Faithless are the only band in the world to mix banging house, jazz-rap and gospel. Which leaves one question: is this a good thing?
Confusion abounds. Faithless have arrived at London's Shepherds Bush Empire for their sell-out homecoming gig in a state of exhaustion. Maxi Jazz, ever the gentleman, approaches Mixmag, arm stretched out in warm greeting. His disarming smile distracts attention from his worryingly skinny physique, weary from a gig schedule which hasn't stopped for two years. Yesterday Japan, today London - in body at least. The band's entourage are in a state of panic. There's a TV crew waiting to grab their few hours of free time before the curtains open. Newspaper journalists hover in hope of a word from the wise, and everyone from label types to press officers mill around waving long-forgotten schedules in the air. Faithless are hot property.
But of all the groups to have emerged from the house scene, few can claim to have divided clubbers quite as much as Faithless. Some love them as the truest representatives of that acid house vibe of openness and unity. Others hate them for their overblown epic house and poptastic selling out of the underground. Which is the true Faithless? With 'Reverence' clocking up worldwide sales of over five million; current album, 'Sunday 8pm', set to do even better; and a sell-out tour of the UK, the time has come to place Faithless in the dock. Heroes or villains, saints or sinners? Let's don those white wigs and find out.
The case for the prosecution: Faithless, you stand accused of crimes against clubbing. Your music straddles the cheesier side of epic house and the worst aspects of acid jazz. It represents a soul-free, funkless zone of half-hearted ideas aimed at the lowest common denominator for the highest possible return. In 'Insomnia' you have spawned a sound which has plagued us through the likes of Sash! and DJ Quicksilver. Your albums betray a love of all that is bland in black music and all that is obvious in classical. Furthermore, in tracks like 'Hour of Need', you echo the tame ironic pop of The Beautiful South, and 'Bring My Family Back' and 'Postcards' are little more than pale imitations of Massive Attack.
The case for the defence: Among the artists to have emerged from the post-acid house arena, few embrace the original rave ethos more than Faithless. Theirs is the sound of celebration and unity, anthemic house cuts like 'Insomnia' and 'God is a DJ' riding the chemical rush with stirring keyboard hooks laced with subtle breakdowns and awesome crescendos. In Maxi Jazz, Faithless posses a fine lyricist. His explorations of everyday life have a realistic feel, rather than using the usual trick of wrapping them in underworld bravado. 'Bring the Family Back' brilliantly portrays the breakdown of the family; first from the point of view of a three-year-old child, then from his father and finally from the perspective of a home that has become a crack house through years of neglect. His is the art of presenting politics without a soap box. Faithless have also developed into one of the most soulful live acts today. Their 'Motown of the UK' approach - a stable of artists led by a single production team - presents a multi-genred vibe which taps into the underbelly of funk. Faithless, how do you plead?