The set up may have been outrageous – live sex shows, live performances, acrobatics and pyrotechnics – but what sealed the deal with the music itself, an excellent brew of house, disco, and Balearic sounds that arguably defined Ibiza in the popular consciousness. Two months after announcing further details of the release alongside their first song in over two years, ‘Hold A Vibe feat. Red Rat,' the legendary London duo dropped the career-spanning collection on 11th November. We ended up living in this place called the Manumission Motel, off a roundabout on the outskirts of Ibiza Town, where all the, er, ‘entertainers’ would live,” explains Findlay.

box set, release new Groove Armada announce anniversary box set, release new

Since 2010, the pair have diversified, with Cato moving into farming and Findlay qualifying as a BABCP (British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies) therapist. Groove is the watchword and the special ingredient of this new single that marks Groove Armada’s first release since his 2020 ‘ Lover4Now’. Different, mysterious and creative, this is the vibe that holds this urban cut. ‘Hold A Vibe’ features the vocals of dancehall artist Red Rat, who lends the single an unbelievable swing. The single exudes a crazy, funk-filled percussion that infuses the atmosphere with energy. Fun and hypnotic, it captures the sonic identity of Groove Armada that, after 25 years, continue to amaze. Any self-respecting Balearic head knows this is the anthem and we have played this to more people than I can remember, and we definitely played it there. Pure joy. September 2022 10:24 AM Groove Armada announce anniversary box set, release new single ‘Hold a Vibe’ The box set will mark the 25th anniversary of the dance music duo's debut single ‘At the River’ Groove Armada originally planned to retire from performing following a farewell tour in 2010. “We’ve crossed and re-crossed the world with this band and crew,” the pair said in a statementat the time. “There’s no other team like it. With their help,GAlive became the sound of legendary nights fromMount FujitoMoscow.Cato recounts tales of flying in a bi-plane “in full Biggles outfits” into a US aircraft hangar to DJ and being told to “look natural” while posing between two scantily clad, greased-up ladies doing the hoovering for a big American dance magazine (neither can remember which). And that’s before we get to Manumission in Ibiza, where Groove Armada would regularly DJ in the basement while live sex shows were happening upstairs. In an era when dance acts blended synths and DJing with striking visuals, Groove Armada focused on ensuring every element of their performance was as live as possible, curating immersive experiences and delivering unforgettable scenes at Glastonbury and a then-record-breaking five-night run at Brixton Academy in 2010. This April, Groove Armada completed what was billed as their final tour (supported by Norman Jay MBE, PBR Streetgang, Ewan McVicar and Ishmael Ensemble), and are off for a five-consecutive-night run in Australia this November. Except… didn’t they claim to quit touring 12 years ago? “Obviously, we’ve said this in 2010, when we brought the live band to a close before…” says Cato, labelling Groove Armada’s then 25-man live crew as “commercial idiocy”.

Groove Armada - GA25 - All the Hits and More - (Vinyl LP

That year also saw the meteoric rise of EDM and less tolerance for Groove Armada’s more nuanced electronic sound at festivals. “It just felt like we were pushing a boulder up a hill,” says Findlay. “The effort we were putting in to perform just wasn’t being appreciated next to the superstar DJs wearing capes.” They decided to gracefully bow out. But 12 years later, both felt the time was right for one final hurrah. “I think it was just a mild sense of unfinished business that we would regret it if we didn’t,” explains Findlay. Groove Armada’s Tom Findlay (left) and Andy Cato (right) (Picture: Press) Groove Armada were regular fixtures, the pair playing countless sets at Manumission’s home in Privilege. Groove Armada have announced a career-spanning anniversary box set called GA25 and released lead single ‘Hold a Vibe’. These technologies are used for things like personalised ads, to limit how many times you see an ad, to understand usage via Google Analytics, to understand how you got to our web properties, to ensure that we understand the audience and can provide relevant adsGroove Armada have announced a career-spanning boxset to celebrate the duo’s 25th anniversary, dropping on November 11th. From huge outdoor performances to intimate parties, travelling the world, delivering their diverse dance floor-focused sound to raucous crowds on every continent, the duo have done it all. Despite their extensive list of achievements, there’s still plenty of motivation to have another huge party and go the extra mile to make GA25 one to remember, for fans new and old. Groove Armada have always been fascinated by the beat. A pair of DJs and crate-diggers turned producers, their infatuation with club culture added a sense of gravitas and heft to their chart crossover hits.

GA25 (2022, File) - Discogs Groove Armada – GA25 (2022, File) - Discogs

I started working at the beginning of the pandemic because I assumed music wasn’t going to be a concern for a while. Now I’m a counsellor three days a week at a London university. I know Luke Howard from Horse Meat Disco, who I bumped into the other night, is training as a psychodynamic therapist. Ed [Simons] from The Chemical Brothers is doing something similar. It just seems that if you’re in the industry, you need to find ways to manage your mental health.” Groove Armada’s Andy Cato (left) and Tom Findlay (right) (Picture: Press)

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Deep down, around that time I was still a disco head and this tune used to find its way into our sets. Production on this is perfection. Fierce proper house music, we played a lot of that proper US house, amongst all the break bit. Kerri figured large, a legend. The pair remain at the forefront, too; festival favourites, 2022 proved to be one of their busiest ever years, with Groove Armada reaching new audiences in the process.