Sneaker Pimps' synthesis of pop-oriented trip-hop and glam-inspired alternative rock reached the U.K. Top 40 five times during the late '90s. Founding members Liam Howe and Chris Corner, alternately known as Line of Flight and F.R.I.S.K., named the group after the Beastie Boys' term for a person drafted to obtain premium footwear. Assisted by fellow songwriter Ian Pickering, vocalist Kelli Dayton, drummer David Westlake, and bassist Joe Wilson, Sneaker Pimps debuted in 1996 with Becoming X, an album highlighted by its third and fourth singles, the John Barry-sampling "6 Underground" -- an amiable tune boosted by a remix from Nellee Hooper -- and the creeping, sneering "Spin Spin Sugar." It narrowly missed the U.K. Top Ten but was eventually certified gold by the British Phonographic Industry. A companion limited release, Becoming Remixed, was issued in 1998, with contributions from the likes of Paul Oakenfold, Armand Van Helden, and Roni Size. Despite the debut's triumphs, Dayton -- subsequently known as Kelli Ali -- was dismissed once Corner and Howe determined that new material was best suited for Corner's voice.
Splinter, released in 1999, featured a darker, emotional bloodletting edge that placed the group closer to the realm of Garbage, Placebo, and Death in Vegas. Commercially, there wasn't nearly as much success. The album stalled at number 80 in the U.K. In the U.S., fans had to seek import copies. Bloodsport, the group's third and final album, was released in 2002. Similarly dramatic in tone, it incorporated a smart array of samples from recordings by Ultravox!, Visage, Iggy Pop, and -- for a slight change of pace, perhaps -- Bill Withers. This one was issued in the U.S., where it peaked at number 16 on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums chart, but it didn't register on the main U.K. chart. After Sneaker Pimps' disbandment, Howe recorded with Wilson as the Zip and Ultrafox. More notably, he attained greater notice as a songwriter and producer due to collaborations with the likes of Adele, Ellie Goulding, Lana Del Rey, Marina and the Diamonds, and FKA twigs. He and Pickering also aided Corner's long-running solo venture IAMX.
iTunes is the world's easiest way to organize and add to your digital media collection.Click I Have iTunes to open it now. iTunes for Mac + PC View More by This Artist Formed: 1995 in Hartlepool, EnglandGenre: ElectronicYears Active: '90s, '00sFull Bio Top Albums and Songs by Sneaker Pimps , , , , , , , ℗ 1997 Clean up Records Ltd PortisheadEverything But the GirlMassive Attack Influenced by This ArtistIf you've reached this page in error, please email us for support hereWe're sorry, but your IP address (54.251.25.12) has been blocked from this site. This could happen for a number of reasons: You requested a very large number of pages in a very short time, causing problems for our server (this can happen if you hit 'refresh' over and over). You could have been banned by mistake; sometimes our automated banning policies are too strict and some IP addresses are banned by accident. If you don't think that you've done anything to warrant a ban, this is most likely the case.
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understand why you might have been banned. Step 1: Confirm you are human Step 2 (optional): Enter any other comments/feedback here Step 3: Enter your email address. Die britische Band Sneaker Pimps wurde in den frühen 90er Jahren von Chris Corner, einem Astrophysikstudenten aus London, und seinem Freund Liam Howe, der in Reading die Kunsthochschule besuchte, gegründet. Corner und Howe wuchsen in Middlesbrough auf, wo sie anfangs „Dance Music“ in einem kleinen Homestudio produzierten. Ihre musikalischen Wurzeln definieren sie aus einer Mischung von Synth Pop, Dance und melodischem Punk, dem sie sich auch ideologisch angehörig fühlen. Unter den Projektnamen Line of Flight und Frisk veröffentlichten sie bald zwei EPs auf dem damals recht neuen Clean Up-Plattenlabel. Zwar waren die Ur-Sneaker Pimps bei ihrem musikalischen Schaffen vom Dance inspiriert, erschaffen wollten sie aber songorientierte Strukturen. In weiterer Folge wurden einige Demosongs aufgenommen, bei denen Chris den Vocalpart übernahm.
Ian Pickering, ein Freund aus alten Jugendtagen, war bei den Aufnahmen und dem Schreiben der Stücke ebenfalls beteiligt. Zusätzlich wurde Sängerin Kelli Dayton (heute als Kelli Ali aktiv) für die Aufnahmen an Bord geholt, da man den Songs ein weibliches, melodisches Flair verpassen wollte. Daraus resultierte Becoming X, das Debütalbum, welches den internationalen Durchbruch für das - eigentlich temporär geplante - Projekt der Sneaker Pimps brachte. Für die Produktion waren unter anderem Nellee Hooper und Marius de Vries verantwortlich die schon auch an den ersten Björk-Alben beteiligt waren; dies ist besonders bei der Erfolgssingle "6 Underground" zu hören. Der Stil des Albums wird oft als Trip-Pop bezeichnet, weil es im Rhythmus viele Trip Hop Elemente beinhaltet, aber wesentlich weniger düster ist. Daraufhin begaben sich die Sneaker Pimps auf eine weltweite Tour, die sie vor allem durch die Vereinigten Staaten führte. Die Tour gilt als typisch für den Rock'n'Roll Lifestyle, und die Band benötigte anschließend einige Jahre Regeneration.