Norman Cook

Norman "Jacker-Of-All-Genres" Cook, in addition to his former occupations as bassist for <a href="spotify:artist:77D38RDgCtlYNLpayStftL">the Housemartins</a> and one third of acid-house hitmakers <a href="spotify:artist:1VXkvM7lA7cCcfrT2FguoX">Pizzaman</a>, is also the man behind one of the most popular of the new flock of English "brit hop" producers, <a href="spotify:artist:4Y7tXHSEejGu1vQ9bwDdXW">Fatboy Slim</a>. Releasing his Fatboy material through club staple Skint, Cook's raucous blend of house, acid, funk, hip-hop, electro, and techno has added to his already formidable reputation as one of the foremost all-around producers on the U.K. club scene. Born in Bromley on July 13, 1963, Cook joined the Hull-based pop group <a href="spotify:artist:77D38RDgCtlYNLpayStftL">the Housemartins</a> in 1986, replacing founding member Ted Key. After the group split the following year, Cook became involved with the burgeoning acid-house scene, pairing with producers Tim Jeffery and JC Reid toward the end of the decade to form <a href="spotify:artist:1VXkvM7lA7cCcfrT2FguoX">Pizzaman</a>. The trio nailed three Top 40 hits together ("Trippin' on Sunshine," "Sex on the Streets," and "Happiness") before Cook splintered off to record with similarly-styled outfits Freakpower and <a href="spotify:artist:6C5gMdsVmZHJG6yJuC68sp">Beat International</a> in the early '90s. He's shut most of his other production acitivities down in recent years to focus on his latest incarnation, <a href="spotify:artist:4Y7tXHSEejGu1vQ9bwDdXW">Fatboy Slim</a>, which to date includes a trio of singles and the full-length Better Living Through Chemistry. Cook was also called in to add his remixing skills to Jean-Jacques Perry's proto-electronica classic "Eva," released as a 12-inch and CD single in 1997. In addition to his FBS work, Cook also recorded the Skip to My Loops sample CD, a popular studio tool sporting a melange of sample-ready drum loops, analog squelches, and assorted noises. In early 1998, his remix of <a href="spotify:artist:3Kf7VEIRWquxrNIuyJZnfF">Cornershop's</a> "Brimful of Asha" spent several weeks at number one in the British charts. ~ Sean Cooper, Rovi