Formerly called Dead Elvis, the UK's Death In Vegas occupy similar ground to Andy Weatherall's Sabres Of Paradise, in that their aggressive, rock-edged dancefloor sound owes a huge debt to the punk ethos of 1977. Initially led by DJ Richard Fearless (who took over at the Heavenly Jukebox when the Chemical Brothers residency ended) and producer Steve Hellier, Death In Vegas announced itself with the release of a series of mesmerizing, bombastic singles, "Opium Shuffle", "Dirt", "Rocco", "GBH" and "Rekkit". All of these were included on their 1997 debut album, Dead Elvis, which was celebrated within both the mainstream and dance music communities for its intelligence, musical freshness and daring.
Fearless contributed music to the soundtracks of the movies Lost In Space and The Acid House, before returning with a new Death In Vegas album two years later. Featuring new partner Tim Holmes, The Contino Sessions was another fearsome blend of twisted lyrics and innovative backing tracks, with guest vocals from Iggy Pop ("Aisha") and Bobby Gillespie ("Soul Auctioneer"). "Aisha' provided the duo with a UK Top 10 hit in February 2000. Scorpio Rising was a disappointing follow-up that veered dangerously close to pastiche in places, although Oasis vocalist Liam Gallagher added a welcome touch of menace to the title track. Other guests on the album included Paul Weller and Hope Sandoval of Mazzy Star. The commercial failure of Scorpio Rising hastened Death In Vegas" departure from the BMG conglomerate. The duo spent an abortive few months working with the Gallagher brothers on a new Oasis album, before reviving Death In Vegas for a fourth album, Satan's Circus.
