Day One

Day One, a Bristol-based electronic and rock outfit, features vocalist Phelim Byrne and multi-instrumentalist Donni Hardwidge. Their partnership began in the mid-'90s, fusing hip-hop's narrative approach with British folk traditions while drawing on further sources such as jazz and classic rock. Creative trials yielded a three-song demo that reached Massive Attack's 3D, prompting a signing to Melankolic, the boutique label operated by the pioneering trip-hop collective. While laying down their debut album Ordinary Man, the musicians tested multiple studios and producers before selecting Mario Caldato Jr., the preferred collaborator of the Beastie Boys. Early 2000 saw Ordinary Man issued jointly through Melankolic and Astralwerks.