The Sneaker Pimps
| Sneaker Pimps | |
|---|---|
| Origin | Hartlepool, United Kingdom |
| Genres | Trip hop, electronica, dance, garage |
| Years active | 1994–2005, 2015–present |
| Labels | |
| Website | Sneakerpimps.com at the Wayback Machine (archived 26 February 2009) |
| Members | |
| Past members | |
Sneaker Pimps are a British trip hop band formed in Hartlepool, England, in 1994. They are best known for their first album, Becoming X (1996), and the singles "6 Underground" and "Spin Spin Sugar". They took their name from an article the Beastie Boys published in their Grand Royal magazine about a man they hired to track down classic sneakers.
The band's founding members were Liam Howe and Chris Corner, who then recruited Kelli Dayton (formerly of Lumieres, now recording under the name Kelli Ali) for vocal duties and long-time friend Ian Pickering to co-write the lyrics. After the first album, the band felt that demos for the second album (on which Corner provided the guide vocals) better suited his voice, especially in regard to the more raw, personal quality of the lyrics. Following the promotional tour for Becoming X, Kelli was dismissed from the group, and Corner became the singer.
In May 2015, founding member Liam Howe hinted via Twitter that Sneaker Pimps would return to release their 4th album. In April 2016, Chris Corner (as IAMX) seemingly confirmed this in an image posted to Twitter.
Chris Corner and Liam Howe met as teenagers in the eighties, both taking an interest in recording and studio experimentation. They banded together under the name F.R.I.S.K. and produced the "Soul of Indiscretion" EP, an early example of what became known as trip-hop. The mix of beats and acoustic folk sounds was further explored on two more instrumental EPs: "F.R.I.S.K." and "World as a Cone". They were signed to Clean Up Records. The duo's early DJ and production efforts took the alias Line of Flight.
As their music evolved, Howe and Corner began to tire of the non-vocal format, and wanted to explore making music with more pop leanings. They drafted school friend Ian Pickering to assist in writing lyrics for what would eventually become the album Becoming X. Chris Corner recorded vocals for several demo tracks, but the band decided the kind of music they were writing better suited a female vocal. At their manager's suggestion, they saw Kelli Dayton performing in a pub and recruited her to join on vocals. Finally the band came together with friends Joe Wilson on bass and Dave Westlake on drums and percussion, and began recording under the Sneaker Pimps name.
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