Fila Brazillia is an English electronica duo from
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
, Yorkshire, England, formed in 1990 by
Steve Cobby
Steve Cobby is a British record producer, producer, musician, composer, and Disc jockey, DJ, based in Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. He is best known for being part of Fila Brazillia.
Career
After disbanding his first commercially released ba ...
and David McSherry.
History
Their early albums were released on
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, also based in Hull: ''
Old Codes New Chaos'', ''
Maim That Tune'', ''
Mess
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
'', ''Black Market Gardening'', ''
Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight
''Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight'' is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1997.
The title of the album comes from the lyrics of the 1950s song "Luck Be a Lady
"Luck Be a Lady" is a song written ...
'' and ''Power Clown''. After creating their own music label with Sim Lister, Twentythree Records, they released further albums ''A Touch of Cloth'', ''Jump Leads'', ''The Life And Times of Phoebus Brumal'', ''Dicks'' and ''Retrospective''.
They have also released two
DJ mix albums
A disc jockey, more commonly abbreviated as DJ, is a person who plays recorded music for an audience. Types of DJs include radio DJs (who host programs on music radio stations), club DJs (who work at a nightclub or music festival), mobile D ...
, ''
Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia'', for
Azuli Records
Azuli Records was a British independent record label, focusing mainly on house music and other forms of electronic dance music. The label was founded by DJ Dave Piccioni in London, England in 1991 but went into liquidation in April 2009. Some ...
' "
Another Late Night" series, and ''Another Fine Mess: Fila Brazillia'', and two collections of remixes: ''Brazilification'' and ''B2''.
Their collaborations include working with
Harold Budd and
Bill Nelson to release ''Three White Roses & A Budd'' (Twentythree Records, 2002).
They co-produced the first
Twilight Singers LP ''
Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers
''Twilight as Played by The Twilight Singers'' is the first album by The Twilight Singers, released by Columbia Records in 2000.
Critical reception
''The Washington Post'' wrote that "the hushed, claustrophobic approach to soul music recalls the ...
'' with
Greg Dulli
Greg Dulli (born May 11, 1965) is an American musician from Hamilton, Ohio. Debuting as a member of the rock band the Afghan Whigs in 1986, Dulli has been a member of the Twilight Singers, Gutter Twins, and in 2020 released his debut solo albu ...
in 2001.
Cobby and McSherry have produced more than 70 remixes for artists including
Black Uhuru
Black Uhuru is a Jamaican reggae group formed in 1972, initially as Uhuru ( Swahili for 'freedom'). The group has undergone several line-up changes over the years, with Derrick "Duckie" Simpson as the mainstay. They had their most successful per ...
,
Busta Rhymes
Trevor George Smith Jr. (born May 20, 1972), known professionally as Busta Rhymes, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer and actor. Chuck D of Public Enemy gave him the moniker Busta Rhymes, after NFL and CFL wide receiver ...
,
DJ Food,
Lamb,
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (lead guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Greenwood (bass) ...
and
The Orb
The Orb are an English electronic music group founded in 1988 by Alex Paterson and Jimmy Cauty. Known for their psychedelic sound, the Orb developed a cult following among clubbers "coming down" from drug-induced highs. Their influential 19 ...
.
Bill Hicks, the controversial American stand-up comedian, satirist and social critic, "appears" on Fila Brazillia's album ''
Maim That Tune'' (1996) and the album is dedicated to Hicks.
Their music has made its mark both on small-screen blockbusters (such as ''
CSI'' and ''
Sex and the City'') and cult cinema films such as ''
Dogtown and Z-Boys
''Dogtown and Z-Boys'' is a 2001 documentary film produced by Agi Orsi and directed by Stacy Peralta. The documentary explores the pioneering of the Zephyr skateboard team in the 1970s (of which Peralta was a member) and the evolving sport of ...
'', ''
Riding Giants
''Riding Giants'' is a 2004 documentary film produced by Agi Orsi and directed and narrated by Stacy Peralta, a famous skater/surfer. The movie traces the origins of surfing and specifically focuses on the art of big wave riding. Some of the fe ...
'' and ''
Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos'', a 2006 documentary about the
New York Cosmos soccer team.
One of their better-known songs, ''A Zed and two L's'', appears on ''
Jam
Jam is a type of fruit preserve.
Jam or Jammed may also refer to:
Other common meanings
* A firearm malfunction
* Block signals
** Radio jamming
** Radar jamming and deception
** Mobile phone jammer
** Echolocation jamming
Arts and entertai ...
'', a black comedy sketch show by British satirist
Chris Morris.
Their song "Here Comes Pissy Willy" from the ''Power Clown'' album featured as the theme to the ''
James Whale
James Whale (22 July 1889 – 29 May 1957) was an English film director, theatre director and actor, who spent the greater part of his career in Cinema of the United States, Hollywood. He is best remembered for several horror films: ''Fran ...
Show'' on
Talk Radio
Talk radio is a radio format containing discussion about topical issues and consisting entirely or almost entirely of original spoken word content rather than outside music. Most shows are regularly hosted by a single individual, and often featur ...
in the late 1990s.
After releasing their ''Retrospective'' album in 2006, Cobby and McSherry quietly ended their longtime partnership. Currently, McSherry is a lecturer in Sound and Music Production at the
University of Lincoln
, mottoeng = Freedom through wisdom
, established = 1861 – Hull School of Art1905 – Endsleigh College1976 – Hull College1992 – University of Humberside1996 – University of Lincolnshire and Humberside2001 †...
.
Cobby went on in late 2006 to form
Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded in late 2006 by Steve Cobby and Sim Lister.
Steve Cobby was formerly half of the iconic electronic music duo Fila Brazillia, in addition to his many othe ...
with Sim Lister. Over the course of 2007, the label saw various digital releases by
J*S*T*A*R*S
J*S*T*A*R*S is an electronic musical collaboration formed by Steve Cobby and Sim Lister in 2002, from Kingston upon Hull and Sheffield in Yorkshire.
Their debut release was a 12" vinyl, "Tripping the Light Fantastic" / "Ickey Plush" on th ...
(Cobby and Lister), Peacecorps (Cobby and guitarist Rich Arthurs) and by
The Cutler
The Cutler is an electronica collaboration from Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. Formed by Steve Cobby, formerly half of Fila Brazillia, and David 'Porky' Brennand, founder of Pork Recordings, they play electronica and Dub music.
Formed in 200 ...
(Cobby and ex-head of
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
David "Porky" Brennand).
The first formal album by
The Cutler
The Cutler is an electronica collaboration from Kingston upon Hull, Yorkshire. Formed by Steve Cobby, formerly half of Fila Brazillia, and David 'Porky' Brennand, founder of Pork Recordings, they play electronica and Dub music.
Formed in 200 ...
on
Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded in late 2006 by Steve Cobby and Sim Lister.
Steve Cobby was formerly half of the iconic electronic music duo Fila Brazillia, in addition to his many othe ...
was released on 7 July 2008, and the most recent "Everything Is Touching Everything Else" (
Steel Tiger Records
Steel Tiger Records is a record label based in Yorkshire, England. The label was founded in late 2006 by Steve Cobby and Sim Lister.
Steve Cobby was formerly half of the iconic electronic music duo Fila Brazillia, in addition to his many othe ...
ST016, 10 June 2013) – with vocals by Isobel Helen, Archie Heselwood, Andrew Taylor and
Little Glitches
Little Glitches are a folktronica collective from Sheffield, UK. The group formed in 2004 after collaborating and writing together in previous bands. The founding members of the collective are Andrew Bolam (bass guitar), Gavin Harris ( dr ...
– distributed by Kudos Records Ltd.
In 2013 Steve Cobby provided the soundtrack for the Hull '
UK City of Culture
UK City of Culture is a designation given to a city (or a local area from 2025) in the United Kingdom for a period of one calendar year, during which the successful bidder hosts cultural festivities through culture-led regeneration for the ye ...
2017' bid film - 'This City Belongs to Everyone', produced by Nova Studios - on 20 November 2013
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull, usually abbreviated to Hull, is a port city and unitary authority in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England.
It lies upon the River Hull at its confluence with the Humber Estuary, inland from the North Sea and south-east ...
, East Riding of Yorkshire, was announced as the winning City, and so as
UK City of Culture 2017.
After a 16 year hiatus, on 6 March 2020, the band returned with the release of the MMXX EP.
Discography
Albums
* ''
Old Codes New Chaos'' (1994)
* ''
Maim That Tune'' (1995)
* ''
Mess
The mess (also called a mess deck aboard ships) is a designated area where military personnel socialize, eat and (in some cases) live. The term is also used to indicate the groups of military personnel who belong to separate messes, such as the o ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Black Market Gardening
''Black Market Gardening'' is an album by the British electronica group Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, m ...
'' (1996)
* ''
Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight
''Luck Be a Weirdo Tonight'' is an album by the British electronica group, Fila Brazillia, released on Pork Recordings in 1997.
The title of the album comes from the lyrics of the 1950s song "Luck Be a Lady
"Luck Be a Lady" is a song written ...
'' (1997)
* ''Power Clown'' (1998)
* ''
A Touch of Cloth
''A Touch of Cloth'' is a British television comedy series created and written by Charlie Brooker and Daniel Maier, shown on Sky One. A parody of British police procedural dramas, it stars John Hannah as Jack Cloth, a police detective with per ...
'' (1999)
* ''Jump Leads'' (2002)
* ''The Life and Times of Phoebus Brumal'' (2004)
* ''
Dicks
Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to:
Media
* ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia
* Dicks (band), a musical group
* ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film
* "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat
Names
...
'' (2004)
Singles
*''Mermaids'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1991)
*''Rankine'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1992)
*''Fila Funk/Rankine (Live At Bounce)'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1993)
*''Pots & Pans/The Sheriff'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1993)
*''Slacker'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1994)
*''A Zed & Two L’s/Harmonicas Are Shite'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1995)
*''Soft Music Under Stars/Blood'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1996)
*''Wigs, Bifocals And Nurishment'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1997)
*''The Speewah/Feathery Legs'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1998)
*''Bovine Funk/Here Comes Pissy Willy'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1998)
*''Throwing Down A Shape'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1998)
*''FB@V&A'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 2001)
*''Fila Brazillia Versus A Certain Ratio'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 2003)
*''Fila Brazillia Remix Beef Wellington & DJ Razor'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 2003)
*''The Goggle Box'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 2004)
*''Neanderthal'' (Twentythree Records, 2007)
*''One Track Mind'' (Twentythree Records, 2007)
EPs
*''Sycot Motion'' (Mindfood, 1996)
*''Ridden Pony'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1999)
*''Bitten Bugs'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 1999)
*''Spill The Beans'' (
Pork Recordings
Pork Recordings is a record label based in Kingston upon Hull, East Yorkshire, England, that specialises in electronica, mostly in the downtempo or chill-out styles.
Formed in the early 1990s by David "Porky" Brennand and Steve Cobby, its mo ...
, 2001)
*''Three White Roses & A Budd'' (with
Harold Budd and
Bill Nelson) (Twentythree Records, 2002 – recorded 2000)
*''Saucy Joints'' (Twentythree Records, 2002)
*''We Build Arks'' (Twentythree Records, 2002)
*''One Track Mind'' (Twentythree Records, 2007)
*''MMXX'' (Twentythree Records, 2020)
Compilations
*''
Music for Freelance'' (1999)
*''Retrospective'' (Twentythree Records, 2006)
Remixes
*''Brazilification (Remixes 95–99)'' (Kudos, 1999)
*''21 Brazilliant Remixes (B2)'' (Twentythree Records, 2003)
*''Soul Sauce'' on ''Verve Remixed 2'' (
Verve Music Group
Verve may refer to:
Music
* The Verve, an English rock band
* '' The Verve E.P.'', a 1992 EP by The Verve
* ''Verve'' (R. Stevie Moore album)
* Verve Records, an American jazz record label
Businesses
* Verve Coffee Roasters, an American coffee h ...
, 2003)
DJ mix albums
*''
Another Late Night: Fila Brazillia'' (2001)
*''Another Fine Mess: Fila Brazillia'' (2004)
References
"Fila Brazillia, album review – Jump Leads"by Frank Tope, ''The Guardian'', 8 February 2002, retrieved 16 Feb 2008
"The ultimate summer mix – Europe's hottest dance festivals"by Matt Munday, ''The Guardian'', 1 June 2002, retrieved 16 Feb 2008
"The BBC Collective – Editor's Review – 'The Sound of Brazil, by way of Hull' – interview with Fila Brazillia"by Paul Clark, ''BBC'', 22 August 2002, retrieved 16 Feb 2008
"Fila Brazillia (Sonar 97) – DJmag.com's guide to the history of the Sonar Festival, Spain"''DJmag.com'', 2007, retrieved 16 Feb 2008
by Pascal Wyse, ''The Guardian'', 19 September 2000, retrieved 16 Feb 2008
"Hull's City of Culture bid film revealed to the public"BBC News article,12 November 2013
External links
Official website
* ttp://www.discogs.com/artist/Fila+Brazillia Fila Brazillia Discography*
{{Authority control
English electronic music duos
Musical groups from Kingston upon Hull
Downtempo musicians
Trip hop groups