Fatboy Slim admits losing ‘passion for making music’

Don’t expect new music from veteran electronic producer Fatboy Slim (aka Norman Cook) anytime soon, the artist has revealed that live performances have become his main focus in recent years.

Cook began his professional music career in the 1980s as a member of the indie rock band The Housemartins, and has worked as an electronic producer since he began working with Beats International in the 1990s, eventually going solo as Fatboy Slim in 1996.

Although Cooke was popular in his native Britain, his success also expanded globally, with his 1998 breakthrough record You’ve come a long way, baby – reached No. 34 on the Billboard 200 chart, and the third single “Praise You” reached No. 36 on the Hot 100 chart. Albums on the charts in 2004 palucaville This is his last studio album to date.

Instead, Cook has primarily turned his attention to his live performances, although new music does appear occasionally. In 2024 alone, Cook released the singles “Role Model” and “Bus Stop Please,” his first new song since 2022’s “Speed ​​Trials on Acid” with Carl Cox.

Interviewed by British media of the sun strange In a recent column, Cook explained that his output has slowed dramatically due to a lack of enthusiasm for creating new material.

“My last two singles just came from live shows,” he explains. “They were all things I made just for the sake of playing. I had tracks in my tracks that no one else had. When we discovered we could clean up the samples and release them, the idea took off.

“The thing is, you can’t make music unless you’re absolutely passionate about it and it drives you from the moment you wake up in the morning,” he adds. “I just don’t seem to feel that way anymore. I feel that way about things like DJing and performing, but I’ve lost the passion for making music.

In 2010, Cook collaborated with Talking Heads frontman David Byrne There is love herea joint concept and soundtrack album about former Philippines first lady Imelda Marcos. It’s the closest he’s come to making a new full-length record so far, although he admits to struggling with a sense of obligation when performing live.

“For five years I was trying to beat myself up, ‘You should do this’, but then I thought, ‘Well, everyone likes my DJing and I like this better, so I’ll do it’,” he continued . “I hope one day the passion will come back.”