Gruff Rhys had been the lead vocalist and guitarist for Welsh psych-rock band Super Furry Animals since 1993. Boom Bip, meanwhile, had been spending the first part of the 21st century toying with several different genres as a noted underground producer and musician. Having remixed everything from M83 to the Furry Animals, Bip formally collaborated with Rhys in 2006 to begin work on a concept album loosely based on the life of John DeLorean. After a series of successful singles that became popular among club DJs during 2007, the duo formally released the full-length Stainless Style, which featured contributions from the likes of Fat Lip and Spank Rock, spanning genres from ’80s electro to contemporary hip-hop. The duo reteamed for 2013's Praxis Makes Perfect, a musical portrait of publisher and left-wing activist Giangiacomo Feltrinelli. ~ Kenneth Herzog