Morcheeba

thumb|Skye Edwards at the Zelt-Musik-Festival 2018 in [[Freiburg, Germany ]] Morcheeba are an English electronic band formed in the mid-1990s with founding members brothers Paul and Ross Godfrey who later recruited vocalist Skye Edwards. They mix influences from trip hop, rock, folk rock and downtempo, and have produced ten regular studio albums since 1995, two of which reached the UK top ten. Edwards left the band in 2003, after which the brothers used a number of guest singers before she rejoined in 2010. They recruit additional members for their live performances and have toured internationally. Paul Godfrey distanced himself from the band in 2014. Edwards and Ross Godfrey later formed Skye & Ross and released a self-titled album in September 2016. Their latest studio album without Paul as Morcheeba, Escape the Chaos, was released in 2025.

==Biography== ===1995–2001: Beginnings and mainstream success=== Originally from the small village of Saltwood, just north of Hythe, Kent, the Godfrey brothers—DJ/Drummer/producer/engineer and Lyricist Paul and multi-instrumentalist Ross—moved to London when they were gaining traction from A&R people. Sometime in the mid-1990s, at a party in Greenwich, the brothers met Skye Edwards, who was singing backup in a funk band, and also played guitar; before too long the three began recording songs together, and formed the trio Morcheeba. At first Paul produced tracks at their home studio in his bedroom. They were eventually signed to China Records (WMG) by Angus Blair (A&R) and the band released their debut Trigger Hippie EP in October 1995. At the same time, Paul Ablett came on board as the second manager. The band's debut album, Who Can You Trust?, was released in April 1996 and fitted snugly into the trip hop genre through a combination of Paul Godfrey's hip hop roots, Ross Godfrey's psychedelic rock influences and Edwards' soul-styled vocals. A second single, "Tape Loop", appeared in July 1996 and was a hit on BBC Radio 1 and TV. The band began to play live non-stop in Europe and North America, with a live band that included five additional members. At this point, the band had outgrown the home recording set-up and the brothers were renting their own studio in Battersea as Paul was heavily influenced by the Beastie Boys and wanted total creative freedom, having engineered many different styles in Kent before starting the project. Being a sample seeker, he felt he knew the versatile way to keep albums interesting. In 1997, after a mind-blowing phone call Paul had with a family hero, they contributed to the David Byrne album Feelings, participating in the recording and production of the release when they weren't on the road.