Groove Armada are putting the finishing touches on the follow-up to Vertigo, and they plan to release it in June. The electronica duo, Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, have been working on the project for the last seven months in a U.K. studio under the tentative title, "Looks Like Something Odd Happened."

Speaking from the studio, Findlay says they're prepping eighteen tracks for the album. "Things are progressing smoothly, although the whole project has taken ages," he said. "We're going for a very ambitious sounds -- lots of live strings, horns, a live band. It's a sound-engineering nightmare and there's only us two to do it."

The album will feature the vocal and bass stylings of Me'Shell Ndegeocello. "There's three tracks we've earmarked for her," Findlay says. "She's been sent the tracks, she loves them and we're awaiting the virtuoso vocals and bass playing. She's is a totally humble and generally lovely person."

Findlay admits that the two are feeling added pressure due to the success of Vertigo. "It'll be better because we've dedicated so much more of our lives to it," he says. "The pressure is there, but we're handling it."

Groove Armada are scheduled to perform at Miami's Winter Music Conference in March and are hoping to line up some DJ performances throughout the summer.

JOLIE LASH
(February 3, 2001)