Rockers Hi-Fi

Recycling the dub aesthetic of the 1970s and applying it to '90s trip-hop and electronica, Rockers Hi-Fi formed in 1991 when DJ Dick (aka Richard Whittingham), a reformed punk, rare groove, and acid house mixer, met up with rock & roller Glyn Bush. At first known as Original Rockers (a salute to an Augustus Pablo LP), the duo borrowed a friend's mixer and began cutting it up on their debut single, "Breathless," recorded for the pair's Cake label. After renaming the imprint Different Drummer and themselves Rockers Hi-Fi -- in deference to Pablo's request -- DJ Dick and Bush added a rapper named MC Farda P. and released "Push Push." By the time of their debut album, Rockers to Rockers (more a collection of singles than a full-length work), the group began moving heavily into ambient dub and what later became known as trip-hop. A licensing deal with Island and positive reviews from critics gained them notice, and a well-received tour of the U.K. and U.S. proved that the studio boffins could rock the joint as well. After the release of a dub remix album, Music Is Immortal, Rockers Hi-Fi came back with their second full-length, Mish Mash. ~ John Bush, Rovi