FAITHLESS were once memorably described as “the crossover dance act regularly found in the CD collections of people who wouldn't go within a mile of a nightclub” and for an electronica act they are very much in the mainstream.
The band – centred around rapper Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss (keyboards/arrangements) and producer Rollo Armstrong – came to prominence in the 90s, after releasing and touring their albums Reverence (1996) and Sunday 8PM (1998).
Their 2005 greatest hits compilation, Forever Faithless, sold more than a million copies and just last year their remix album Faithless 2.0 got to number one in the charts.
The band’s many rave anthems have made them a phenomenally popular live act and they’re coming to Belsonic in Belfast on June 11. Thinking back over their 20-year career, Sister Bliss (aka Ayalah Bentovim) says it’s hard to say at which point things were at their maddest for them.
“It’s hard to say, because over 20 years we’ve had mad periods and quieter periods. We haven’t put out album after album; we’ve always needed a break after the 18-month touring cycle.
“But when Insomnia became a hit and we had a large band together, I guess that was one of the maddest periods. Things had kind of accelerated from us playing to 400 people at The Jazz Café in London to playing huge venues in Germany to about 5,000 people; it was a total baptism of fire.”
Sister Bliss is a big fan of Belfast and is looking forward to playing the city, with the gig coming after their Isle of Wight festival gig and before their Dublin Royal Hospital Kilmainham show on July 2.
“I’ve been coming to Belfast for years. I’ve been there quite a few times with Faithless; I remember playing PlanetLove in the early days,” she says. “It’s always had a really strong party scene. I was coming in the 90s to DJ, to clubs that aren’t there any more, so I’ve got quite a long association with the city. The reception we get is always amazing.”
She says her last visit was a couple of years ago to play a DJ set.
“I’m looking forward to coming over again. [Belsonic] looks like an amazing festival – it goes on all the way through the summer. But then I see, quite randomly, that The Corrs have been announced too,” she laughs.
If not a fan of the famous Co Louth sibling act, is she more into Dublin band Le Galaxie, who will support Faithless at Belsonic?
“Yeah, I got sent a couple of links to their music and they sound cool – quite 80s and quite funky. I did a bit of work with [Northern Ireland band] Japanese Popstars a few years ago and it’s nice to give artists on the way up a platform. So I look forward to Le Galaxie’s set; I shall be getting my spandex on – or my silver leggings.”
Sticking with Irish acts, Sister Bliss attended the Ivor Novello music awards last week and was pleased to see David Holmes and Villagers among the winners.
“I really like Villagers. They won the album award and that was well deserved. If we’re talking about music outside of the electronic genre, that’s an album I’ve had on repeat for many months; it’s a beautiful album.”
She says the current Faithless live show features an eight-piece band.
“Last year we did a remix album that went to number one, which we were very chuffed with. So that took the classics and had artists remix them, from big old bangers like Avicii and Tiesto to cooler more underground musical artists like Claptone and Booka Shade.
“So I think we’ve been inspired by that whole process. The set will have music from all six albums but it’s always tweaked and refreshed for a new audience. We have got a big back catalogue, but I really like to look forward and not just backwards.”
She hopes that a new Faithless album will come out soon.
“We’ve been in the studio loads, so I’m desperate to put new music out. It’s definitely in the pipeline.”
Insomnia and God is a DJ are arguably the two biggest hits in the Faithless canon, so which ones are always the best ones to do live and get the crowd going?
“Well it still blows my mind that people go so bonkers to Insomnia even now,” says Sister Bliss. “There’s a variety of tempos and moods and intensity the whole way through the set and people seem to get off on pretty much all of it from where I’m standing.
“On Faithless albums you get a sense of space and a sense of pace, so even though our biggest hits have been sort of club anthems, we’ve never pigeon-holed ourselves.
“There’s always been a bit of light and shade, so there will be a couple of chilled moments in the set – because everybody needs a chance to go to the bar, don’t they?!” she laughs
Faithless play Belsonic at Titanic Belfast on Saturday June 11, with support from Le Galaxie. For tickets (£36), visit Belsonic.com.
