Dubstar

The Newcastle-upon-Tyne duo comprising Steve Hillier and Chris Wilkie initially formed in 1992, with Sarah Blackwood added as a vocalist the following year. Emerging a few years before peak Britpop and during a fertile period for UK dance music, Dubstar's sound walked a dreamy line between dance-pop and dream-pop, emitting a uniquely '90s aura that embodied their shimmering signature hit, "Stars." After drumming up interest on the UK live circuit, the group signed to legendary UK indie label, the now-defunct Food Records (home to Blur, Idlewild, Jesus Jones, and others), and worked with Pet Shop Boys and New Order producer Stephen Hague for their celebrated debut album Disgraceful in 1995. The LP spawned a top 20 UK single in "Not So Manic Now" (originally written and recorded by Brick Supply), followed by a re-release of "Stars," which soared to number 15. The group's second album, Goodbye, came in 1997 followed by their third – the synthpop affair of Make It Better – in 2000. Sarah Blackwood joined electropop act Client and took a short break from Dubstar, although reunited with Chris Wilkie to work on her solo album, Acoustic at the Club Bar & Dining, in 2008. Dubstar temporarily got back together in 2010 to record a cover of "I'm in Love with a German Film Star" for an Amnesty International project and after an eight-year fallow period, re-emerged in 2018 with their fourth album, One, produced by Youth and released on Northern Writes Records. In 2020 they dropped the pandemic-inspired track, "Hygiene Strip," followed by disco-pop gem "I Can See You Outside." Their fifth studio album, Two, landed in 2022.

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