Crazy P

Crazy P formed as an English electronic outfit steeped in the sounds of classic disco, soul, and house. Their earliest output, beginning with the instrumental and sample-heavy 1999 debut A Nice Hot Bath With..., shifted direction once ebullient frontwoman Danielle Moore came aboard for the 2002 release The Wicked Is Music. The ensemble sharpened its approach through high-energy performances and tightly constructed albums such as 2011’s When We On and 2019’s Age of the Ego, both of which highlighted their command of concise pop hooks alongside open-ended grooves.

The project began modestly when Chris Todd, known as Hot Toddy, and Jim Baron, known as Ron Basejam, crossed paths at Nottingham University in 1995. Much of their spare time went into sampling purchased records on an Atari paired with an Akai S-Series sampler while experimenting with the house and disco textures they favored. They adopted the name Crazy Penis from a little-known late-’80s house track titled “Loco Pinga,” choosing the English rendering expressly for its provocative impact. Local imprint Paper Recordings took notice, issuing the 1997 debut single “The Way We Swing” and the 1998 follow-up “Get It On,” both ahead of the 1999 album. Encounters with Danielle Moore amid Manchester’s thriving club circuit led to her permanent addition, introducing lead vocals and a stronger pop orientation. Ahead of the 2002 sophomore album The Wicked Is Music, still on Paper Recordings, bassist Tim Davis and percussionist Mav Kendricks were recruited, completing a live unit that subsequently issued 24 Hour Psychedelic Freakout and A Night on Earth on Shiva Recordings.

In 2008 the group formally abbreviated its name to Crazy P. Moore observed, “We wanted to grow, and keep growing, so there was no point in cutting our nose off to spite our face by keeping the original name.” The change aligned with the sole personnel adjustment, as Matt Klose assumed percussion duties from Kendricks on the fifth album Stop Space Return, released via the respected house label 20:20 Vision. Maintaining the pattern of two albums per imprint, they delivered their sixth effort, 2011’s When We On, through the same outlet. By 2015 Crazy P had generated numerous remixes, many handled by Hot Toddy, and completed multiple tours that included three visits to Australia, where a devoted following had developed. The year closed with the seventh studio album Walk Dance Talk Sing, issued on !K7 Records in partnership with their own Walk Don't Walk Ltd. After extensive international dates that encompassed support slots for Chic and Chaka Khan, Crazy P resurfaced in 2019 with Age of the Ego. Although consistent with the band’s established aesthetic, the record’s words conveyed pointed unease about global conditions.