The Impellers

The Impellers' sound is steeped in the classic heavy funk and soul sounds of the late '60s and early '70s, with some Afrobeat and Latin thrown in for good measure. Formerly known as <a href="spotify:artist:50jGoW0Z8tHLPUQpjlAZtC">Ed Meme & the Forms</a>, the ten-piece -- "Lady" Clair Witcher, Glenn Fallows (aka <a href="spotify:artist:50jGoW0Z8tHLPUQpjlAZtC">Ed Meme</a>), Ed Breaker, Barry Lalanne, Tom Henderson, Joel Essex, Chris Evans-Roberts, Darren Smith, <a href="spotify:artist:1yLAdQg7sAb55gPZnrxoNg">Emma Black</a>, and Mark Yexley -- were formed in Brighton, U.K. in 2007. The Impellers' debut album, Robot Legs, surfaced in 2009 on the <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Freestyle%22">Freestyle</a> label; featuring a funked-up take on <a href="spotify:artist:776Uo845nYHJpNaStv1Ds4">Jimi Hendrix</a>'s "Fire" it was championed by actor and BBC 6 Music's DJ Craig Charles. The Impellers also found favor with legendary U.K. Latin DJ and musician <a href="spotify:artist:6e6FiOOuM4VotvYcIdAtXn">Snowboy</a>, who was featured on the track "Tastes Like Chicken."

Subsequent releases have been issued on the Hamburg-based <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Mocambo%2FLegere%22">Mocambo/Legere</a> label. For the Impellers' second album, 2012's This Is Not a Drill, the band gives <a href="spotify:artist:2wvUfjKGoXvcnDHq7GgMOa">the Ting Tings</a>' "That's Not My Name" their own groovy treatment. 2014's My Certainty was attributed to the Impellers feat. Clair Witcher and signaled a switch to a more song-based sound, without compromising their trademark beefed-up funk. A collection of remixes and instrumental cuts from My Certainty followed in early 2015. Witcher was also guest vocalist on U.K. reggae artist Ed Rome's 2015 "Allnighter Blues" single. ~ Matthew Garbutt, Rovi