Environmental Concerns

Andy Cato has left the good ship Groove Armada for a solo DJ tour across Australia. Fresh from closing the Boiler Room at this year’s Big Day Out with his partner in crime, Tom Findlay, Cato is exploring the “darker side of Groove Armada” as part of the duo’s latest release ‘Black Light’.

Andy Cato is a superstar DJ with a conscience. A seasoned veteran with a back catalogue as eclectic as it is energising, the 1995 Young Jazz Musician of the Year blogs about global warming, carbon tax and greenhouse gases. Cato is clearly a deep thinker. A 36-year-old with one eye on the future and the other on the dancefloor.

“It's not a great feeling being in an airport whilst reading another terrifying article on climate change,” Cato says. “I spent a lot of the year doing this, and by the time the gigs calmed down at the end of the summer, the diary was already filling up with touring commitments for the following year, to Europe, to Australia, and to America.

“Finally, there came a moment when all that airport reading stopped me in my tracks. As I was showing my daughter where these places were on the map, I was struck by an image of her as a young woman in a frightening world. A world of food shortages, refugees, storms, drought and floods. And when she despaired of it all and asked me what had I done as the ice melted, what would I say?”

A big man who takes a big stand, Cato says a lot with his music. ‘Black Light’ is an independent release that frees the Armada from the majors and clears the way for a new sound that has been hailed by many as their best album to date.

“I don't really read reviews because I just find it much less stressful if I don't, but from what I hear, things are really positive. Obviously we want as many people to get on board with this as possible. We want people who think they've made their mind up about Groove Armada – probably including some of the people who are now changing their minds and writing these things down – to give it a listen. So yeah, the more of that stuff the better.

“We've had great play from some specialist radio DJs but we're not on day time radio in the UK. It's been an underground experience and you're going up against people who are just playing a different game with billboards and TV advertising and all that different stuff.

“It's something in which so much energy has been invested, over such a long period of time. We have always done that, but this one feels particularly personal for lots of reasons and when you start getting that positive response, it really does mean a lot.”

Cato is somewhat of an adopted Aussie. Groove Armada set sail in Australia with ‘Vertigo’ in 1999. It peaked at 39 in the ARIA charts before ‘Goodbye Country (Hello Nightclub)’ rocketed to number eight behind the singles ‘My Friend’ and ‘Superstylin’ in 2001.

‘Lovebox’ continued the romance in 2002, with the rock-inspired ‘Purple Haze’ and ‘Madder’.

‘Black Light’ builds on the dark mood with guest appearances by Roxy Music’s Bryan Ferry, ‘Pop Idol’ Will Young and the up and coming SaintSaviour. Cato says Australian audiences are embracing the sound with trademark enthusiasm.

“Australia and New Zealand have always been special to us – a lot of our best ever gigs have been over there. New Zealand holds the honour of being the only place where Groove Armada have had a number one album.

“We're working with a new team in Australia and they're absolutely nailing ‘Black Light’. The tunes are all over the radio and the vibes I'm getting from guestlist requests and that sort of thing suggest that it's as big for us in Australia as it's ever been. We just got off to a really good start in Australia. We had a good label there in the beginning and we've taken the live show over a lot.”

Andy Cato plays The Met on April 9. ‘Black Light’ is out now through Shock Records now.