Andy Hunter° fits naturally into the surroundings of a local coffee house, casually dressed in a bright yellow Diesel ski jacket. He sips his hot beverage, makes easy, thoughtful conversation and remains focused, like an old friend, pausing only to greet his wife, Helen, in a warm British cadence, their son, Ethan, quietly in tow.
At first glance, there is something delightfully incongruous about this picture. No one looking on would guess this same man is a world-class DJ cranking out pounding bolts of electricity in many of the hippest clubs around the world. But to Andy, this is just the multi-textured harmony that’s life.
Life released in 2005 from the internationally acclaimed UK artist, DJ Andy Hunter°, as a six-song EP, produced and arranged by Hunter and Tedd T. (Stacie Orrico, Delirious?, MuteMath). It exemplifies just how effortlessly Hunter combines his musical talents with his faith.
The collection satisfies great anticipation among music fans brought on by the breakout success of Hunter’s 2002 project Exodus. That highly acclaimed dance record catapulted Hunter into the upper echelons of mainstream dance music. “Amazing” became a crossover hit while tracks such as “Go” and “Wonders of You” garnered major placements in film and TV, including The Matrix: Reloaded (trailer), The Italian Job, ABC’s hit “Alias,” plus video games, including “The Matrix” and “Black Hawk Down.”
Through beat-evolving tracks on Life, such as “Open My Eyes” and “Alive,” Hunter shares with listeners an unmatched flow of energy that stems from a reservoir of divine enthusiasm unique to the dance music genre. His creativity is inspirational, and on “Alive” Hunter even samples his baby’s heartbeat from the ultra sound for the track.
Throughout the record, Hunter maintains his signature ambient sound, supported this time by a liberal use of guitars and live stringed instruments. Hunter also adds his vocals to the album, as well as guest vocalists Kate Westall and Neil Wilson.
With media like Rolling Stone giving his first album Exodus props and endorsements by Microsoft for national licensing and promotion opportunities, Hunter has found himself touring the U.S., Japan and Europe with top names in the dance music business. He recently performed at Midem’s opening night party in Cannes, France, an international music conference that gathered heads of industry from the music and technology world. Last year, Hunter also donned the stage at the “Digital Entertainment Anywhere” launch, hosted by Bill Gates, in Los Angeles.
Hunter has worked with many other popular DJs in the past, and participated in the 2004 Winter Conference with Grand Master Flash. He also toured with world-famous DJ Tiesto in 2003.
Hunter hopes Life will connect with all types of audiences --those passionate about his sound, the genre and/or the conceptualizing of faith.
Colour is Andy Hunterº's second full-length collection on Nettwerk Records and latest album, released in March 2008. Colour continues where Life left off. "I'm having a ball while I'm doing this," Andy acknowledges, his sense of humor shining through. "It's not like I'm Mr. Serious Spiritual Guy. But it does mean that my faith compliments my music, and in turn my music compliments my faith."