The Bristol-based electronic/rock group
Day One consists of vocalist
Phelim Byrne and multi-instrumentalist Donni Hardwidge. The duo began collaborating in the mid-'90s, blending the storytelling traditions of hip-hop and British folk along with a slew of musical influences, including jazz and classic rock.
Day One's experiments coalesced into a three-song demo, a copy of which made its way to
Massive Attack's 3D; soon after,
Day One were signed to Melankolic, the pioneering trip-hop group's boutique label. While recording their debut album
Ordinary Man, the group tried a variety of studios and producers before settling on
Mario Caldato Jr.,
the Beastie Boys' producer of choice.
Ordinary Man was co-released by Melankolic and Astralwerks in early 2000. ~ Heather Phares