The Prodigy are an English
electronic music
Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...
band formed in
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town in Essex, England, and is the principal settlement of Braintree District. It is located north-east of Chelmsford, west of Colchester and north-west of Southend-on-Sea. According to the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 Cens ...
, in 1990 by producer, keyboardist, and songwriter
Liam Howlett. The original line-up also featured
MC and vocalist
Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
*Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim ...
, dancer and occasionally live keyboardist
Leeroy Thornhill,
dancer Sharky, and dancer and vocalist
Keith Flint. They describe their style as
electronic punk.
The band emerged during the underground
rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
scene and achieved early success in 1991 with their debut singles "
Charly" and "
Everybody in the Place
"Everybody in the Place" is the second official single released by the British electronic dance band the Prodigy from their debut album, ''Experience'' (1992). It was released on 23 December 1991 through XL Recordings in the UK.
The single ...
", which reached the UK top five. After their debut album ''
Experience
Experience refers to Consciousness, conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience i ...
'' (1992), the band moved from their rave roots and incorporated
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
,
breakbeat
Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that uses drum breaks, often sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as Florida breaks, hip-hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat ...
, and rock influences on their follow-up, the critically acclaimed ''
Music for the Jilted Generation'' (1994). They reached their commercial and critical peak with their third studio album ''
The Fat of the Land'' (1997), which went to No. 1 in 16 countries, including the UK and the US, and spawned the UK number one singles "
Firestarter" and "
Breathe" in 1996. The third single, "
Smack My Bitch Up", was a UK top ten hit and generated considerable controversy over its suggestive lyrics and music video. Thornhill left the band in 2000 and Flint died in 2019; Howlett and Maxim are the only two original members.
The Prodigy are one of the most successful electronic groups of all time, selling an estimated 25 million records worldwide
including over 4.7 million albums in the UK. They have scored seven consecutive UK number one albums.
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
described them as "the premiere dance act for the alternative masses" and "the Godfathers of Rave".
The Prodigy have won many awards during their career, including two
Brit Awards for Best British Dance Act, three
MTV Video Music Awards
The MTV Video Music Awards (commonly abbreviated as the VMAs) is an award show presented by the cable channel MTV to honor the best in the music video medium. Originally conceived as an alternative to the Grammy Awards (in the video category ...
, two
Kerrang! Awards
The ''Kerrang!'' Awards was an annual music awards show in the United Kingdom, founded by the music magazine ''Kerrang!'' and focusing primarily on rock music. The annual awards featured performances by prominent artists, and some of the awards ...
, five
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards (originally named MTV European Music Awards, commonly abbreviated as MTV EMA) are awards presented by Paramount International Networks to honour artists and music in pop culture. It was originally conceived as an al ...
, and two
Grammy Award
The Grammy Awards, stylized as GRAMMY, and often referred to as The Grammys, are awards presented by The Recording Academy of the United States to recognize outstanding achievements in music. They are regarded by many as the most prestigious ...
nominations.
History
Formation and early singles success (1990–1991)
In 1989, 18-year-old DJ, musician, and songwriter
Liam Howlett returned to his hometown of
Braintree, Essex
Braintree is a town in Essex, England, and is the principal settlement of Braintree District. It is located north-east of Chelmsford, west of Colchester and north-west of Southend-on-Sea. According to the United Kingdom Census 2021, 2021 Cens ...
after quitting his gig as DJ in the
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
group Cut 2 Kill. He had started to make his own music three years prior, beginning with hip-hop and
house music
House is a genre of electronic dance music characterized by a repetitive Four on the floor (music), four-on-the-floor beat and a typical tempo of 115–130 beats per minute. It was created by DJs and music producers from Chicago's underground ...
before he focused on the
rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
scene that was gaining popularity at the time.
He preferred the non-confrontational atmosphere that raves brought, and began to work DJ sets in the local area while working on original music at home.
[
It was in Braintree where Howlett met dancers Keith Flint and Leeroy Thornhill at one of his gigs at The Barn nightclub. Flint requested Howlett make a mix tape for him, to which Howlett obliged and returned a cassette several days later with some of his own songs on the other side. Howlett had scratched the word "Prodigy" onto the cassette, referring to the Moog Prodigy synthesizer which he used to make some of the music. The tape was well received by Flint and Thornhill, who developed new dance sequences to the music and suggested to Howlett they begin a group together. The three settled on The Prodigy as their name and enlisted a fourth live member, female dancer and vocalist Sharky (real name Sheila Burke), a friend of Flint's; the group officially formed on 5 October 1990. Their first gig took place in February 1991 at The Four Aces Club (then called Labrynth) in ]Dalston
Dalston () is an area of East London, in the London Borough of Hackney. It is northeast of Charing Cross. Dalston began as a hamlet on either side of Dalston Lane, and as the area urbanised the term also came to apply to surrounding areas i ...
. It was organised by Ziggy, a local promoter who became their first manager. Howlett described the venue as the roughest in London at the time.[ Shortly before the gig, the group met rapper and MC ]Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
*Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim ...
, then known as Maxim Reality. Flint pitched for Maxim to join the group on the strength of his connections with the reggae scene and the music contacts he had developed. Maxim failed to turn up at a scheduled meeting, but joined The Prodigy unexpectedly at their first gig, where he improvised lyrics on stage.
Shortly after their live debut, Howlett completed a 10-track demo tape on a Roland W-30 sampling keyboard and approached Tam Tam Records with the hope of securing a record deal, but was declined. He turned to XL Recordings, headed by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes, who agreed to a meeting and subsequently signed the group to a contract that involved the release of four singles. This culminated in their first official release, the EP '' What Evil Lurks'', in February 1991, containing four tracks that Howlett had produced on the demo. Shortly after signing to XL Records, The Prodigy were reduced to a four-piece when Sharky could no longer commit to the band and left.
In August 1991, The Prodigy released their debut single " Charly", which samples dialogue from the Charley Says series of animated films produced by the Central Office of Information. It became a hit in the rave scene, and reached No. 1 on the UK Dance Singles Chart
The Dance Singles Chart and the Dance Albums Chart are music charts compiled in the United Kingdom by the Official Charts Company from sales of songs in the dance music genre (e.g. house, trance, drum and bass, garage, synth-pop) in record stores ...
and No. 3 on the UK Singles Chart, thus catapulting the band into the wider public attention. The success of "Charly" began a trend of mixing dance and rave tracks with cartoon samples, such as " A Trip to Trumpton" by Urban Hype and " Sesame's Treet" by Smart E's, which were a hit with clubbers but not to the critics, who dismissed it as "kiddie rave" or " toytown techno". Howlett realised that a follow-up single in the same style "would have been the downfall of us" and wanted to avoid such labels.[ He spent earnings from "Charly" on new instruments and studio equipment, expanding the group's sound with a Roland U-220 ]sound module
A sound module is an electronic musical instrument without a human-playable interface such as a piano-style musical keyboard. Sound modules have to be operated using an externally connected device, which is often a MIDI controller, of which th ...
and TR-909 drum machine
A drum machine is an electronic musical instrument that creates percussion sounds, drum beats, and patterns. Drum machines may imitate drum kits or other percussion instruments, or produce unique sounds, such as synthesized electronic tones. A d ...
.[ Their second single, " Everybody in the Place (Fairground Edit)", was released in December 1991. It reached No. 2 in the UK, beaten to the top spot by a re-release of "]Bohemian Rhapsody
"Bohemian Rhapsody" is a song by the British rock music, rock band Queen (band), Queen, released as the lead single from their fourth studio album, ''A Night at the Opera (Queen album), A Night at the Opera'' (1975). Written by Queen's lead si ...
" by Queen
Queen most commonly refers to:
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a kingdom
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen (band), a British rock band
Queen or QUEEN may also refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Q ...
following the death of their singer Freddie Mercury
Freddie Mercury (born Farrokh Bulsara; 5 September 1946 – 24 November 1991) was a British singer and songwriter who achieved global fame as the lead vocalist and pianist of the rock band Queen (band), Queen. Regarded as one of the gre ...
.
''Experience'' and ''Music for the Jilted Generation'' (1992–1995)
In 1991 and 1992, Howlett recorded the band's debut full-length studio album ''Experience
Experience refers to Consciousness, conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience i ...
'' at his home facility, Earthbound Studios. The project began after XL Recordings suggested the group make one, and initially Howlett wanted to produce a "rave concept album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...
" inspired by Pink Floyd
Pink Floyd are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1965. Gaining an early following as one of the first British psychedelic music, psychedelic groups, they were distinguished by their extended compositions, sonic experiments ...
, but abandoned the idea due to the risk of limiting his musical ideas. Released in September 1992, the album peaked at No. 12 on the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry
BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...
(BPI) for selling over 300,000 copies.[ Note: User must define search parameters as "Prodigy".][ Note: Reader must type "Prodigy" into the Search box and hit Go.] The album contains many samples of other artists, and closes with a live track featuring Maxim on vocals. It is considered a landmark release in British rave music, and was an influential record for American DJ and musician Moby
Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...
for his early studio releases. Its third single, " Fire/Jericho", was on track to become the band's third consecutive UK top ten single, but XL Recordings deleted it from its catalogue and therefore stalled at its peak of No. 11.[
By early 1993, The Prodigy had completed their first major nationwide tour. Howlett said that The Prodigy had now become an established act and would continue to produce original dance music as there was still an audience for it.][ After ''Experience'' and the run of singles that accompanied it, the band moved to distance themselves from the "kiddie rave" reputation that had dogged them. The rave scene moved on from its hardcore phase, following the ]Criminal Justice Act
Criminal Justice Act (with its many variations) is a stock short title used for legislation in Canada, Malaysia, Ireland and the United Kingdom relating to the criminal law (including both substantive and procedural aspects of that law). It tends t ...
's anti-rave legislation on the horizon. Later in 1993, Howlett released an anonymous white label White label may refer to:
* White-label product, a permitted replication and rebranding of a product
* White label record, records with plain white labels attached.
* White Label Music, an independent record label based in the United Kingdom
* ''Wh ...
vinyl, bearing only the titles "Earthbound I" and "Earthbound 2". Its hypnotic, hard-edged sound won wide underground approval. The songs were officially released as " One Love" and "Full Throttle" in September 1993, and reached No. 8 in the UK. By this time the band performed live at least once a week, and had started performing overseas including Germany, the US, and Japan.
In 1993, Howlett started work on the band's second album, '' Music for the Jilted Generation''. Much of the new material was written in response to the Criminal Justice Act as exemplified by "Their Law", co-written and performed with alternative rock band Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorpo ...
. The album opens with a spoken introduction: "So I've decided to take my work back underground to stop it falling into the wrong hands". Howlett explained that "the wrong hands" represented people who considered The Prodigy as a commercial band, and no longer wanted the group to be seen as purely a rave act. It displays a wider range of musical styles and structures with heavy breakbeat-based tracks and the conceptual three-part song "The Narcotic Suite". ''The Guardian
''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in Manchester in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'' and changed its name in 1959, followed by a move to London. Along with its sister paper, ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardi ...
'' called it a "complex, powerful record that propelled dance music into stadiums with rock'n'roll swagger".
Released in July 1994, the album entered the UK chart at No. 1 and received positive reactions from critics. It was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize
The Mercury Prize, formerly called the Mercury Music Prize, is an annual Music award, music prize awarded for the best album released by a musical act from the Music of the United Kingdom, United Kingdom or Music of Ireland, Ireland. It was cre ...
, although Howlett had reaffirmed his dedication to making The Prodigy a "hard dance band" commercially successful but without compromise. The band avoided mainstream exposure, declining offers to appear on ''Top of the Pops
''Top of the Pops'' (''TOTP'') is a British record chart television programme, made by the BBC and broadcast weekly between 1January 1964 and 30 July 2006. The programme was the world's longest-running weekly music show. For most of its histo ...
'' and other national television shows in the UK. Their performance of "Everybody in the Place" on the BBC2 television series ''Dance Energy'' in 1991 remains their only one on British television. In the ensuing years, their music videos received airplay on MTV Europe
MTV Global (formerly MTV Europe) is the international version of the American TV channel MTV as 24-hour music video and entertainment pay television network officially launched on 1 August 1987 as part of the worldwide MTV network.
Initia ...
which boosted their popularity across the continent.
Following the international success of ''Music for the Jilted Generation'', the band augmented their line-up with guitarist Jim Davies (a live band member who later joined the group Pitchshifter) in 1995 for tracks such as "Their Law", "Break and Enter 95", and various live-only interludes and versions. He was soon to be replaced by Gizz Butt of the band Janus Stark, who remained with the band for the next three years.
Commercial peak with ''The Fat of the Land'' and Thornhill's departure (1996–2000)
In March 1996, The Prodigy released the single " Firestarter", which marked their first song with a lead vocal. Howlett had originally recorded it as an instrumental and thought to incorporate a vocal sample, but upon hearing the track Flint was keen to write and record his own lyric. This surprised Howlett at first, but he agreed to try; Flint said the result sounded "quite ... menacing". The track gained controversy in the UK for its suggestive lyrics; Flint said the father of the first female firefighter to die in a fire complained that the song was disrespectful, which prompted '' The Daily Mail'' to attack the band by carrying a front page headline calling for the song to be banned. Howlett clarified that the lyrics are not literal and direct, and Flint said the track is about "stirring people up". Nevertheless, BBC radio presenter Chris Evans refused to air the song on his show, and the Prodigy turned down money to have the music video edited so it could air on ''Top of the Pops'', following multiple complaints.
Despite the controversy "Firestarter" marked the beginning of the band's commercial peak, becoming their first UK number one single which it topped for three consecutive weeks.[Roberts, David (2006). ]British Hit Singles & Albums
''British Hit Singles & Albums'' (originally known as ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Singles'' and ''The Guinness Book of British Hit Albums'') was a music reference work, reference book originally published in the United Kingdom by the p ...
. London: Guinness World Records Limited. It was also a top-10 hit worldwide and their US breakthrough, peaking at number 30. The music video marked the debut of Flint's radically different appearance, sporting his soon-to-be iconic punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
look with nose and tongue piercings, tattoos, and dyed hair, and his shift from dancer to frontman. The Prodigy followed "Firestarter" with the single " Breathe" in November 1996, which also went to number one in the UK and eight other countries. Both singles sold 1.2 million copies each in the UK.
In late 1996, several US record labels created a bidding war in an effort to sign The Prodigy to a deal. Richard Russell, co-owner of the group's UK label XL Recordings, met with several executives and recalled Guy Oseary of Maverick Records, owned by American singer Madonna
Madonna Louise Ciccone ( ; born August 16, 1958) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, and actress. Referred to as the "Queen of Pop", she has been recognized for her continual reinvention and versatility in music production, ...
, who attended several meetings herself, as the most determined. The estimated $5 million deal was announced in February 1997, an unprecedented amount for a rave influenced act, with the press suggesting the bidding war involved over 20 labels. In May 1997, a private event was held in Essex for record executives to hear the band's long-awaited studio album '' The Fat of the Land'', although it was still unfinished. "Firestarter" and "Breathe" were added to the album.
''The Fat of the Land'' was released on 30 June 1997, and featured simplified melodies, sparser sampling, less rave influences and punk
Punk or punks may refer to:
Genres, subculture, and related aspects
* Punk rock, a music genre originating in the 1970s associated with various subgenres
* Punk subculture, a subculture associated with punk rock, or aspects of the subculture s ...
-like vocals. It had a strong commercial impact, entering the UK and US album charts at number one and earned a Guinness World Record
''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...
as the fastest selling dance album in the UK with 317,000 copies sold in the first week. It remains the band's highest selling album with 1.5 million copies sold in the UK, 2.6 million sold in the US, and an estimated 10 million worldwide. The Prodigy capitalised on their commercial success with a full scale UK tour and their first of the US in four years. In June 1997, they headlined the Glastonbury Festival
The Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Arts (commonly referred to as simply Glastonbury Festival, known colloquially as Glasto) is a five-day festival of contemporary performing arts held near Pilton, Somerset, England, in most su ...
on its opening night and from June to August, headlined Lollapalooza
Lollapalooza () is an annual American four-day music festival held in Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park in Chicago. It originally started as a touring event in 1991, with Chicago becoming its permanent location beginning in 2005. Music genres i ...
.[ In September 1997, the Prodigy performed "Breathe" at the 1997 MTV Video Music Awards and won the Viewer's Choice Award. At the 1998 MTV Video Music Awards, "Smack My Bitch Up" won two awards— Best Dance Video and Breakthrough Video.
" Smack My Bitch Up" generated significant controversy for its suggestive lyrics and music video. The ]National Organization for Women
The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...
claimed the repeated phrase "Change my pitch up, smack my bitch up" was a "dangerous and offensive message advocating violence against women" and that it refers to someone administering heroin
Heroin, also known as diacetylmorphine and diamorphine among other names, is a morphinan opioid substance synthesized from the Opium, dried latex of the Papaver somniferum, opium poppy; it is mainly used as a recreational drug for its eupho ...
(smack) to another person. The phrase is a sample from "Give the Drummer Some" by hip hop group Ultramagnetic MCs
The Ultramagnetic MCs is an American hip hop group based in the Bronx, New York City. Founded by Kool Keith, the group also includes Ced Gee, TR Love, and Moe Love. Tim Dog became an unofficial member in 1989. In 1990, DJ Jaycee was added as ...
. Howlett stated that the song was misinterpreted and that the phrase meant "doing anything intensely, like being on stage—going for extreme manic energy". Several radio stations limited the song's airplay to nighttime hours. US chains Wal-Mart
Walmart Inc. (; formerly Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.) is an American multinational retail corporation that operates a chain of hypermarkets (also called supercenters), discount department stores, and grocery stores in the United States and 23 other ...
and Kmart
Kmart ( ), formerly legally registered as Kmart Corporation, now operated by Transformco, is a department-store chain and online retailer in the United States and Territories of the United States, its territories. It operates four remaining Kma ...
deemed the marketing campaign for the single offensive and pulled ''The Fat of the Land'' off their shelves. At the 1998 Reading Festival
The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire, Reading and Leeds in England. The events take place simultaneously on the Friday, Saturday and Sunday of the August bank holiday weekend ...
, the Prodigy and the Beastie Boys
The Beastie Boys were an American Hip-hop, hip hop and Rap rock, rap rock group formed in New York City in 1979. They were composed of Ad-Rock, Adam "Ad-Rock" Horovitz (vocals, guitar), Adam Yauch, Adam "MCA" Yauch (vocals, bass), and Mike D, ...
had an onstage disagreement, with the Beastie Boys requesting "Smack My Bitch Up" be pulled from the set as it could be considered offensive to those who had suffered domestic abuse. The Prodigy ignored the plea; Maxim introduced the song: "They didn't want us to play this fucking tune. But the way things go, I do what the fuck I want".
1999 saw the release of the Prodigy's '' The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One'', a mix album by Howlett produced as an official record of a guest DJ appearance on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station owned and operated by the BBC. It specialises in modern popular music and Contemporary hit radio, current chart hits throughout the day. The station provides alternative genres at night, including ...
. The original session came into being following a conversation between journalism and band biographer Martin James and '' Breezeblock'' presenter Mary Anne Hobbs
Mary Anne Hobbs (born 16 May 1964) is an English DJ and music journalist from Lancashire, England. She currently hosts on BBC Radio 6 Music. She is also a performer and curator of live events. In 2024 she created a ground-breaking collaboration ...
. They are subsequently both thanked on the album sleeve notes.
In August 1999, the band wrapped their world tour in support of ''The Fat of the Land'' and the group parted ways with touring guitarist Gizz Butt. Following a rest period, Thornhill's departure from the group was announced in a statement published in April 2000. He said that the mood within the band had changed and was increasingly dissatisfied with them on stage, and wanted to pursue solo projects. Howlett said: "We are both into different things and moving in different directions but I respect him and wish him good luck with what he does." The band's website was replaced with their logo and the words "We will be back..." set against a black background, which would remain until 2002.
''Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'' (2001–2004)
After the group performed some live shows in 2001, their single " Baby's Got a Temper" was released in July 2002 to critical disappointment. The original version of the song was written by Flint's sideband Flint
Flint, occasionally flintstone, is a sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as the variety of chert that occurs in chalk or marly limestone. Historically, flint was widely used to make stone tools and start ...
, and was called "NNNN". The Prodigy version was a total reworking of Flint's track with only a few of the lyrics and melody remaining from the original and produced by Howlett. The song also featured Jim Davies. Once again, the band courted controversy by including references to the "date rape
Date rape is a form of acquaintance rape and dating violence. The two phrases are often used interchangeably, but date rape specifically refers to a rape in which there has been some sort of romantic or potentially sexual relationship between ...
" drug Rohypnol
Flunitrazepam, sold under the brand name Rohypnol among others, is a benzodiazepine used to treat severe insomnia and assist with anesthesia. As with other hypnotics, flunitrazepam has been advised to be prescribed only for short-term use or by ...
in the song's lyrics. The song's music video was also controversial, which featured barely covered women milking cows in a suggestive fashion. The complete, unedited video was aired on MTV2
MTV2 (formerly M2) is an American pay television Cable television, channel owned by the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global, through PMN’s MTV Entertainment Group Subdivision.
The channel launched initially as an all-music ...
in 2002 as part of a special late-night countdown showing the most controversial videos ever to air on MTV. In the same year, however, '' Q'' magazine named the Prodigy one of the "50 Bands to See Before You Die".
The Prodigy's fourth studio album, '' Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'', was released on 23 August 2004, and 14 September 2004 in the US. A precursory and experimental single, " Memphis Bells", was released in very limited numbers, followed by the traditional release of the single " Girls". The US version of the studio album contained a remix of "Girls", entitled "More Girls", as a bonus track. The album, which topped the UK Albums Chart
The Official Albums Chart is the United Kingdom's industry-recognised national record chart for album, albums. Entries are ranked by sales and audio streaming. It was published for the first time on 22 July 1956 and is compiled every week by the O ...
in its debut week, was promoted by a two-year-long tour.
5,000 digital copies of "Memphis Bells" were sold over the Internet. Each copy was a combination of customer-chosen instrumental, rhythmic, and melodic options, of which 39,600 choices were available. Five mixes were sold in three file formats: WAV, two audio mixes in MP3
MP3 (formally MPEG-1 Audio Layer III or MPEG-2 Audio Layer III) is a coding format for digital audio developed largely by the Fraunhofer Society in Germany under the lead of Karlheinz Brandenburg. It was designed to greatly reduce the amount ...
, and a 5.1 DTS surround sound
Surround sound is a technique for enriching the fidelity and depth of sound reproduction by using multiple audio channels from speakers that surround the listener ( surround channels). Its first application was in movie theaters. Prior to ...
mix, and all were free of digital rights management
Digital rights management (DRM) is the management of legal access to digital content. Various tools or technological protection measures, such as access control technologies, can restrict the use of proprietary hardware and copyrighted works. DRM ...
.
In 2005, the band released a compilation '' Their Law: The Singles 1990–2005'', which spawned a single containing new remixes of the songs "Out of Space" (" Audio Bullys Remix") and " Voodoo People" (the "Pendulum
A pendulum is a device made of a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate i ...
Remix"). The latter was also followed by a music video filmed in Romford Market, Essex
Essex ( ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in the East of England, and one of the home counties. It is bordered by Cambridgeshire and Suffolk to the north, the North Sea to the east, Kent across the Thames Estuary to the ...
, which featured on the DVD release of the compilation. Sharky, the group's only female member, is shown running and winning the race depicted in the video. Also in 2005 the song "You'll be Under my Wheels" from the ''Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'' album was added to the soundtrack of '' Need for Speed: Most Wanted''. The cover artwork included an extended essay by band biographer Martin James.
The Prodigy's first two albums, 1992's ''Experience'' and 1994's ''Music for the Jilted Generation'', were re-released in expanded, deluxe editions on 4 August 2008. As well as being remastered, the new packages featured a bonus disc including mixes, rarities, and live tracks. The two albums also featured expanded artwork in addition to the new musical content.
About the re-release process, Howlett said, "We didn't actually want to do the ''Greatest Hits'', we were ready to start our new record—until the record company pointed out that it was in the contract. But then we got into it, and tried to be creative with it as much as e could
E, or e, is the fifth letter and the second vowel letter of the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''e'' (pronounced ); plu ...
And, you know, we ended up being really proud of it. You have to have a different brain when you're doing a record like that. It's more about aying'this is your achievement'; I could hold in one hand all the records we've released, so that was cool. We're moving on now, and getting on with the new record.
''Invaders Must Die'' (2008–2010)
The Prodigy tested a few of the new tracks at Rainbow Warehouse Birmingham and Plug in Sheffield in May 2008.
The Prodigy showcased three new songs at the Oxegen
Oxegen was a List of music festivals#Ireland, music festival in Ireland, first held from 2004–2011 as a rock and pop festival and again in 2013 with dance and chart acts only. The event was regularly cited as Ireland's biggest music festiva ...
Festival in the early hours of 13 July 2008. Among the tracks previewed were "World's on Fire", "Warrior's Dance", and "Mescaline".
On 5 November 2008, it was announced that the band's fifth studio album would be called '' Invaders Must Die'' and would be released on the band's new label, Take Me to the Hospital. It was released in the U.S. on 3 March 2009, and was the first Prodigy album since 1997's ''The Fat of the Land'' to feature all three members of the band.
The album featured Dave Grohl
David Eric Grohl (; born January 14, 1969) is an American musician. He founded the rock band Foo Fighters, of which he is the lead singer, guitarist, principal songwriter, and only consistent member. From 1990 to 1994, he was the drummer of th ...
on drums for "Run with the Wolves". The top five hit "Omen
An omen (also called ''portent'') is a phenomenon that is believed to foretell the future, often signifying the advent of change. It was commonly believed in ancient history, and still believed by some today, that omens bring divine messages ...
" and "Invaders Must Die" were co-produced with Does It Offend You, Yeah? frontman James Rushent. The band said that the album would go back to their "old-school but cutting edge" roots. The album was released as a CD, CD-DVD set, double vinyl, digital download, and a luxury 7-inch vinyl box set including five 7-inches, CD-DVD, bonus CD, poster, stickers, and stencils.
''Invaders Must Die'' was released on 21 February 2009 in Australia and in Europe on 23 February 2009, charting at number one in the U.K. with week one sales of over 97,000—a higher figure than for either ''Always Outnumbered'' or their singles collection. The album also reached the top five in Germany and Australia and top 10 in Norway and several other European countries.
To coincide with the release of the album, the band embarked on a nine-date UK arena tour, with support from Dizzee Rascal
Dylan Kwabena Mills (born 18 September 1984), known professionally as Dizzee Rascal, is a British rapper and MC. He is often credited as a pioneer of British hip hop and grime music and was ranked by ''Complex'' as one of the greatest British ...
, Noisia, Herve, and DJ Kissy Sell Out. The tour included the first edition of the band's own annual dance gig, the Warriors Dance Festival. The single "Omen" debuted at number 1 on the Canadian Singles Chart the week of 25 February 2009 and won the Kerrang! Award for Best Single
The ''Kerrang!'' Award for Best Single is an honor presented at the Kerrang! Awards, ''Kerrang!'' Awards, an annual ceremony established in 1993 to recognise achievements in rock music. The award was renamed 'Best Song' for the 2018 ceremony onwar ...
. The initial critical response to ''Invaders Must Die'' was somewhat mixed. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 60, based on 20 reviews. However, the album was well received by the fans, who welcomed it in a positive light compared to ''Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned''. Two singles followed, " Warrior's Dance" and " Take Me to the Hospital", which were released on 11 May and 31 August 2009 respectively. The former song peaked at number 9 on the UK Singles Chart, while the latter included a VHS-filmed music video that premiered on VidZone. A fourth single, " Invaders Must Die (Liam H Reamped Version)", from the Special Edition of the album, was released. Howlett would later describe the album as "more of a celebration. We'd come back together and were like, 'Yeah! We're here, we're really buzzing!"
In the same year, Howlett co-produced the song "Immunize" on Pendulum
A pendulum is a device made of a weight suspended from a pivot so that it can swing freely. When a pendulum is displaced sideways from its resting, equilibrium position, it is subject to a restoring force due to gravity that will accelerate i ...
's third album, ''Immersion
Immersion may refer to:
The arts
* "Immersion", a 2012 story by Aliette de Bodard
* ''Immersion'', a French comic book series by Léo Quievreux
* ''Immersion'' (album), the third album by Australian group Pendulum
* ''Immersion'' (film), a 2021 ...
''.
The band also played Glastonbury in 2009.
''The Day Is My Enemy'' (2010–2015)
In May 2011, the band released '' World's on Fire'', their first live album and concert film documenting their 24 July 2010 show at the Milton Keynes Bowl
The National Bowl (originally the Milton Keynes Bowl) is an entertainment venue located in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England. The site was a former clay pit (for brick-making), filled in and raised to form an amphitheatre using sub-soil e ...
as part of that year's Warriors Dance Festival. The film screened to select theatres across Europe for one night. On 16 November 2010, Howlett announced that after their American tour with Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American Rock music, rock band formed in Agoura Hills, California, in 1996. The band's current lineup consists of vocalist/rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Mike Shinoda, lead guitarist Brad Delson, DJ/turntablist Joe Hahn, bass ...
, The Prodigy were to re-enter the studio to record new material.
On 6 August 2011, The Prodigy headlined the Przystanek Woodstock
Pol'and'Rock Festival, formerly known as Woodstock Festival Poland, (Polish language, Polish: ''Przystanek Woodstock''; "Woodstock Station"; English-language materials often referred to it simply to the ''Woodstock Festival Poland'') is an annual ...
in Poland, while at their two final shows of 2011 in Brazil, they premiered two new tracks: "A.W.O.L" and "Dogbite". They headlined the 2012 Download Festival
Download Festival is a rock festival created by Andy Copping, held annually at the Donington Park motorsport circuit in Leicestershire, England (since 2003); in Paris, France (since 2016); at Parramatta Park, Sydney (since 2019); Flemington ...
on 8 June playing a regular setlist, with the addition of three new songs, "Jetfighter", "Dogbite" and "A.W.O.L", accompanied by on-stage imagery of jet aircraft. Howlett has confirmed this album will not be dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in South London in the early 2000s. The style emerged as a UK garage offshoot that blended 2-step rhythms and sparse dub production, as well as incorporating elements of broken ...
, but that it will feel "fresh" whilst darker. In April 2012, to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of ''The Fat of the Land'', the album was re-released alongside a remix EP, ''The Added Fat EP'', featuring remixes from multiple groups such as Major Lazer
Major Lazer is an American electronic dance music and DJ trio, which includes record producer Diplo, and DJs Walshy Fire and Ape Drums. They were founded in 2008 by Diplo and Switch, with Switch leaving after three years in 2011. He was the ...
, Noisia, and Zeds Dead.
On 3 May 2012, The Prodigy announced the working title of their new album ''How to Steal a Jetfighter''. In December 2012, a new track titled "The Day" was debuted at Warrior's Brixton and in June 2013, a new track titled "Rockweiler" was debuted at Rock am Ring
The (German language, German for "Rock at the Ring") and ("Rock in the Park") festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually in Germany. While ''Rock am Ring'' takes place at the Nürburgring race track, ''Rock im Park'' tak ...
. The band headlined the Sonisphere Festival
The Sonisphere Festival was a touring rock music festival which took place across Europe between the months of June and August. The festival was owned by John Jackson and Kilimanjaro Live. It was jointly promoted by K2 and Kilimanjaro Live. It h ...
at Knebworth
Knebworth is a village and civil parish in the north of Hertfordshire, England, immediately south of Stevenage. The civil parish covers an area between the villages of Datchworth, Woolmer Green, Codicote, Kimpton, Whitwell, St Paul's Wald ...
in 2014. On 2 July 2014, the band revealed their upcoming album would have a different name and a "violent sound". In August 2014, they signed to the Three Six Zero Group for the United States, returning to Warner Music
Warner Music Group Corp., commonly abbreviated as WMG, is an American multinational entertainment and record label conglomerate headquartered in New York City. It is one of the " big three" recording companies and the third-largest in the gl ...
for the first time since 2004. Maxim indicated in September 2014 that the new Prodigy album would be released in the first quarter of 2015. It was later announced on 6 January 2015 that the next Prodigy album would be releasing 30 March 2015 and that it had been given the title '' The Day Is My Enemy''.
On 12 January 2015, The Prodigy released " Nasty" as the lead single from their upcoming album along with the title track on 26 January 2015. Howlett found that "violent is the word that keeps on coming up" when describing the album. The entire recording process took almost six years taking in a number of studios and a few restarts to establish that "angry, energetic sound". Unlike previous efforts, ''The Day Is My Enemy'' became a band-album where Flint and Maxim worked in tandem with Howlett. This created a degree of friction although Flint noted that "four years ago we sat down and talked about where the next album was gonna go, and we knew we had to bust out the most 'band' album we could create".
The band played at Future Music Festival Australia in February–March 2015 and toured Germany and France in April 2015 and the UK in May 2015. They also performed at the Rock Werchter
Rock Werchter is an annual music festival held in the village of Werchter, near Leuven, Belgium, since 1976 and is a large sized rock music festival. The 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2012 and 2014 festivals received the Arthur award for ''best festiva ...
, Rock am Ring
The (German language, German for "Rock at the Ring") and ("Rock in the Park") festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually in Germany. While ''Rock am Ring'' takes place at the Nürburgring race track, ''Rock im Park'' tak ...
/Rock im Park
The (German language, German for "Rock at the Ring") and ("Rock in the Park") festivals are two simultaneous rock music festivals held annually in Germany. While ''Rock am Ring'' takes place at the Nürburgring race track, ''Rock im Park'' tak ...
, Benicàssim and Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight (Help:IPA/English, /waɪt/ Help:Pronunciation respelling key, ''WYTE'') is an island off the south coast of England which, together with its surrounding uninhabited islets and Skerry, skerries, is also a ceremonial county. T ...
festivals.
On 23 February 2015, The Prodigy released " Wild Frontier" as the second single from their upcoming album ''The Day Is My Enemy'' after announcing it three days earlier. The stop-motion animation
Stop-motion (also known as stop frame animation) is an animated filmmaking and special effects technique in which objects are physically manipulated in small increments between individually photographed frames so that they will appear to exh ...
video was directed by the Dutch filmmaker Mascha Halberstad and animator Elmer Kaan. The cover art was designed by Austrian artist and designer Moritz Resl. In May 2015, The Prodigy announced a winter 2015 UK and mainland Europe tour, with Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
as support.
''No Tourists'', Flint's death, and return to touring (2016–present)
The Prodigy's seventh studio album, '' No Tourists'', was released on 2 November 2018 under a new recording deal with BMG Rights Management
BMG Rights Management GmbH (also known simply as BMG) is an international music company based in Berlin, Germany. It combines the activities of a music publisher and a record label.
BMG was formed in October 2008 after Bertelsmann sold its st ...
. The deal reunited the group with Howlett's song publishing, which BMG had acquired from EMI Music Publishing
EMI Music Publishing Ltd. is a British multinational music publishing company headquartered in London, owned by Sony Music Publishing.
In May 2018, Sony Music Publishing agreed to increase its stake in EMI to 90%, pending regulatory approva ...
in 2012 as part of the Virgin Music catalogue.
On 4 March 2019, Flint was found dead at his home in Essex, weeks after the band had toured Australia and New Zealand. The rest of The Prodigy's tour dates were cancelled. Following Flint's death, fans began using the Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
hashtag "Firestarter4Number1" on various social media platforms to get "Firestarter" to number one on the UK singles chart out of respect for Flint and to raise awareness of suicide among men. In August 2020, Howlett said that The Prodigy will continue. Former member Leeroy Thornhill said that Howlett had been working on a new Prodigy album at the time of Flint's death, and wishes to complete it as a tribute to Flint. On 10 February 2021, the band announced their plans to begin production on a documentary film about the band's history, with an as-yet unknown title and release date. It will be directed by long time collaborator Paul Dugdale and produced by Pulse Films.
On 7 March 2022, The Prodigy announced a return to the stage with a 10-date tour of the UK in July to coincide with the 25th anniversary of ''The Fat of the Land,'' also hinting that new material would be performed on the tour.
On 28 October 2022, the band announced they would be returning to live shows outside of the UK for the first time in four years, stating that in 2023 new dates were added, including the festival circuit, with a June date in Austria confirmed among others.
On 19 February 2025, after the 'Disrupta' tour ended in Australia, The Prodigy confirmed on social media that a new album is coming. This came after two new songs were played by the band on the tour, and on the UK tour in the months prior.
Musical style and influences
The Prodigy's production "often reflected the more intelligent edge of trip-hop, and rarely broke into the mindless arena of true big beat
Big beat is an electronic music genre that usually uses heavy breakbeats and synthesizer-generated loops and patterns – common to acid house/techno. The term has been used by the British music industry to describe music by artists such as the ...
" according to AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All-Music Guide and AMG) is an American online database, online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on Musical artist, musicians and Mus ...
. The Prodigy are also considered techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...
, alternative dance
Alternative dance (also known as indie dance or underground dance in the United States) is a musical genre that mixes alternative rock with electronic dance music. Although largely confined to the British Isles, it has gained worldwide exposure ...
, electronic rock
Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
, electropunk
Electronic rock (also known as electro rock and synth rock) is a music genre that involves a combination of rock music and electronic music, featuring instruments typically found within both genres. It originates from the late 1960s when rock b ...
, rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
, dance-rock
Dance-rock is a dance- infused genre of rock music. It is a post-disco genre connected with pop rock and post-punk with fewer rhythm and blues influences. It originated in the early 1980s, following the decline in popularity of both punk and dis ...
, electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that came to prominence in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mos ...
, breakbeat hardcore, industrial, rap rock
Rap rock is a music genre that developed from the early to mid-1980s, when hip hop DJs incorporated rock records into their routines and rappers began incorporating original and sampled rock instrumentation into hip hop music. Rap rock is co ...
, and rock
Rock most often refers to:
* Rock (geology), a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals or mineraloids
* Rock music, a genre of popular music
Rock or Rocks may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* Rock, Caerphilly, a location in Wale ...
.
Liam Howlett cited early electro as a big influence, mentioning tunes like " Clear" by American music group Cybotron and "Al Naafiysh" by Hashim
Hashim () is a common male Arabic given name.
Notable people with the name include:
*Hashim ibn Abd Manaf
* Hashim Amir Ali
* Hashim Shah
* Hashim Amla
* Hashim Thaçi
* Hashim Khan
* Hashim Qureshi
* Mir Hashim Ali Khan
*Hashim al-Atassi
* Hashi ...
. He also cited The Bomb Squad
The Bomb Squad was an American hip hop production team known for their work with hip hop group Public Enemy.
The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. ...
, Public Enemy
Public Enemy is an American Hip-hop, hip hop group formed in Roosevelt, New York, in 1985 by Chuck D and Flavor Flav. The group rose to prominence for their political messages including subjects such as Racism in the United States, American r ...
, and Rage Against the Machine
Rage Against the Machine (often abbreviated as RATM or shortened to Rage) was an American Rock music, rock band formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1991. It consisted of vocalist Zack de la Rocha, bassist and backing vocalist Tim ...
as influences.
Band members
Current members
* Liam Howlett – keyboards, synthesizers, programming, production, sampling, sequencing, turntables, drum machine, guitars, bass, drums (1990–present)
* Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
*Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim ...
(Keith Palmer) – vocals, beatboxing (1991–present)
Current live musicians
* Rob Holliday – guitars, bass (2005–2006, 2008–2017, 2022–present)
* Leo Crabtree – drums, percussion (2008–present)
Former members
* Keith Flint – dancing (1990–2019); vocals (1995–2019; died 2019)
* Leeroy Thornhill – dancing (1990–2000); occasional live keyboards, synthesizers (1994–2000)
* Sharky (Sheila Burke) – dancing (1990–1991)
Former live musicians
* Jim Davies – guitars (1995–1996, 2002–2004)
* Gizz Butt – guitars (1996–1999)
* Kieron Pepper – drums, percussion, occasional guitars (1997–2007)
* Alli MacInnes – guitars (2001–2002)
* Rev (Paul Mayers) – guitars (2007)
* Snell (Neal Eldridge) – drums, percussion (2007)
* Brian Fairbairn – drums, percussion (2007)
* Ben Weinman
Benjamin A. Weinman (born August 8, 1975) is an American musician, most notable for being the lead guitarist and primary songwriter of the mathcore band the Dillinger Escape Plan (DEP). He is the founder and sole constant member of the DEP, he i ...
– guitars, bass (2017)
* Olly Burden – guitars (2017–2019)
Timeline
Touring members
Discography
Studio albums
* ''Experience
Experience refers to Consciousness, conscious events in general, more specifically to perceptions, or to the practical knowledge and familiarity that is produced by these processes. Understood as a conscious event in the widest sense, experience i ...
'' (1992)
* '' Music for the Jilted Generation'' (1994)
* '' The Fat of the Land'' (1997)
* '' Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned'' (2004)
* '' Invaders Must Die'' (2009)
* '' The Day Is My Enemy'' (2015)
* '' No Tourists'' (2018)
Awards and nominations
References
Specific
Books
*
*
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Prodigy, The
1990 establishments in England
Alternative dance musical groups
Beggars Banquet Records artists
Big beat groups
Breakbeat hardcore music groups
Brit Award winners
Cooking Vinyl artists
English dance-rock musical groups
Elektra Records artists
English dance music groups
English electronic music duos
English electronic rock musical groups
English techno music groups
Hardcore techno music groups
MTV Europe Music Award winners
Kerrang! Awards winners
Maverick Records artists
Musical groups established in 1990
Musical groups from Essex
Mute Records artists
Vertigo Records artists
Warner Records artists
XL Recordings artists
Three Six Zero Recordings artists