His first release, the EP What Evil Lurks, became a major mover on the fledgling British rave scene in 1990. The fledgling hardcore breakbeat sound was perfect for an old hip-hop fan fluent in uptempo dance music, and Howlett began producing tracks in his bedroom studio during 1988. He began listening to hip-hop in the mid-'80s and later DJed with the British rap act Cut to Kill before moving on to acid house later in the decade. Howlett, the prodigy behind the group's name, was trained on the piano while growing up in Braintree, Essex. Even before the band took their place as the premiere dance act for the alternative masses, the Prodigy had proved a consistent entry in the British charts, with over a dozen consecutive singles in the Top 20. Yet it was always producer Liam Howlett's studio wizardry that launched the Prodigy to the top of the charts during the late-'90s electronica boom, spinning a web of hard-hitting breakbeat techno with king-sized hooks and unmissable samples.ĭespite electronic music's diversity and quick progression during the '90s - from rave/hardcore to ambient/downtempo and back again, thanks to the breakbeat/drum'n'bass movement - Howlett modified the Prodigy's sound only sparingly swapping the rave-whistle effects and ragga samples for metal chords and chanted vocals proved the only major difference in the band's evolution from their debut to their worldwide breakthrough with third album The Fat of the Land in 1997. Ably defeating the image-unconscious attitude of most electronic artists in favor of a focus on frontmen Keith Flint and Maxim Reality, the group crossed over to the mainstream of pop music with an incendiary live experience that approximated the original atmosphere of the British rave scene, even while leaning close to arena rock showmanship and punk theatrics. This news comes shortly after The Prodigy revealed a 15-second clip of them working on new music, which was the first publicly available audio of new music since the death of their former member Keith Flint.The Prodigy navigated the high wire, balancing artistic merit and mainstream visibility with more flair than any electronica act of the 1990s. We are in times of uncertainty, but I believe the answer to our problems is the four-letter word, ‘love’.” Maxim says, “ Making this has been so exciting. Charities being donated a sculpture include NHS Charities Together, as well as the mental health charity YoungMinds and homeless charity Shelter. The pair have announced that some of their sculptures will be donated to charitable causes, presumably so they can auction them as part of fundraising initiatives. “Lockdown gave us that opportunity and we wanted the project to deal with this difficult year, while demonstrating the positive message about the role hope now plays.” It’s intended that their Hope project will tell the story of pandemic life, and highlight some of the struggles faced by many throughout the tough period.ĭan Pearce said on the project: “ We’ve known each other for a few years as we both exhibited art at the same galleries and attended each other’s exhibitions, so we always chatted about doing a collaboration. The film features Dan Pearce’s son and Maxim, and is soundtracked by some of Maxim’s new music.Īlong with his music, Maxim is also an artist and he created 50 limited edition sculptures with Dan Pearce during the lockdown period. They first revealed the project on the 19th of May to a VIP viewing at London’s new 99 Projects gallery, but between now and the 7th of June the installation will be open to the public.Īccompanying the music and sculpture based art installation is a short film curated by the pair. Frontman of The Prodigy, Maxim has teamed up with London based artist Dan Pearce to create a new project that combines a four-track EP of music, and an art installation they have called ‘Hope’.
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