Liam Howlett

Liam Howlett
Howlett at the O2 Academy Leeds on 15 July 2022
Howlett at the O2 Academy Leeds on 15 July 2022
Background information
Birth nameLiam Paul Paris Howlett
Born (1971-08-21) 21 August 1971 (age 53)
Braintree, Essex, England
Genres
Occupations
  • Musician
  • DJ
  • songwriter
  • record producer
Instruments
Years active1986–present
LabelsXL
Member ofThe Prodigy
Formerly ofCut 2 Kill
Spouse
​
(m. 2002)​
[1][2]
Children1

Liam Paul Paris Howlett (born 21 August 1971) is an English record producer, musician, DJ, songwriter, co-founder and leader of the British electronic band the Prodigy.

Early years

Liam Paul Paris Howlett[3] was born on 21 August 1971 in Braintree, Essex, England.[4] Howlett was trained in classical piano (from childhood).[5] At the age of 14, he mixed songs recorded from the radio using the pause button on his cassette player. He was first influenced by hip hop music and culture when he began to attend school at Alec Hunter High School in Braintree. He learned breakdancing alongside his crew called the Pure City Breakers, and DJed in his first band Cut 2 Kill. After a fight at a gig in support of the band, Liam left Cut 2 Kill and started to write his own music.

He went to his first rave in 1989.[6]

Music career

The Prodigy

Main article: The Prodigy

Howlett and dancer/vocalist Keith Flint formed the Prodigy in 1990.[7]

Other musical projects

In 1998, Howlett was offered the chance to do a mix for Mary Anne Hobbs' radio show. He dug out some of his old favourite tracks again and this prompted him to release an edited (due to some copyright issues) version of the mix in February 1999. It was the first material which was recorded in his new home studio "The Dirtchamber", so accordingly the album was to be called Prodigy present The Dirtchamber Sessions Volume One.

In 1999, Howlett composed music for the film The Uranus Experiment. Described as an "anal space opera",[8] the film featured the first sex scene shot in microgravity.[9][10]

At the end of January 2006, a compilation album titled Back to Mine: Liam Prodigy was released. It was a collection of Howlett's favourite tunes, including an exclusive Prodigy track called "Wake the Fuck Up", which was often performed as an intro in the Prodigy's live concerts.

Howlett was a co-producer on the track "Immunize" from Australian drum and bass act Pendulum's third album Immersion, which was released in 2010.

In 2012, Howlett co-produced the first single "We Hate Everyone" from K.Flay's EP Eyes Shut.[11] He also produced the song ‘Stop, Focus’ from the same EP.[12]

On March 30, 2022, it was announced that Howlett would compose the musical score for the Netflix's movie Choose or Die.[13]

Personal life

Howlett has been married to Natalie Appleton of All Saints since 2002.[14][15] They have a son, Ace Billy Howlett, born in 2004,[16][17] and live in Hampstead, London.[18]

References

  1. ^ Michael Cragg (24 July 2018). "'I was throwing up before we went on CD:UK': All Saints on how to be a girl group". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  2. ^ Lucy Todd (4 November 2018). "The Prodigy: 'We don't need to reinvent ourselves'". BBC News. Retrieved 27 May 2020.
  3. ^ "Companies House".
  4. ^ Larkin, Colin (2011) [1992]. The Encyclopedia of Popular Music. United Kingdom: Omnibus Press. p. 2005. ISBN 9780857125958.
  5. ^ "Prodigy Interview w/Keith Flint, Liam Howlett". NY Rock. Retrieved 19 June 2013.
  6. ^ "Liam Howlett". Discogs (in German). Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  7. ^ Crittenden, Ryan. "The Prodigy: A brief history". gigwise.com. Retrieved 12 July 2015.
  8. ^ Szoverfy Milter, Katalin; Slade, Joseph W. (31 December 2020), Sigel, Lisa Z. (ed.), "Global Traffic in Pornography: The Hungarian Example", International Exposure, Rutgers University Press, pp. 173–204, doi:10.36019/9780813541044-009, ISBN 978-0-8135-4104-4, S2CID 225035738, retrieved 25 May 2022
  9. ^ "'To Boldly Go': Star Trek, Sex and Space". SPACE.com. 16 May 2000. Archived from the original on 6 July 2008.
  10. ^ "TALKIN' LEWD". NME. 28 March 1999. Retrieved 25 May 2022.
  11. ^ "K. Flay on Money, Education and Why She's Okay With Having No Street Cred". Rolling Stone. 9 March 2012.
  12. ^ "K-Flay Facebook". YouTube.[dead YouTube link]
  13. ^ "The Prodigy's Liam Howlett to score new horror film, 'Choose or Die'". NME. 30 March 2022.
  14. ^ Lewis, Tim (13 March 2016). "All Saints: 'We're more confident now'". The Observer. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  15. ^ Cragg, Michael (24 July 2018). "'I was throwing up before we went on CD:UK': All Saints on how to be a girl group". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 19 June 2023.
  16. ^ "All Saints Put Children Before Touring". Female First. 23 April 2016.
  17. ^ "NATALIE DELIVERS AN ACE". Archived from the original on 12 June 2004. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  18. ^ "All together now". The Sunday Times. 13 April 2014. Archived from the original on 17 September 2016.