Pepe Deluxe
The Finnish electronic trio Pepe Deluxe is an eclectic, artistically abstract bunch of musicians. The British press has been touting the band since the late '90s, but Pepe Deluxe first came together back in 1995. DJ Slow and Ja-Jazz collaborated on the Bomb Records electronic sampler Return of the DJ prior to fully forming a band; DJ James Spectrum joined shortly thereafter, and Pepe Deluxe was official. They released their cutting-edge and campy-coated debut, Super Sound, in the fall of 2000. DJ Slow left soon after, and the remaining artists took three years to record and return with their lush sophomore album, Beatitude, an upbeat record with guest appearances by 40 musicians. In 2007 Spare Time Machine arrived with spirited retro electro-funk beats, this time blended with a touch of '60s psychedelic and '70s prog rock.