Drawn from the capital’s Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Algerian communities and with influences ranging from rap to punk to raga, the band soon attracted the interest of the music press, helped in no small part by their high energy shows and genre muddling sound. Quickly signed by Warner Brothers Records, and benefiting from the production skills of Chris Sheldon (the Foo Fighters, Feeder) the band’s 2000 eponymous debut lived up to their early promise. Although comparisons to Asian Dub Foundation, and Rage Against The Machine followed, the band was by no means an agitpop outfit. Fluidly mixing raga, funk and pop elements with Bouffard’s slashing Stooges -inspired riffs and Frankel’s insistent vocals (that recalled Bad Brains’ H.R. ) generally reflected on matters of the heart. Critically acclaimed across a wide swathe of the music press, a series of impressive supports to Pitchshifter, the Workhorse Movement and the Bloodhound Gang were followed by a trek round the European festival circuit. The band’s upward progress was abruptly halted however when their label inexplicably dropped them in 2001. Undeterred by this development and with a strong fanbase the band continued to put in robust performances around the capital.