Faithless

Faithless
Company type	Group_or_band
Industry	Music
Founded	1995
Founder	Rollo, Sister Bliss, Maxi Jazz
Headquarters	London, United Kingdom
Products	Electronic dance music, albums, singles
Number of employees	3 (core members)
Website	www.faithless.co.uk

Faithless is a British electronic dance group that originated in 1995, consisting primarily of Rollo, Sister Bliss, and Maxi Jazz. While Sister Bliss and Maxi Jazz actively participated in both recording sessions and live performances under the Faithless banner, Rollo contributed exclusively in the studio. Their initial album, Reverence, debuted in 1996, with their most recent release, All Blessed, arriving in 2020. They have sold millions of physical copies worldwide, and their discography has been accessible on streaming services since 2018. Faithless maintains an average of close to 3 million monthly listeners on Spotify. Their albums have achieved top chart positions internationally, and Mixmag ranked them as the fourth greatest dance act.

Their work is distinguished by politically charged lyrics; notably, the 2020 album All Blessed incorporated imagery related to refugees and themes centered around immigration. Faithless has been a headline act at prominent European festivals, including four performances at Glastonbury.

1990s

Faithless was established in 1995. Maxi Jazz had roots in hip-hop as a South London rapper from the mid-1980s, whereas Sister Bliss and Rollo specialized in electronic music production.

The group's first album, Reverence, was designed as a mixtape fusing house, hip-hop, folk, and classical influences and was released through Rollo's label Cheeky Records. A sold-out show at Camden’s Jazz Cafe sparked a European tour. Singles like "Insomnia" and "Salva Mea" each surpassed one million sales, with the album achieving platinum or gold certifications across Europe.

Their sophomore album, Sunday 8PM, which earned a Mercury Prize nomination, featured the international hit "God Is a DJ," solidifying Faithless's status as a major touring ensemble by 1998. Emotionally charged videos directed by lead vocalist Jamie Catto highlighted their live performances and led to a nomination for Best British Dance Act at the 1999 Brit Awards. Catto departed later that year to create the project 1 Giant Leap.

2000s

In 2001, Faithless released their third album Outrospective, marking their debut under the major label Sony BMG. The record produced successful singles such as "We Come 1" and included a tribute to Muhammad Ali. They appeared on Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage in 2002 and earned another Brit Awards nomination. That same year, they secured Best Dance and Best Live Act honors at the TMF Awards in the Netherlands.

Their fourth album, No Roots (2004), entered the UK charts at number one. This conceptual continuous work featured poignant lyrics and vocal contributions from Dido, L.S.K, and Nina Simone. Dave Grohl identified their protest track "Mass Destruction" as a significant influence; its lyrics were even cited within the US Senate. The accompanying award-winning video addressed issues of power abuse linked to the Iraq War.

Prompted by their record company, Faithless issued the four-times platinum greatest hits compilation Forever Faithless in 2005, which became the best-selling dance album of that year and was followed by an international tour.

Their fifth studio album, To All New Arrivals (2006), tackled subjects such as global poverty, immigration, conflict, and identity. The lead single "Bombs," featuring an anti-war message and a video directed by Howard Greenhalgh, received limited mainstream radio exposure. The album also included collaborations with Cat Power and Robert Smith of The Cure. In 2007, Faithless performed at Coachella.

2010s: Periods of Hiatus and Maxi Jazz's Exit

On 16 May 2010, Faithless unveiled their sixth studio album, The Dance, released through their independent label "Nate’s Tunes". The album climbed to number 2 on the UK charts, second only to The Rolling Stones. That same year, they appeared on Glastonbury’s Pyramid stage and embarked on a global tour encompassing festivals and arenas, attracting audiences exceeding one million and selling upwards of 400,000 copies. In April 2011, Faithless delivered a live performance at Brixton Academy, which was simultaneously broadcast to cinemas throughout Europe.

In 2015, the group introduced Faithless 2.0, a remix album featuring reinterpretations by leading electronic producers such as Avicii, Tiësto, Armin van Buuren, Claptone, and Booka Shade. This release commemorated their 25-year journey marked by seventeen Top 40 singles and six albums reaching the Top 10. Touring under the Faithless 2.0 banner during 2015 and 2016, Maxi Jazz performed alongside a full live band. However, in 2016, Maxi Jazz officially parted ways with the band.

2020s: All Blessed, Maxi Jazz's Passing, and Champion Sound

Following a seven-year hiatus from recording, Faithless returned in October 2020 with their seventh studio album, All Blessed, launched amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The record delves into subjects such as immigration, identity, and compassion. It features vocal contributions from Nathan Ball and spoken word performances by poet Suli Breaks, alongside guest appearances from Soul II Soul founder Jazzie B, Gaika, and Damien Jurado. Rollo described the project as "something that could breathe." The album upheld their tradition of charting within the UK and European top three.

Maxi Jazz passed away peacefully at his London home on 23 December 2022 at the age of 65. After his death, the band's compilation album Forever Faithless re-entered the UK Album Downloads chart at position number 7.

In January 2024, Bliss announced Faithless would resume live performances after an eight-year break, including appearances at festivals like Camp Bestival in Shropshire. On 12 July 2024, they released the single "Find A Way" featuring Suli Breaks and revealed plans for their eighth studio album titled Champion Sound. Subsequently, on 30 August 2024, they issued "I'm Not Alone (Rest Well Maxwell)" featuring Amelia Fox and LSK as a tribute to Maxi Jazz. That same day marked the announcement of The Champion Sound Tour across UK and European cities scheduled for November and December 2024.

On 25 April 2025, Faithless released "Dollars and Dimes" featuring Bebe Rexha. A new promotional version of "Find a Way" including both Suli Breaks and Dido—with Dido contributing fresh vocals—was made available on 4 September 2025. The complete Champion Sound album followed on 5 September 2025 to favorable critical acclaim.

Other work

Between their main studio projects, Faithless issued compilation albums showcasing their impact on electronic music culture. These include the enduring Back to Mine series as well as initiatives like NME in Association with War Child Presents 1 Love, The Bedroom Sessions, and the Renaissance 3D project connected with the Renaissance nightclub.

Outside of group efforts, each member has pursued individual careers.

Sister Bliss is an acclaimed dance DJ who tours extensively and has composed scores for numerous television programs, films, and theatrical productions. She hosts an award-winning show on Scala Radio, which bridges classical music with electronic genres. Her weekly radio program and podcast, Sister Bliss in Session, is syndicated worldwide to over 100 stations across 43 countries, drawing approximately ten million listeners monthly along with around sixty thousand podcast downloads.

Rollo Armstrong released a solo album in 2019 under the alias R PLUS called The Last Summer, featuring collaborations with Dido. In May 2022, he followed up with WeDisappear, a joint effort with Amelia Fox. Singles from this period include "Makes Me Feel Good" and an edited version of "Let's Really Have Some Fun" released in April 2023. On 24 November 2023, he unveiled another album titled For Lovers, Not Killers, again collaborating with Amelia Fox. Notably, various streaming platforms have mistakenly attributed R Plus releases to Faithless.

Maxi Jazz worked alongside Faithless co-founder Jamie Catto on the project 1 Giant Leap and also produced an album with his band Maxi Jazz and the E-Type Boys.

Rollo additionally established Cheeky Records as a label and has produced for other artists including his sister Dido. Throughout his career, he has created influential dance music under multiple pseudonyms such as Rollo Goes... (Camping, Mystic, Spiritual), Felix, Our Tribe (with Rob Dougan), and Dusted.

Band members

Present lineup

Sister Bliss (studio and live) – responsible for keyboards, synthesizers, piano, production, arrangement, mixing, composition, and programming (1995–2011; 2015–present)
Rollo (studio only) – handles keyboards, drum machine, guitar, bass, production, arrangement, mixing, composition, and programming (1995–2011; 2015–present)

Touring and collaborative artist

LSK – provides lead and backing vocals (2004–2011; 2015–present)

Past members

Maxi Jazz – lead vocals, guitar, programming, and production (1995–2011; 2015–2016; deceased 2022)
Jamie Catto – lead and backing vocals, guitar, keyboards (1995–1999)
Dave Randall – guitar (1996–1999; 2004–2011)
Aubrey Nunn – bass guitar (1995–2006)
Sudha Kheterpal – percussion (1998–2011)

Discography

Reverence (1996)
Sunday 8PM (1998)
Outrospective (2001)
No Roots (2004)
To All New Arrivals (2006)
The Dance (2010)
All Blessed (2020)
Champion Sound (2025)

External links