Fatboy Slim

Fatboy Slim is the best-known alias of Norman Cook, a British DJ and producer closely associated with Brighton and one of the key figures of 1990s big beat. Before establishing this project he was part of groups including The Housemartins and Beats International, building experience across pop, dub, hip-hop and club electronics that would later feed into his production language.

As Fatboy Slim he developed a sound built on forceful breaks, recognisable samples, heavy bass and a very direct reading of the dancefloor. Albums including Better Living Through Chemistry, You've Come a Long Way, Baby and Halfway Between the Gutter and the Stars helped take big beat to a mass audience without breaking its connection to DJ culture.

His trajectory is closely tied to Brighton, where large outdoor performances and a continued presence in clubs and festivals strengthened a highly visible relationship between artist, city and audience. Beyond the hits of the late 1990s, Cook has maintained a constant presence in the booth for decades, with sets built around house, breaks, edits, club classics and his own material.