Artful dodger i feel fantastic series#

Prior to Artful Dodger, he had played in grunge rock bands, performed classical violin, and DJ-ed. This studio was described by The Guardian as being a 'soundproofed room next to a radio station in Southampton' a location which that masthead credits as having influenced the 'commercial vibe' of their musical output.

After a few years of trading, the business attracted further capital investment from 3MV.

Kerr's father provided seed capital, and in addition to this, the two business partners were able to secure a £20,000 bank loan, for which Kerr's father was listed as guarantor. Few contact hours meant that Hill had plenty of time on his hands, so he started a recording studio with fellow student and bandmate from the jazz-funk band, Neil Kerr. ĭuring the second year of his three-year program at the University of Southampton, Hill joined a jazz-funk band. He had also worked as a session musician. Prior to Artful Dodger, he had performed with the Welsh Philharmonic Orchestra as a percussionist, and played in jazz bands. Mark Hill was admitted to the school of music at the University of Southampton as a percussionist as a teenager. What began as a handle for the release of underground bootleg recordings quickly blossomed into a musical project creating original material for mainstream release and culminated in the release of It's All About the Stragglers, after the duo went on to work with an array of up-and-coming vocalists.

Artful dodger i feel fantastic series#

Many Artful Dodger tracks can be found on the UK garage compilation album series Pure Garage, mixed by DJ EZ. They are referred to in the Streets' single ' Let's Push Things Forward'. The band is named after a character in the Charles Dickens novel Oliver Twist, due to their numerous early bootlegs. Having reunited in 2017, Hill and Devereux found themselves unable to release new music or perform under their own name. They continue to tour under the name Artful Dodger to this day, performing the music of Hill and Devereux frequently in their sets. In 2001, Hill and Devereux parted ways due to creative differences and the trademark, name and usage rights of 'Artful Dodger' was purchased by Blessed Records.Ĭapitalising on the significant live demand for the group, The owner of Blessed Records DJ Dave Lowe accompanied by MC Alistair adopted the name, in essence creating a cover band. Hill and Devereux have won numerous accolades including the 2000 UK Producers of the Year and Ivor Novello recognition for their songwriting. The single launched David's career, landing at #2 in the UK singles chart. During this period the then unknown Craig David featured on the track ' Re-Rewind'. They achieved notoriety in the 1990s and early 2000s, releasing seven consecutive singles all of which charted in the United Kingdom Top 20. Artful Dodger were originally a UK garage duo featuring songwriters and producers Mark Hill and Pete Devereux.