Groove Armada Back in White Ibiza

   Groove Armada is probably best known to the music listening public for producing music that have featured in numerous media including advertising campaigns, movies and computer games. Groove Armada's white Ibiza gets to grips with the new club closing times and San Antonio enjoys a renaissance of the tow who are responsible for the crowds Andy Cato and Tom Findlay.

As well as moving from Space to a new residency at Eden, they have also left major record label Sony BMG after five years and taken up a ground breakind deal with drink's brand Bacardi.

With the music industry evolving so rapidly, their trailblazing deal will no doubt inspire other musicians to think outside of the box too - especially since it has been met with such an encouraging response.

Five years ago the press might not have been so kind and could easily have dubbed the band sell-outs - not that Cato or Findlay would have taken much notice.

Ibiza is a huge part of their lives and Cato, 35, who lives in Barcelona and first came in the island 20 years ago, says he feels "like a bit of an evangelist whit Ibiza and I'm always banging on to people about how amazing it is". And the White Island reciprocates by welcoming the mighty Groove Armada whenever it anchors.

The band and the isle have a lot in common; Cato says that apart from a mutual appreciation for dance music, both adapt well to change.

"Ibiza is always changing. When I first came here 20 years ago, San Antonio was a piece of rock and where Cafe Mambo now is was just a basic combination of hash dealers and policemen appearing around rocks waiting to nick people. Now there is a boardwalk and you can walk almost a mile and you're never further than ten feet away from a cold beer and some nice food. It' kind of unrecognisable really".

"They had all this stuff going on behind the decks, like people fencing or doing ballet as I was still playing vinyl at the time. And the records kept jumping. So I got really pissed off and told the guy who was running the party Listen, it's either the fencers or it's me. I've had enough.

He pulled the gun and said 'Play some records' to which Iobviously said, 'No problem'. I didn't study it in too much detail but it looked like a nasty one. He pulled it out of a holster. it was very James Bond. I was just like, 'No problem, I'll play as long as you like.' "

The duo had been playing at a rich Russian's party after the money they were offered. That's the thing about Groove Armada, they keep themselves interesting by setting their sails and just going with the flow or, as they would say, "cruising the manor fold".

There are no rules with these guys, who have played all over world for the lasr ten years and are best known for massive hits such 'Superstylin' and collaborations with the likes of Mutya Buena, Richie Havens and Neneh Cherry.

This year they will swing between huge events such as closing Glastonbury one day to playing a room of 500 clubbers at Wonderland in Eden Club the next. Like Pete Tong, Groove Armada moved clubs this year to get stuck into a new regular gig at the San Antonio club.

Such is their status, they have been given complete artistic license by Eden - even down to redesigning their room, which they have made to look really "old school".

This rool-up-your-sleeves-and-get-involved attitude is also the reason why neither is keen to remove their sunglasses today. Instead of heading back to their plush Ibiza Gran Hotel rooms for a sensible peppermint tea after closing their set at 1.30am, they emersed themselves in the crowd and fell out onto Playa d'en Bossa busy pavements along with everyone else at 7am.

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