Pepe Deluxé is a Finnish

electronic music Electronic music is a genre of music that employs electronic musical instruments, digital instruments, or circuitry-based music technology in its creation. It includes both music made using electronic and electromechanical means ( electroac ...

oriented band, formed in 1996 by DJ Slow (Vellu Maurola) JA-Jazz (Tomi Castrén, formerly Paajanen) and James Spectrum (Jari Salo) in

Helsinki Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...

Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...

. They started to experiment with sounds of hip hop,

big beat Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as ...

breakbeat Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...

and

downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...

. With the 2007 release

Spare Time Machine ''Spare Time Machine'' is the third album by Pepe Deluxé, released in 2007. The first Pepe Deluxé album entirely without samples, it features dozens of musicians including several members of the band Husky Rescue. Though sales were slow, the gr ...

the band gave up on sampling and concentrated on vintage music styles including psychedelia, baroque pop and surf rock. DJ Slow departed the band in 2001 to pursue solo projects. JA-Jazz has been off-duty since 2008. Multi-instrumentalist Paul Malmström became an official member of the band in 2008. The Pepe Deluxé live line-up consists of Mirkka Paajanen (vocals), Miikka Paatelainen (guitar, theremin), Markku Reinikainen (drums), Ville Riippa (keyboards), James Spectrum (mixing, percussion) and Edward Greendanger (VJ).

History

The band's first release was a song called "Call Me Goldfinger". It was released in 1997 on the "Return of the DJ, Vol. II" scratch-DJ compilation album by Bomb Hip-Hop Records. After the release, the band continued making new Pepe Deluxé -music and also remixes for Finnish dance music artists. The band's first EP, ''Three Times a Player'', 1998, was actually a demo released under an imaginary record label Tiger. It was still chosen as the downtempo album of the month by ''

Muzik ''Muzik'' was a British dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003. ''Muzik'' was created by two former ''Melody Maker'' journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of ''Muzik'' from its launch until he ...

'' magazine in the UK. This led to a

recording contract A recording contract (commonly called a record contract or record deal) is a legal agreement between a record label and a recording artist (or group), where the artist makes a record (or series of records) for the label to sell and promote. Artists ...

with

Brighton Brighton () is a seaside resort and one of the two main areas of the City of Brighton and Hove in the county of East Sussex, England. It is located south of London. Archaeological evidence of settlement in the area dates back to the Bronze A ...

's Catskills Records. The band's first album, ''Super Sound'', was released 1999. Due to clearance problems (the tracks were heavily

sampled Sample or samples may refer to: Base meaning * Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set * Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal * Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of so ...

), they had to do a new version of the album with many of the tracks re-created with cleared samples or with live instruments. The new version of the album was released subsequently in

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = ''Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , i ...

The Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

and

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

. The album was selected as an "Album of the Month" by several magazines. Super Sound was noticed by Paul Malmström from

Fallon Worldwide Fallon is a full-service advertising agency headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with affiliate offices in London, Detroit, and Tokyo. It is a subsidiary of Publicis. History Fallon was founded in 1981 as Fallon McElligott Rice in 1981 by Patr ...

advertising agency in

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

, and the band was asked to write music for an upcoming

Lee Jeans Lee is an American brand of denim jeans, first produced in 1889 in Salina, Kansas. The company is owned by Kontoor Brands, a spin-off of VF Corporation's Jeanswear Division. Since 2019 its headquarters has been in Greensboro, North Carolina, re ...

advertisement campaign. Later on, Pepe Deluxé's sound was also noted by another jeans company,

Levi's Levi Strauss & Co. () is an American clothing company known worldwide for its Levi's () brand of denim jeans. It was founded in May 1853 when German-Jewish immigrant Levi Strauss moved from Buttenheim, Bavaria, to San Francisco, California, to o ...

, which chose the track "Before You Leave" (based heavily on an original composition by

Tony Hatch Anthony Peter Hatch (born 30 June 1939) is an English composer for musical theatre and television. He is also a songwriter, pianist, arranger and producer. Early life and early career Hatch was born in Pinner, Middlesex. Encouraged by his mus ...

) for their worldwide advertising campaign in 2001, subsequently winning the Gold Lion for best use of music in

Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival The Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity (formerly the International Advertising Festival) is a global event for those working in creative communications, advertising, and related fields. It is considered the largest gathering of the ...

. The track reached No. 20 in the

UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart (currently titled Official Singles Chart, with the upper section more commonly known as the Official UK Top 40) is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC), on behalf of the British record industry, listing the top-s ...

the same year, and it was also used on the end credits for the

Channel 4 Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned enterprise, state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a four ...

comedy quiz show, '' Alan Carr's Celebrity Ding Dong''. During this time, Pepe Deluxé undertook several remixes for acts such as Tom Jones,

The Cardigans The Cardigans is a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows since 2 ...

Eminem Marshall Bruce Mathers III (born October 17, 1972), known professionally as Eminem (; often stylized as EMINƎM), is an American rapper and record producer. He is credited with popularizing hip hop in middle America and is critically acclai ...

and

Jacknife Lee Garret "Jacknife" Lee is an Irish music producer and mixer. He has worked with a variety of artists, including the Cars, U2, R.E.M., the Killers, Robbie Williams, Snow Patrol, Bloc Party, Two Door Cinema Club, AFI, the Hives, Weezer, One Directi ...

. In 2003, the band returned with their first

single Single may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * Single (music), a song release Songs * "Single" (Natasha Bedingfield song), 2004 * "Single" (New Kids on the Block and Ne-Yo song), 2008 * "Single" (William Wei song), 2016 * "Single", by ...

"Salami Fever" from their second album ''Beatitude''. It was composed together with Paul Malmström and it was their first collaboration. They also created a

video Video is an electronic medium for the recording, copying, playback, broadcasting, and display of moving visual media. Video was first developed for mechanical television systems, which were quickly replaced by cathode-ray tube (CRT) syste ...

for the single (showing a master training an apprentice in martial arts using salami and bacon), which was chosen as 'Video of the Decade' by '' Bizarre'' magazine. "Salami Fever" was sampled by

The Prodigy The Prodigy are an English electronic dance music band formed in Braintree, Essex, in 1990 by producer, keyboard player and songwriter Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured dancer and singer Keith Flint and dancer and occasional l ...

on their songs "

Take Me to the Hospital "Take Me to the Hospital" is the twenty-first single released by the British electronic band the Prodigy. released on 31 August 2009, the CD single includes the Sub Focus remix and the 12" single also includes a Rusko remix. Liam also collaborate ...

" in 2009 as well as " Get Your Fight On" in 2015. In spring 2007, they released the first single, "Pussy Cat Rock", from their third album ''

'', the latter of which was released in June 2007. Further singles "Mischief Of Cloud 6" (August) and "Go For Blue" (September) followed. In October 2007, "Mischief Of Cloud 6" was used at the beginning of an episode of the ABC drama ''

Private Practice Private practice may refer to: *Private sector practice **Practice of law In its most general sense, the practice of law involves giving legal advice to clients, drafting legal documents for clients, and representing clients in legal negotiati ...

'', entitled " In Which Addison Finds the Magic". In October 2011,

Asthmatic Kitty Asthmatic Kitty is an American independent record label founded in 1999 by a community of musicians from Holland, Michigan led by Sufjan Stevens and his stepfather Lowell Brams. Some were Holland natives, and others had come to attend local coll ...

announced that they would be releasing the fourth Pepe Deluxé album in conjunction with Catskills. The esoteric pop opera in three parts was titled '' Queen of the Wave''. It was released in January 2012. Pepe Deluxé composed the soundtrack for the Angry Birds Go! racing game released in December, 2013. In 2019 Pepe Deluxé the single "The Surrealist Woman", a one-off release designed to soundtrack the graphic novel adaptation of the un-made film collaboration between

The Marx Brothers The Marx Brothers were an American family comedy act that was successful in vaudeville, on Broadway, and in motion pictures from 1905 to 1949. Five of the Marx Brothers' thirteen feature films were selected by the American Film Institute (AFI) ...

and Salvador Dali, " Giraffes on Horseback Salad", which was released on a strictly limited 7 inch single. Pepe Deluxé have been busy working on the follow-up to Queen Of The Wave and, finally after 9 years, they are ready to release their latest opus Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1 on Catskills Records worldwide on October 22, 2021. The album continues Pepe Deluxé's endless search for rare, unused or forgotten instruments from around the world, including

Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ The Boardwalk Hall Auditorium Organ is the pipe organ in the Main Auditorium of the Boardwalk Hall (formerly known as the Atlantic City Convention Hall) in Atlantic City, New Jersey, built by the Midmer-Losh Organ Company. It is the largest orga ...

, the Sexophone and The World's Largest Cowbell to name but a few of the weird and wonderful instruments employed for the album.

Discography

Albums

* ''Super Sound'' (Catskills Records/

Emperor Norton Joshua Abraham Norton (February 4, 1818January 8, 1880), known as Emperor Norton, was a resident of San Francisco, California who, in 1859, proclaimed himself "Norton I., Emperor of the United States". In 1863, after Napoleon III invaded Mexi ...

, 1999) * ''Beatitude'' (Catskills Records/Emperor Norton, 2003) * ''

'' (Catskills Records, 2007) * '' Queen of the Wave'' (Catskills Records/

, 2012) * ''Phantom Cabinet Vol. 1'' (Catskills Records, 2021)

Singles

Remixes

* Tom Jones &

the Cardigans The Cardigans is a Swedish rock band formed in Jönköping, Sweden, in 1992 by guitarist Peter Svensson, bassist Magnus Sveningsson, drummer Bengt Lagerberg, keyboardist Lars-Olof Johansson and lead singer Nina Persson. Post-hiatus shows since 2 ...

- "

Burning Down the House "Burning Down the House" is a song by new wave band Talking Heads, released in July 1983 as the first single from their fifth studio album ''Speaking in Tongues''. Inspiration and composition "Burning Down the House" is a new wave and funk s ...

(Pepe Deluxé Mix)" (1999) *

- "Bursting off the Backbeat (Pepe Deluxé Mix)" (1999) *

Bad Meets Evil Bad Meets Evil is an American hip hop duo composed of Detroit-based rappers Royce da 5'9" (Bad) and Eminem (Evil). Bad Meets Evil was formed in 1998, thanks to the duo's mutual friend, Proof. The group's name comes from the song "Bad Meets ...

- "Nuttin' to Do (Pepe Deluxé Dub)" (2001) * Oiling Boiling - "Cyclops Dance (Pepe Deluxé Remix)" (2001) * Giant Robot – Helsinki Rock City (Interstellar Overdrive Mix) Remix – Pepe Deluxé (2002) * Black Grass - "Going Home (Pepe Deluxé Remix)" (2004) *

Don Johnson Big Band Don Johnson Big Band is an alternative hip hop group from Helsinki, Finland. Their music blends influences from a variety of genres such as electronic music, funk, rock, jazz and hip hop. History The name "Don Johnson Big Band" comes from ...

- "Busy Relaxin' (Pepe Deluxé Refix)" (2006)

References

External links

Official website
*
Interview with TinyMixTapes.com (March 2009)PopMatters article (October 2009
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pepe Deluxe Finnish electronic music groups Club DJs Remixers Finnish rock music groups Experimental musical groups Asthmatic Kitty artists