British vocalist Heather Small first gained fame in the late 1980s band Hot House before achieving massive worldwide success with M People. The group earned a Mercury Music Prize and Brit Awards. Small later released solo albums, highlighted by the hit title track Proud.
Formed in Jersey City in 1964, Kool & the Gang evolved from a jazz ensemble into an influential funk and R&B powerhouse. Best known for hits like Jungle Boogie and the number one anthem Celebration, the group earned multiple Grammy nominations and released platinum albums including Ladies Night and Emergency.
Formed in Birmingham in 1978, UB40 became the world’s most successful reggae band, selling over 100 million records and spending over eleven years in the UK album charts. Their stable lineup lasted thirty years before featuring vocal changes, and they marked 45 years together with their album UB45.
Todd Terry is a pioneering house music producer and DJ born in Brooklyn. He defined New York house during the 1980s by blending disco, Chicago house, and hip-hop. He popularized hip-house with the Jungle Brothers collaboration I'll House You and achieved massive mainstream success with his 1995 remix of Everything But the Girl's Missing.
NYC-born house music legend Roger Sanchez is a globally celebrated DJ, producer, and label head of Stealth Recordings and Undr The Radr. A Grammy winner known for iconic Ibiza residencies, he has released cutting-edge tracks and collaborated with artists like Fedde Le Grand and Ella Henderson.
Formed in 1968, the vocal group Odyssey became best known for their 1977 soft disco hits Native New Yorker and Easy Come, Easy Go, featuring a subtle Caribbean feel. After gaining attention in New York clubs, they achieved further chart success in the U.K. before disbanding.
House music producer and DJ Armand Van Helden rose to prominence in the 1990s with global club hits like Witch Doktor and Professional Widow. He later formed the chart-topping duo Duck Sauce with A-Trak and scored major UK number-one hits with U Don't Know Me and Bonkers.
Nottingham singer Ella Knight fuses soul, R&B, and jazz, performing with a six-piece band. Part of Gilles Peterson’s Future Bubblers scheme, she is also known for her songwriting and features, including the UK dance track Snakes and Ladders with MC Bru-C.
Originated via the TV show Soul Train, US group Shalamar became known for catchy dance music blending funk, disco, R&B, and pop. Their classic lineup earned four US Gold and platinum albums including Big Fun and Friends, featuring hits like The Second Time Around and Dancing in the Sheets.
Born in Kingston, South Carolina, powerhouse vocalist Jocelyn Brown shaped classic disco as a member of Musique and Inner Life, scoring hits like Keep on Jumpin and I'm Caught Up. She broke out solo in 1984 with Somebody Else's Guy, collaborated widely as a session singer, and later released the gospel album True Praise.
Gok Wan MBE is an award-winning TV presenter, fashion stylist, and house music DJ. Best known for hosting How to Look Good Naked, he launched Isolation Nation during lockdown, drawing millions of streams. He is also a skilled cook, author, and co-founder of the Golden Chopsticks Awards.
Kirollus is an English DJ and digital content creator known for his infectious all-vinyl sets of funk, boogie, and soul. Born in England, he honed his encyclopedic ear at Uptight Records. He is celebrated for his joyful energy, deep musical knowledge, and collaborations with artists like Marcellus Pittman. Kirollus also champions overlooked DJs through his platform Groove Anthology.
Spanish Town, Jamaica-born Studio 54 icon; disco→reggae/rock post-disco with Sly & Robbie. Hits “Pull Up to the Bumper,” “Nightclubbing”; worked w/ Trevor Horn, Nile Rodgers.
NYC funk band led by Larry Blackmon (ex-Juilliard). Formed in 1974 as the New York City Players, renamed Cameo. Scored major R&B hits incl. “I Just Want to Be,” “She’s Strange,” “Word Up,” and “Candy.” Moved to Atlanta in 1982.
Grammy-nominated DJ/producer and label owner Mark Knight, founder of Toolroom, has 120M+ global streams. Known for dance anthems like Man With The Red Face, Alright and Downpipe, and work with Faithless, Underworld and Florence + The Machine.
Michael Gray, UK DJ/producer; 1/2 Full Intention. Soulful disco/funky house. Hits “The Weekend,” “Borderline.” Traxsource #1 (2024); runs Sultra Records.
