A '90s dance act unafraid to throw a growing variety of styles (and samples) into the mix, Apollo 440 hit the British Top Ten in 1997 by sampling
Van Halen for the single "Ain't Talkin' Bout Dub," and big-band drummer
Gene Krupa for "Krupa." The group was formed in 1991 by Howard Gray (a former studio engineer), his brother Trevor, classically trained on the piano, and their Liverpool schoolmate
Noko, formerly the guitarist in Howard Devoto's Luxuria.
The group was initially influenced by Britain's acid-house explosion, and worked as remixers (sometimes under the name Stealthsonic Orchestra) for
U2,
EMF and Shabba Ranks before making the leap to actual recording.