“Everything was better in the 90s!” You probably heard this phrase a million times, and while it may not always be true, it does relate to Faithless‘ “Insomnia.” Released back in 1995, Sister Bliss, Maxi Jazz, and Rollo Armstrong gave the world one of the greatest dance hits ever created. With a mesmerizing production, powerful vocals, as well as lyrics, the British band took the rave scene by storm from only their second release.
“I spent 20 minutes with a pad jotting down my thoughts, finished the lyrics in the studio the following evening, then spent about 25 minutes putting the vocals down,” mentioned the late Maxi Jazz in an interview with The Guardian in 2020. Despite the fact it took a short amount of time to write and record the vocals, they caught the ears of listeners.
“If I had a quid for every time someone’s come up going, ‘I can’t get no sleep’, I’d be living on the space station,” explained the vocalist of Faithless regarding one of the most famous lines of all electronic music. Along with the catchy vocals of Maxi Jazz, came the instrumental which makes this record special.
The one of a kind bassline and melody also contributed towards the popularity of the track, making it an unforgettable release. The song was initially launched in the UK in 1995 but after gaining continental success, it was proposed by Pete Tong for a re-release which happened in 1996.
On the same day of the re-release, Spice Girls dropped “Say You’ll Be There”, meaning that “Insomnia” would be placed in racks alongside it. The Faithless record charted just two places below “Say You’ll Be There” which was no.1 at the time.
Still being played in these days, “Insomnia” represents rave culture all around the world, whether it is through reworks or the original mix. In one of his last interviews, Maxi Jazz said: “It was a big shock for the song to be such a huge hit, but an even bigger shock that it’s still such a favourite.”
In 2022, Maxi Jazz, the vocalist of Faithless sadly passed away aged 65. The electronic dance music industry stood still with famous DJs and producers reflecting on the impact of the British singer.
Although, the death of Maxi Jazz went beyond the music world. An example are fans of Crystal Palace, the football club Maxi Jazz supported.
For the team’s next home fixture following the news about Maxi Jazz, they revealed a mural of him at the club’s stadium, as well as honoured his legacy through a banner ahead of the game.
Celebrate the 29th anniversary of “Insomnia” by Faithless by streaming the record below.
