Propellerheads are a British big beat music band made up of electronic producers Will White and Alex Gifford. The term "Propellerhead" is Canadian slang for a computer nerd, and when Gifford and White heard a Canadian friend drop this into conversation, they thought it the perfect name for their band.
Their first release was an EP named Dive!, published in 1996 through Wall Of Sound, a true independent label at the forefront of British music. They gained notoriety the next year by providing a remix for Bond composer David Arnold's Bond tribute album Shaken & Stirred covering John Barry's On Her Majesty's Secret Service the theme song to the sixth James Bond film, re-orchestrated by Arnold. The single History Repeating followed, a collaboration with jazz diva Shirley Bassey, fusing big beat with jazz.
Their only album to date is Decksandrumsandrockandroll (1998), released by Wall of Sound in the UK and Europe and DreamWorks in the US and Japan. The Dreamworks versions include collaborations with hip hop veterans De La Soul and Jungle Brothers, and the Japanese version is a sought-after 2 Disc Special Edition including some of their earlier singles.
After touring for their hit album, Will White fell ill. They released Extended Play EP in 1998, and in the song Props' Vote Of Gratitude, Alex Gifford raps for the first time, explaining to the attentive listener that the band would "be back after this short break". Things subsequently went quiet in the Propellerheads camp. Alex moved to New York and produced the Jungle Brothers 1999 Album V.I.P. In which he raps alongside The Black Eyed Peas among others and Will White provides the drums for the eponymous track. He has also produced a track for Rufus Wainwright (Shadows) on his 2001 album Poses. White has since released a mix compilation for the Beatz and Bobz series, and he has also appeared as a member of the De-Fex music project.
In October 2003 Wall of Sound commemorated its 10th birthday, and to celebrate, released a two disc album charting 10 years of its pioneering British music. The first CD featured alumni such as Röyksopp, The Wiseguys and Mekon, while Gifford provided a mix CD for the second disc. Surprisingly the first track on that disc was a new song by Propellerheads featuring British rapper Livingroom Johnston, entitled "10 Years" it is a cool, laid back funky tune with a catchy riff. A taster of what we are to expect from Propellerheads in the near future?
Gifford and White have reportedly been close to finishing "that difficult second album" for a while now, but have scrapped material they did not believe was fresh or new enough to warrant release. Their next album will apparently feature duets from Rufus Wainwright and K.D. Lang among others, but WoS has no idea of any projected release date.
Discography
Cat No: WALLT/D 016
Format: 12"/CDS
Tracks: A1 Dive! A2 Ron's Theory B1 Lethal Cut B2 Go Faster
Other: Dive! was used in a 1996 Adidas commercial. Lethal Cut is also available on Altered State, a compilation from Solid State Records SolidCD4.
Cat No: WALLT/D 024
Format: 12"/CDS
Tracks: A1 Take California B1 Big Dog B2 Props Got Skills
Cat No: WALLT/D 029 Format: 12"/CDS
Tracks: Spybreak! (short one), Clang!, Velvet Pants, Spybreak! (long one)
Other: see WALLT 029X. Spybreak! is also found on the Playing God soundtrack.
Cat No: WALLT/D 029x
Format: 12"/CDS
Tracks: Spybreak (short one), Props Got Mo' Skills (live), Take California (live), Bring Us Together (live)
Cat No: WALLCD 010
Format: CD
Track: Take California
Cat No: Nettwerk 0 6700 301112 9 Format: CD
Track: Take California (long one)
- Wall Of Pussy Compilation
Cat No: WALLPUSSLP/CD 1
Format: 12"/CD
Track: Propellerheads - Bring Us Together
- Agent Dan (Propellerheads mix)
Cat No: Wall of Sound/Epic AGENT 3T 12", AGENT 3 SCD Format: 12"/CDS
Artist: Agent Provocateur
Other: also found on their album "Where The Wild Things Are"
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Cat. No: Wall Of Sound/East West 12": EW 136T [4.33]. CD: EW 136CD [4.33]) Unique/Warner Music Format: 12"/CDS
Artist: Propellerheads/David Arnold
Other: Also available on the James Bond Tribute "Shaken And Stirred" US or UK (WEA/Discovery/Trend/Musicraft 31011).
Cat No: ZTT ZANG 87C Format: 12"/CDS
Artist: 808 State (Hand On/A Direct Neural Mix by the Props)
Other: also available on the Japanese import Thermo Kings with other 808 State remixes (Cat No:WPCR-942 Japan)
- House On Fire (Propellerheads Remix)
Cat No: SAM 1953 Warner Music/9 43878-2 Reprise
Format: 12" promo/CDS
Artist: Arkarna
Cat No: WALLT/D 023
Format: 12"/CDS
Artist: Mekon
Tracks: B1 Propellerheads Remix
Cat No 1: LASHX 60 Slash/London promo w/o sleeve Cat No 2: LASHX 60 Slash/London promo w/sleeve Cat No 3: LA SCD 60 Slash/London CD
Format: 12"/CDS
Artist: Soul Coughing
Tracks: Super Bon Bon (Propellerheads Mezzanine Mix) and (Edit)
- Naked Eye (Propellerheads mix)
Cat No: Capitol/EMI 7423 8841112 2 6
Format: CD
Other: UK remix CD2, also available on UK "Under Your Skin"
Vinyl Cat No: SQUAT/LACERBA SQUCD 4, LACERBA/CERBAD 3
CD Cat No: Echo/Mercury 314 568 282-2
Format: 12"/CD
Artist: Mono
Tracks: Propellerheads Alice Band remix and Propellerheads Sweat Band mix
Other: Alice Band remix available on TRIPHOPCRISY IV and the Sweat Band mix is available on BIG BEAT ELITE
- Chupacabra (Propellerheads Three Amigos remix)
Cat No: Harthouse HH112
Format: 12"
Artist: Freddy Fresh
Cat No: WALLD 036
Format: 12", CD
Artist: Propellerheads feat. Shirley Bassey
Tracks: 1 Ankle Length mix, 2 Hip Length mix, 3 Knee Length mix
- Tomorrow Never Dies (Soundtrack)
Cat No: A&M 5408302
Format: CD
Artist: Alex Gifford/David Arnold
Tracks: 13 Backseat Driver
Other: Also available on the "Composer's Cut" edition soundtrack released in January 2000 (Cat No. CHA 0125).
Cat No: UNI/DREAMWORKS DRMDM-58006
Format: 12"/CDS
Tracks: 1 Bang On, 2 Spybreak (long one), 3 Clang, 4 Props Got Mo' Skills, 5 Bring Us Together
Cat. No: WALLTO45-C and WALLD045-C
Format: 12"/CDS
Tracks: 1 Crash [Edit], 2 You Want It Back (Feat. Jungle Brothers) [Edit], 3 360'(Oh Yeah) [Feat. De La Soul], 4 Props Vote of Gratitude, 5 Crash!, 6 You Want It Back [Feat. Jungle Brothers]
See Also
List of electronic music artists and DJs
