That year also saw the meteoric rise of EDM and less tolerance for Groove Armada’s more nuanced electronic sound at festivals. “It just felt like we were pushing a boulder up a hill,” says Findlay. “The effort we were putting in to perform just wasn’t being appreciated next to the superstar DJs wearing capes.” They decided to gracefully bow out. But 12 years later, both felt the time was right for one final hurrah. “I think it was just a mild sense of unfinished business that we would regret it if we didn’t,” explains Findlay. Groove Armada’s Tom Findlay (left) and Andy Cato (right) (Picture: Press)

box set, release new Groove Armada announce anniversary box set, release new

We ended up living in this place called the Manumission Motel, off a roundabout on the outskirts of Ibiza Town, where all the, er, ‘entertainers’ would live,” explains Findlay. Vibrant new single ‘Hold a Vibe’ features vocals from dancehall artist Red Rat, which a press release describes as a “groove-laden homage to dub and funk”. The cover artwork for Groove Armada’s ‘GA25’ (Picture: Fredde Lanka) When we played at Latitude Festival this summer, the average age was 19 or 20,” says Cato. “It’s fantastic that we’ve managed to stay relevant.” years on from their debut, Groove Armada have become one of the most influential and successful dance acts of the 21st century, a position they have maintained, proving to be an influential force in the UK and globally. Over two decades of prolific productions and tireless touring they’ve proved that it’s possible to daringly explore a multitude of sounds while achieving critical and commercial success. Earlier this year, Groove Armada – musical duo Tom Findlay and Andy Cato – embarked on their final UK tour, opening at Glasgow’s Barrowlands before closing out with two nights at Brixton Academy, where they were joined byNorman Jay, PBR StreetgangandEwan McVicar.More than 23 years after ‘At the River’ reached number 19, Groove Armada’s appearance on Top of the Pops still gives Andy Cato nightmares. Groove is the watchword and the special ingredient of this new single that marks Groove Armada’s first release since his 2020 ‘ Lover4Now’. Different, mysterious and creative, this is the vibe that holds this urban cut. ‘Hold A Vibe’ features the vocals of dancehall artist Red Rat, who lends the single an unbelievable swing. The single exudes a crazy, funk-filled percussion that infuses the atmosphere with energy. Fun and hypnotic, it captures the sonic identity of Groove Armada that, after 25 years, continue to amaze. That’s 25 years, 3 UK Top 10 albums, 3 GRAMMY nominations, 3 BRIT nominations, 1 Billboard nomination and now an anniversary box set accompanied by this incredible lead single. Listen to it below: They must have seen some things over their “sleep-deprived” 25 years together, I speculate. What are their highlights?

Groove Armada - GA25 - All the Hits and More - (Vinyl LP

I started working at the beginning of the pandemic because I assumed music wasn’t going to be a concern for a while. Now I’m a counsellor three days a week at a London university. Groove Armada have announced a career-spanning anniversary box set called GA25 and released lead single ‘Hold a Vibe’.Since 2010, the pair have diversified, with Cato moving into farming and Findlay qualifying as a BABCP (British Association for Behavioural & Cognitive Psychotherapies) therapist. It’s been 25 years since the iconic Groove Armada released their debut single. ‘ At The River‘ was released as a single in 1997 on 7-inch vinyl via Tummy Touch, in a limited edition of just 500 copies. In a dance of breaks and downtempo, thus was born the unbelievable and world-renowned career of the British duo who are still a staple in their genre in the Uk and around the world. Now, in 2022, it’s time for Groove Armada to celebrate their brilliant career with the career-spanning 25th-anniversary box-set ‘GA25’, set to be released on November 11, via BMG. Cato recounts tales of flying in a bi-plane “in full Biggles outfits” into a US aircraft hangar to DJ and being told to “look natural” while posing between two scantily clad, greased-up ladies doing the hoovering for a big American dance magazine (neither can remember which). And that’s before we get to Manumission in Ibiza, where Groove Armada would regularly DJ in the basement while live sex shows were happening upstairs. To mark the 25th anniversary of the dance music duo’s debut single, ‘At the River’, Groove Armada will revisit their most iconic songs on GA25, which will be released 11 November via BMG. Read next From huge outdoor performances to intimate parties, travelling the world, delivering their diverse dance floor-focused sound to raucous crowds on every continent, the duo have done it all. Despite their extensive list of achievements, there’s still plenty of motivation to have another huge party and go the extra mile to make GA25 one to remember, for fans new and old.