Andy Cato
Encyclopedia
Andy Cato is one half of the electronic dance band, Groove Armada
, the other half being Tom Findlay. He is also involved with Rachel Foster
in Weekend Players
, another electronic dance group.
and played the trombone
in a colliery brass band
, as well as the Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra and won the Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award in 1996.
, an independent school for boys in Wakefield
, followed by the University of Oxford
(Merton College
), where he studied history.
, where he began acting as a disc jockey
at nightclubs and composing music. He set up the label Skinny Malinky. He met Tom Findlay in 1994 in Cambridge, through a common friend who was his girlfriend (and now his wife), Jo, whom he met at Oxford
. In London they had a dance night called Captain Sensual at the Helm of the Groove Armada.
Groove Armada
Groove Armada is an English electronic music duo from London, England comprising Andy Cato and Tom Findlay. They are perhaps best known for their singles "I See You Baby" and "Superstylin'"...
, the other half being Tom Findlay. He is also involved with Rachel Foster
Rachel Foster
Rachel Foster is an English vocalist, primarily known for her music collaboration with Andy Cato as the Weekend Players...
in Weekend Players
Weekend Players
Weekend Players was an electronic music duo from England. The musicians were vocalist Rachel Foster, who has provided vocals and songwriting on Bent's Ariels album, and producer Andy Cato, one half of Groove Armada....
, another electronic dance group.
Early life
Cato grew up in a village near BarnsleyBarnsley
Barnsley is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Dearne, north of the city of Sheffield, south of Leeds and west of Doncaster. Barnsley is surrounded by several smaller settlements which together form the Metropolitan Borough of Barnsley, of which Barnsley is the largest and...
and played the trombone
Trombone
The trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
in a colliery brass band
Brass band
A brass band is a musical ensemble generally consisting entirely of brass instruments, most often with a percussion section. Ensembles that include brass and woodwind instruments can in certain traditions also be termed brass bands , but are usually more correctly termed military bands, concert...
, as well as the Doncaster Youth Jazz Orchestra and won the Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award in 1996.
Education
Cato was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar SchoolQueen Elizabeth Grammar School, Wakefield
Queen Elizabeth Grammar School is an independent school in Wakefield, West Yorkshire, England. QEGS is distinct from most other schools in that it was founded by Royal Charter of Queen Elizabeth I in 1591 at the request of leading citizens in Wakefield 75 in total and some of whom formed the...
, an independent school for boys in Wakefield
Wakefield
Wakefield is the main settlement and administrative centre of the City of Wakefield, a metropolitan district of West Yorkshire, England. Located by the River Calder on the eastern edge of the Pennines, the urban area is and had a population of 76,886 in 2001....
, followed by the University of Oxford
University of Oxford
The University of Oxford is a university located in Oxford, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest surviving university in the world and the oldest in the English-speaking world. Although its exact date of foundation is unclear, there is evidence of teaching as far back as 1096...
(Merton College
Merton College, Oxford
Merton College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. Its foundation can be traced back to the 1260s when Walter de Merton, chancellor to Henry III and later to Edward I, first drew up statutes for an independent academic community and established endowments to...
), where he studied history.
Groove Armada
After the University of Oxford, he moved to LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, where he began acting as a disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
at nightclubs and composing music. He set up the label Skinny Malinky. He met Tom Findlay in 1994 in Cambridge, through a common friend who was his girlfriend (and now his wife), Jo, whom he met at Oxford
Oxford
The city of Oxford is the county town of Oxfordshire, England. The city, made prominent by its medieval university, has a population of just under 165,000, with 153,900 living within the district boundary. It lies about 50 miles north-west of London. The rivers Cherwell and Thames run through...
. In London they had a dance night called Captain Sensual at the Helm of the Groove Armada.