Architechs
Encyclopedia
The Architechs are a pioneering UK garage
group consisting of Tre Lowe and City and, for a short period, also Kevin Williams (K-Warren).
They gained international attention in the summer of 1998 after remixing Brandy
& Monica
's "The Boy Is Mine
" selling over 40,000 copies of the bootleg
.
Up to this point speed garage had used mainly samples
and the kind of raw sounds most commonly heard on hard house records. The R&B crowd, already intrigued by the vocal element of the scene, was more than ready to embrace the shift in direction kickstarted by Architechs - the first time anyone had laid down a full length R&B vocal over a 2-Step backing . An onslaught of Garage/R&B bootlegs followed. They also produced remix
es for several popular artists
such as the All Saints
, Gabrielle
, Justin Timberlake
and 'N Sync
, Usher
, Mariah Carey
, Faithless
, Garbage
, Beenie Man
and Jamelia
amongst others. Several of their tracks have been featured on Pure Garage
.
With the release of "Show Me The Money" the group were interviewed on Popworld
. The Architechs were scheduled to release a full length album
in early 2002, but it seems to have never surfaced.
The Architechs' Tré and City had been producing R&B separating for years until "The Boy is Mine" rework which featured a then unknown K-Warren. After the success of the release and other R&B-flavored garage they felt they could be more successful outside the struggling UK
R&B scene and in the Garage scene. As K-Warren left to pursue a solo
career, Lowe and City hooked up with one of City's previous collaborators "Nana", who features on both of the Architechs commercially successful singles
, and released a solo R&B record in 2005.
UK garage
UK garage is a genre of electronic dance music originating from the United Kingdom in the early-1990s. UK garage is a descendant of house music which originated in Chicago and New York, United States. UK garage usually features a distinctive syncopated 4/4 percussive rhythm with 'shuffling'...
group consisting of Tre Lowe and City and, for a short period, also Kevin Williams (K-Warren).
They gained international attention in the summer of 1998 after remixing Brandy
Brandy (entertainer)
Brandy Rayana Norwood , known professionally as Brandy, is an American singer-songwriter, producer, actress, and dancer. In 2009, she introduced her rap alter-ego Bran'Nu....
& Monica
Monica (singer)
Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
's "The Boy Is Mine
The Boy Is Mine
"The Boy Is Mine" is a duet by American recording artists Brandy and Monica. It was written by LaShawn Daniels, Fred Jerkins III, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and Brandy with co-production by Darkchild and Dallas Austin, and released as the lead single from both singers' second albums during the...
" selling over 40,000 copies of the bootleg
Bootleg recording
A bootleg recording is an audio or video recording of a performance that was not officially released by the artist or under other legal authority. The process of making and distributing such recordings is known as bootlegging...
.
Up to this point speed garage had used mainly samples
Sampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
and the kind of raw sounds most commonly heard on hard house records. The R&B crowd, already intrigued by the vocal element of the scene, was more than ready to embrace the shift in direction kickstarted by Architechs - the first time anyone had laid down a full length R&B vocal over a 2-Step backing . An onslaught of Garage/R&B bootlegs followed. They also produced remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
es for several popular artists
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
such as the All Saints
All Hooked Up
"All Hooked Up" is a song by All Saints, released as the third single from their third album, Saints & Sinners. It peaked at No.7 in the UK charts. It also was All Saints' last single to be released from the aforementioned album...
, Gabrielle
Gabrielle (singer)
Louisa Gabrielle Bobb is a multi-platinum selling, BRIT Award winning English singer, who records under the name Gabrielle. Gabrielle began her career temping during the day and singing for free in London clubs at night...
, Justin Timberlake
Justin Timberlake
Justin Randall Timberlake is an American pop musician and actor. He achieved early fame when he appeared as a contestant on Star Search, and went on to star in the Disney Channel television series The New Mickey Mouse Club, where he met future bandmate JC Chasez...
and 'N Sync
'N Sync
N Sync was an American boy band formed in Orlando, Florida, in 1995 and launched in Germany by BMG Ariola Munich, *NSYNC consisted of JC Chasez, Justin Timberlake, Lance Bass, Joey Fatone and Chris Kirkpatrick...
, Usher
Usher (entertainer)
Usher Terry Raymond IV , who performs under the mononym Usher, is an American singer-songwriter, and actor. He is considered around the world to be the reigning King of R&B. Usher rose to fame in the late 1990s with the release of his second album My Way, which spawned his first Billboard Hot 100...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Faithless
Faithless
Faithless were a British electronica band consisting of Maxi Jazz, Sister Bliss and Rollo. The group is best known for their dance songs . Faithless recorded six albums. During their career they sold over 15 million records worldwide...
, Garbage
Garbage (band)
Garbage are an alternative rock band formed in Madison, Wisconsin in 1994. The group consists of Scottish singer Shirley Manson and American musicians Duke Erikson , Steve Marker and Butch Vig . All four members are involved in songwriting and production...
, Beenie Man
Beenie Man
Anthony Moses Davis , better known by his stage name Beenie Man, is a Grammy award winning Jamaican reggae artist. He is the self-proclaimed "King of the Dancehall".-Biography:...
and Jamelia
Jamelia
Jamelia Niela Davis , best known mononymously as Jamelia, is an English singer-songwriter, model, entertainer, television presenter and actress. She is most famous for her use of a cappella and prolific work in the R&B genre...
amongst others. Several of their tracks have been featured on Pure Garage
Pure Garage
Pure Garage is a successful series of UK garage compilation albums. Nearly all of them are mixed by DJ EZ.In January 2000, Warner Music chose Kiss 100's DJ EZ to mix Pure Garage, a new garage compilation CD. Pure Garage...
.
With the release of "Show Me The Money" the group were interviewed on Popworld
Popworld
Popworld was a British television programme that was broadcast on Channel 4, offering pop news, trivia, gossip, interviews and music videos, as well as musical performances from the most recent top artists....
. The Architechs were scheduled to release a full length album
Album
An album is a collection of recordings, released as a single package on gramophone record, cassette, compact disc, or via digital distribution. The word derives from the Latin word for list .Vinyl LP records have two sides, each comprising one half of the album...
in early 2002, but it seems to have never surfaced.
The Architechs' Tré and City had been producing R&B separating for years until "The Boy is Mine" rework which featured a then unknown K-Warren. After the success of the release and other R&B-flavored garage they felt they could be more successful outside the struggling UK
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...
R&B scene and in the Garage scene. As K-Warren left to pursue a solo
Solo (music)
In music, a solo is a piece or a section of a piece played or sung by a single performer...
career, Lowe and City hooked up with one of City's previous collaborators "Nana", who features on both of the Architechs commercially successful singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
, and released a solo R&B record in 2005.
Singles
- "Body Groove" (featuring Nana) (Go! BeatGo! Beat RecordsGo! Beat Records was a record label launched as a subsidiary of Go! Discs Records for dance artists like David Holmes and Portishead. When Go! Discs folded, Go Beat continued as a label within the Universal Music Group....
) (7 October 2000); #3 (UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
) - "Show Me The Money" (Go! BeatGo! Beat RecordsGo! Beat Records was a record label launched as a subsidiary of Go! Discs Records for dance artists like David Holmes and Portishead. When Go! Discs folded, Go Beat continued as a label within the Universal Music Group....
) (7 April 2001); #20 (UK)