Beats Per Minute: Groove Armada share their top track selections

Few dance acts have a lasting impact on culture the likes of which Groove Armada has had during their distinguished 25-year career. Boasting a score of accolades, including 3 UK Top 10 albums, 3 Grammy nominations, 3 BRIT nominations, and a Billboard nomination,  the widely acclaimed duo, made up of producers Tom Findlay and Andy Cato, have proven to be one of the most significant in the history of electronic music, providing music fans and artists alike with an eclectic offering of timeless masterstroke anthems.

From the unforgettable Balearic classic, 'At The River', famously synced by the marketing masterminds at Marks and Spencer, to dancefloor igniters, 'Superstylin' and 'I See You Baby', the latter remixed by non-other than Fatboy Slim, going on to appear in smash-hit films of the time, American Wedding and Roadtrip, their extensive back catalogue is truly something to behold

It's an anthology that will leave you stunned, staggered by the sheer number of earworms the two have actually been behind the making of. And it's a collection of records that doesn't yet show any signs of slowing. 

The pair have just recently announced a career-spanning 25th-anniversary box set, titled GA25, set for release via BMG on Friday 11th November, packed full of their most iconic tracks. The news, succeeding Groove Armada's last ever UK tour which ended back in April, was also accompanied by a brand new single, the first since 2020's 'Lovers 4 Now' - 'Hold A Vibe'.

With new music front and centre of these celebrations and with an obvious appetite to open a new chapter, we wanted to hear from Cato and Findlay themselves. Affably, they agreed to join us for a quick chat, to chew over everything from emotions surrounding their last ever tour to the new box set and their thoughts on modern-day dance music. Continue reading below for the full interview and listen to their exclusive Beats Per Minute playlist.

Back in the spring of this year, you announced and completed your last-ever tour of the UK, commemorating Groove Armada’s 25th year in music. Now the tour has long since finished, what’s the sentiment between you both? Are emotions high or low?

Andy Cato: "Well, it’s not quite over yet as we have some upcoming dates in Australia in November, after that it’s going to be strange, emotions will run high. It’s been such a huge part of our lives, touring with a band and a crew who feel like family. This Summer has been such a great way to go out though. There’s sadness but that’s offset by real pride in the gigs we’ve played on this tour."

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What aspects of touring will you miss, if any? And if there’s one stand-out memory or story from the time you spent out on the road, what would it be? And is it PG enough to share with us?

Andy Cato: "There is something about rolling into a new town, being the headliners, playing a massive part in people’s lives for those 24 hours, we’ll miss that. In terms of memories, I’m not massive on nostalgia, but the John Peel stage Glasto 2010 takes some beating."

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Having performed on basically every continent on the planet, we assume you have a list of favourite venues or destinations. If you had to pick just one to play again, which would it be and why?

Andy Cato: "Glastonbury. But also the Myer Music Bowl in Melbourne and the Hollywood Bowl. Both are epic bowls!"

Being such a widely acclaimed and hugely successful act for such a long time, we wanted to get your honest insight into how dance music has changed over the years - for better and for worse.

Tom Findlay: "I think you have to be so careful as a ‘heritage’ act to harp on about how good it was back in the day, but I will anyway! The thing that I miss is dancefloors that don’t spend all night staring at the DJ. I will always miss the Space terrace. We Love Sundays were some of the best gigs of my life."

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Staying with the development of music, are there any modern-day electronic artists you find yourself completely in awe of?

Tom Findlay: "Not sure I’m in awe of, but there are so many people I love and respect: Jungle, Caribou, Harvey. I really dig the energy Patrick Topping brings to his shows. I think Bicep have a really unique sound, so seeing the way they’ve evolved has been mighty impressive. As a DJ, I love the Horse Meat Disco Crew, Severino is pure joy, and Jayda G is amazing too! She has the best taste in music."

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You might have called time on touring for Groove Armada but the releases don’t show any sign of slowing just yet. You’ve recently released an EP featuring guest remixes of some of your most iconic club tracks and we hear there’s a special box set coming this November, with some brand new tracks on it.

What else can you tell us about the box set and can we expect more recorded music to come?

Andy Cato: "Yeah, there are a fair few new tracks, including some lovely downbeat stuff and a track with the vocalist from The Bees, which is beautiful. There's also some stuff from the vaults, an old recording we did with Richie Havens of ‘Back to my Roots’…..it’s a lovely collection. There’s a great reworking of ‘Paper Romance’ and ‘Edge of the Horizon’ that feel much closer to the versions we've performed live."

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Regarding your output of the past 25 years, do you both have a personal favourite track or album? And who would you say has had the biggest influence on your work collectively?

Tom Findlay: "Album-wise, it has to be Black Light, though Vertigo still really stands up as an LP. Also super proud of the compilations we put out, especially the first Back to Mine compilation and the Late Night Tales release. Those are my top three."

Very graciously, you’ve agreed to build us an exclusive playlist comprising a selection of tracks featured in your live sets throughout the year thus far. How do you about building a setlist for your live shows? Do they change depending on the audience you’re performing to?

Tom Findlay: "Massively depends, so I’ve tried to be pretty eclectic with this selection. We love the stages, playing Ants at Ushaia, Elrow, Defected, The Warehouse Project etc but we also love those after-hours vibes, those funky little pop-up gigs in tents, so it’s a bit of all of that."

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Finally, to round off the interview, what do you consider your greatest feat as Groove Armada? What has been the biggest achievement of your career?

Andy Cato: "It has to be the way we have done dance music live, and the way that has allowed us to connect with audiences. The last tour was lovely, with multi-generational crowds losing their sh*t together. That’s all you can ask for."

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Interested in experiencing one of the UK's greatest-ever dance acts live in Manchester? We thought so. Head to the bottom of the page right now and secure your tickets to see Groove Armada doing their thing at the Defected showcase, on Saturday 15th October. 

Check out our What's On Guide to discover even more rowdy raves and sweaty gigs taking place over the coming weeks and months. For festivals, lifestyle events and more, head on over to our Things To Do page or be inspired by the event selections on our Inspire Me page.

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