Utah Saints

The dance-metal duo Utah Saints originated in Leeds, England, during 1991 under the leadership of Jez Willis, a former member of the industrial outfit Cassandra Complex who had shifted toward club DJing throughout the late 1980s. There he encountered fellow spinner Tim Garbutt, whose enthusiasm for house prompted Willis to produce his own tracks; Garbutt subsequently tested one of those tapes on an enthusiastic dancefloor, leading the pair to refine the material that became their independently issued 1991 debut single, “What Can You Do for Me.” Of the thousand copies pressed, a single pressing reached ffrr Records, which promptly offered the duo a contract.

Three months after its commercial launch, the single moved roughly 170,000 units across the UK and reached the Top Ten on the British pop charts. The self-titled debut album arrived in 1992 and also registered success stateside. Following the release of the EP Something Good, Utah Saints supported U2 on tour. Their association with ffrr nevertheless deteriorated, and despite a six-album agreement the pair departed the imprint in 1996, abandoning a finished long-player. After moving to Echo Records they returned in 1998 with the single “Rock.” A subsequent soundtrack commission for the video game Carmageddon TDR 2000 preceded another period of withdrawal, until the duo reemerged in 2008 with a remix of “Something Good.” The track ascended to number eight on the UK Singles Chart, marking their strongest showing in well over ten years.