aforementioned Shaft project they sign to Wonderboy Records and the A&R there, Pete Lions, in 1999. The year after they join Head On Management ( after a stint with Jonathan Walker and Hemish McLean at Seven Music Productions ) where Phil Nicholas, together with Head On directors Guy Trezise and Steve Baker, currently represent them. [3][4]
http://www.discogs.com/artist/Shaft http://www.discogs.com/artist/Skeewiff