Biography
M/A/R/R/S produced only one release, the single "Pump Up the Volume," which marked a decisive turning point as hip-hop crossed into dance music and soon reached the pop mainstream. Conceived in 1987 by 4AD founder Ivo Watts-Russell, the track brought together members of the label's Colourbox and A.R. Kane. Its guiding idea was to merge beats and rhythms drawn from vintage soul records with cutting-edge electronics and studio techniques, augmented by scratches from champion mixer Chris "C.J." Mackintosh alongside London DJ Dave Dorrell. Sent out first as an unmarked white-label pressing to 500 key DJs, the record took its name from the most recognizable sample, a rap line by Eric B. & Rakim. Six weeks after that initial mailing it went on sale, entering the U.K. Top 40 before climbing to number one and exposing countless listeners to the still-emerging underground dance movement. Overseas audiences also embraced "Pump Up the Volume," yet M/A/R/R/S never issued a follow-up; internal disputes over money caused the group to split almost immediately, leaving behind a one-hit wonder whose influence proved unusually lasting.
Singles