Evil Nine

They aren't evil and there are only two of them, but other than not living up to their randomly chosen yet aesthetically pleasing name Tom Beaufoy and Pat Pardy in no way disappoint. That's if you are into a distinctly individual sound that defies categorization and has delivered both cerebral stimulation and dancefloor satisfaction with every release so far.

Tom and Pat first combined skills in 1998 and were quickly identified as a quality DJ/Producer duo by Adam Freeland who signed them to his Marine Parade label. Since then each of their releases has in turn distinguished Evil Nine as innovators who refuse to blend into any scene. For them the music has to go beyond being merely 'fat'. Deriving their musical flavour from multiple influences - hip-hop, punk, electro, dancehall, post punk, garage rock, techno and krautrock just to name a few - they create an original minimalism packed with emotive ability.

Evil Nine's attitude is epitomised in their remix of ILS' "Music", a track you might recognise from the Carling advert which initially irritated purists, excited the open-minded and incited the masses to mosh and pogo at the discotheque. Other remix success has been had with krautrock band Pet, UNKLE, Moby, Timo Maas, Santos, Future Funk Squad, Will Saul and Freeland.

"Crooked ft. Aesop Rock", Evil Nine's third single from their debut album You Can Be Special Too has become established as a timeless classic and typifies their sound - a sonic contrast of uplifting and melancholic with the backdrop of raw dirty sounds and a nod to nostalgia (animated video available here). Its successor "Pearlshot ft. Juice Aleem" is testament to their ongoing ability to tweak the dance music and hip-hop format.

Collaborations have included work with Aesop Rock (Definitive Jux), Juice Aleem (new flesh/Shadowless) and Toastie Taylor (new flesh) for the album You Can Be Special Too. Intended for both club and home listening it reflects Pat and Tom's heavy hip-hop and rock influences, as well as their aim to soulfully resonate with wider appeal.

With Tom on turntables and Pat on Laptop, shows have drawn crowds of up to 7,000 in the United States, Australia, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand, China and many more. They are residents at the renowned Fabric nightclub in London and have recently released a "Fabric Live" compilation for the club to critical acclaim which displays their ability to mash up styles and keep things fresh.

Their love of branching out rather than playing it safe has led to extremes of rejection or adoration from the public and press, but that's the way they like it. Evil Nine aren't afraid of getting up a few noses by attempting something different if it spawns progress and keeps their ever-evolving style fresh. Reactions to the second single from the album, the energetic "Restless" were extremely positive. The ragga vocals and rocking guitars have struck a chord with those bored of formulaic dance tracks, quite simply it sounds like nothing else. Radio support in the United Kingdom has come from Zane Lowe, Pete Tong, Annie Nightingale, Steve Lamac, John Peel, XFM and Kiss.

Even if Tom and Pat are two likeable blokes and not a menacing crew as their name suggests, as The Independent newspapaer has observed, when they combine their talents and their shared musical vision as Evil Nine they "rock like the proverbial bastard".

September 2008 will see Evil Nine releasing "THEY LIVE!" their full length follow up to "You Can Be Special Too" and debuting their live band. Meanwhile they are touring their DJ show extensively. It's another busy year for the Evils!

Several of Evil Nine's tracks have been used by such artists as The Crystal Method, and James Lavelle of UNKLE. The track Hired Goons, taken from their debut album, was recently used in the Xbox 360 game, "Test Drive Unlimited", released in 2006.