This Week in House Music: Honey Dijon, Channel Tres, Sadie Walker, Atish & Fatboy Slim

Fatboy Slim’s influence is ubiquitous in the modern dance space. From his early days in rock bands and acid-jazz groups to his solo hit records, Fatboy Slim is one of the world’s most beloved DJs. With a career that now spans four decades, he says his biggest driving factor is the unifying experience that music can create.

Norman Quentin Cook was raised in Reigate, Surrey, where he took violin lessons and grew up with a love of music. When he was a teen, he took a shine to punk music and began playing in local bands. At 18, he began performing around the Brighton club scene under the name DJ Quentox. Shortly after, he joined an indie rock band formed by his friend Paul Heaton called the Housemartins. In their short three years together, they would peak in the Top 10 of the UK Albums Chart with both of their albums.

After a few more romps in Brit bands, Cook took on the name Fatboy Slim in 1996. His first full-length record, 

 received critical acclaim. When his 1998 album 

 hit the shelves, the world was set aflame. The album's first two tracks, "Right Here, Right Now" and "The Rockafeller Skank" would become hit singles and cultural anthems. Throw in subsequent hits “Praise You,” "Weapon of Choice," and "Wonderful Night," and Fatboy Slim was officially an icon. Hits like these ultimately helped to popularize the big beat genre in the 1990s.

After a brief hiatus, Fatboy Slim released his first charting Fatboy Slim single in seven years. In 2013, "Eat, Sleep, Rave, Repeat" would become a cheeky hit, in part thanks to a remix from Scottish superstar Calvin Harris. Over the years, the artist has racked up two Brit awards, a Grammy, 9 VMAs, and  a Guinness World or most top-40 hits under different names.

Cook is still actively touring, playing some of the world’s greatest stages with fellow legacy artists and dance music up-and-comers. Though the dance music scene has changed dramatically, Fatboy Slim says he loves it more now than he did 40 years ago.

Fatboy Slim

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Ana Monroy Yglesias