Playgroup (band)
Encyclopedia
Playgroup is a British
dance
act. Basically the project of musician and designer Trevor Jackson, they were associated with the electroclash
movement.
Jackson has also performed under the names Underdog and Skull.
dancing robot during the song. The dancing PC performs various dance moves with disco to breakdance elements in a digital dance arena, complete with lighting effects. Among the moves are some signature ones of famous artists. The list includes Michael Jackson
's Moon Walk
and the glowing tiles under each foot step first seen in his Billie Jean
video. The rocking version of the Duck Walk popularized by Angus Young
of AC/DC
is also recreated by the computer-generated dancer. Playgroup remixed the previously Number 1 single "Carols
" by pop mega-sensation Ayumi Hamasaki
for her remix album titled Ayu-mi-x 6: Silver.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
act. Basically the project of musician and designer Trevor Jackson, they were associated with the electroclash
Electroclash
Electroclash is a style of music that fuses New Wave and electronic dance music. It emerged in New York and Detroit in the later 1990s, pioneered by acts including I-F and those associated with Gerald Donald, and is associated with acts including Peaches, Adult, and Fischerspooner...
movement.
Jackson has also performed under the names Underdog and Skull.
Albums
- Playgroup Party mix Vol. 1 (Playgroup Records, 2001)
- Playgroup (Source UK, 2001 and on AstralwerksAstralwerksAstralwerks is a New York-based record label that releases primarily electronic music. It is owned by Virgin Records/EMI and distributed by Caroline Distribution in the United States....
in the USA on 19 March 2002. It was also re-released as a limited edition double album on Playgroup Records in June 2003) - DJ-Kicks: PlaygroupDJ-Kicks: PlaygroupDJ-Kicks: Playgroup is a DJ mix album, mixed by Playgroup, also known as Trevor Jackson. It was released on 1 July 2002 on the Studio !K7 independent record label as part of the DJ-Kicks series.-Track listing:...
(Studio !K7Studio !K7Studio !K7 is an independent record label based in Berlin, Germany that focuses mostly on electronic music. The name is an abbreviation of the company's original Berlin address, Kaiserdamm 7 . !K7 has since opened branch offices in New York City, Hamburg, London, and Tokyo.It has four independent...
, 2002) - Reproduction (Peacefrog RecordsPeacefrog RecordsPeacefrog Records are an independent record label based in London, United Kingdom. The label produces releases in many different styles of electronic music as well as branching out into folk and indie artists such as José González and Nouvelle Vague. Started by Pete Hutchison and Paul Ballard in...
, 1 November 2004)
Remixes
- Chicks on SpeedChicks on SpeedChicks on Speed is a multi-national musical ensemble, formed in Munich in 1997, when members Melissa Logan, Kiki Moorse and Alex Murray-Leslie met at the Academy of Fine Arts....
- "Wordy Rappinghood" (2003) - Louie AustenLouie AustenLouie Austen is an Austrian classically trained bar and jazz crooner who has been active in the electronic music scene.-Biography:Austen was born on 19 September 1946 in Vienna, Austria....
feat. PeachesPeaches (musician)Merrill Beth Nisker , better known by her stage name Peaches, is a Canadian electronic musician and performance artist who lives in Berlin, Germany. Her songs are noted for disregarding traditional gender norms and their use of sexually explicit lyrics...
- "Grab My ShaftGrab My Shaft"Grab My Shaft" is a single by Louie Austen featuring Canadian electronic musician Peaches.-Critical reception:Charlie Amter of East Bay Express that the duet with Peaches results in a "sick triple-X South Beach dance floor anthem that manages to be both hilarious and sexual at the same time." ...
" (2003)
Single: Number One
In 2001 Playgroup released "Number One" an up-tempo disco dance song. The video is computer animated and features a tower PC which is transformed into a humanoidHumanoid
A humanoid is something that has an appearance resembling a human being. The term first appeared in 1912 to refer to fossils which were morphologically similar to, but not identical with, those of the human skeleton. Although this usage was common in the sciences for much of the 20th century, it...
dancing robot during the song. The dancing PC performs various dance moves with disco to breakdance elements in a digital dance arena, complete with lighting effects. Among the moves are some signature ones of famous artists. The list includes Michael Jackson
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson was an American recording artist, entertainer, and businessman. Referred to as the King of Pop, or by his initials MJ, Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by Guinness World Records...
's Moon Walk
Moonwalk (dance)
The moonwalk or backslide is a dance technique that presents the illusion of the dancer being pulled backwards while attempting to walk forward. A popping move, it became most popular around the world after Michael Jackson executed the dance move during a performance of "Billie Jean" on Motown 25:...
and the glowing tiles under each foot step first seen in his Billie Jean
Billie Jean
"Billie Jean" is a dance-pop/R&B song by American recording artist Michael Jackson. It was written, composed, and co-produced by Jackson, and produced by Quincy Jones from the singer's sixth album, Thriller . Originally disliked by Jones, the track was almost removed from the album after he and...
video. The rocking version of the Duck Walk popularized by Angus Young
Angus Young
Angus McKinnon Young is a Scottish-born Australian musician, and the lead guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder of the rock and roll band AC/DC. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame along with other members of AC/DC in 2003 and is known for his energetic performances,...
of AC/DC
AC/DC
AC/DC are an Australian rock band, formed in 1973 by brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Commonly classified as hard rock, they are considered pioneers of heavy metal, though they themselves have always classified their music as simply "rock and roll"...
is also recreated by the computer-generated dancer. Playgroup remixed the previously Number 1 single "Carols
Carols (song)
"Carols" is the thirty-fourth single released by Ayumi Hamasaki. It was released on September 29, 2004. It became her 21st single to claim the #1 spot on the Oricon charts and has sold over 340,000 copies to date. Carols is to date the only Ayumi Hamasaki single to be released on the DVD-Audio and...
" by pop mega-sensation Ayumi Hamasaki
Ayumi Hamasaki
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, record producer, model, lyricist, and actress. Also called "Ayu" by her fans, Hamasaki has been dubbed the "Empress of Pop" because of her popularity and widespread influence in Japan and throughout Asia. Born and raised in Fukuoka, she moved to Tokyo at fourteen to...
for her remix album titled Ayu-mi-x 6: Silver.