Hadouken! (band)

Hadouken!

Company type	Independent record label and band
Industry	Music
Founded	2006 in London, England
Founder	James Smith, Alice Spooner
Fate	Indefinite hiatus since 2014
Headquarters	Leeds (Surface Noise Records) , United Kingdom
Area served	United Kingdom, international
Key people	James Smith (vocalist, songwriter, producer), Alice Spooner (synthesizer), Daniel "Pilau" Rice (guitar), Christopher Purcell (bass), Nick Rice (drums)
Products	Music albums, singles, remixes
Number of employees	5 (band members)
Parent	Surface Noise Records (their own label)

Hadouken! was a British dance-punk ensemble formed in London in 2006, initiated by vocalist, songwriter, and producer James Smith together with synthesizer player Alice Spooner. The lineup also featured guitarist Daniel "Pilau" Rice, bassist Christopher Purcell, and drummer Nick Rice. Their name was inspired by the Hadouken special move from the Street Fighter video game franchise. The group established their own record label, Surface Noise Records, based in Leeds.

Formation and Early Phase

Following the creation of Surface Noise Records, Smith began crafting and recording early demos for Hadouken!'s material. In February 2007, they independently issued a limited double A-side vinyl featuring "That Boy That Girl" alongside "Tuning In." The song "That Boy That Girl" gained popularity after its music video reached the top position on MTV Two's NME Chart.

Hadouken! performed their inaugural show at Southend's Dirty Hearts Club on 16 September 2006, subsequently making their London debut at Another Music Another Kitchen in Camden. For approximately six months, the band primarily played gigs across Leeds and London before adding bassist Chris Purcell to their ranks in December 2006.

Although the band attracted some attention during 2006, their significant breakthrough occurred in 2007 when Mike Skinner of The Streets featured "That Boy That Girl" on BBC Radio 1 and commended them as "a great new band." Their February 2007 double A-side single became an online sensation and was hailed by NME as "a savage, snarling work of genius." Additionally, "Tuning In" was remixed for the Kitsuné Music compilation Kitsuné Maison Compilation 4 and appeared as a B-side on Kitsuné's 10-inch release.

Their follow-up single, Liquid Lives, released on 25 June 2007, achieved moderate rotation on MTV2 and reached number 36 on the UK Singles Chart. To support this release, Hadouken! embarked on a nationwide UK tour alongside Electro/Punk outfit Does It Offend You, Yeah? and rapper Example.

Not Here to Please You and Music for an Accelerated Culture (2007–2008)

The band's third single, "Leap of Faith", was digitally released on 12 November 2007 as part of their Not Here to Please You mixtape. This project included remixes of tracks by Bloc Party, Plan B, and Bolt Action Five, as well as re-recorded versions of earlier songs. Notably, the mixtape was distributed exclusively via USB format.

Between September and November 2007, Hadouken! toured throughout the UK with support from Leeds-based Shut Your Eyes and You'll Burst Into Flames, Manchester's The Whip, The Ghost Frequency, and Late of the Pier. This tour coincided with the launch of "Leap of Faith" and the release of the Not Here to Please You mixtape.

On 7 January 2008, Hadouken! appeared as guest presenters on Zane Lowe's BBC Radio 1 program, describing "Leap of Faith" as an experimental track while indicating that their upcoming album would draw inspiration from dance acts such as The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers.

The first studio track from their forthcoming album, titled "Get Smashed Gate Crash," was made available on MySpace on 17 February 2008. Subsequently, on 3 March 2008, the band revealed that their album would be named Music for an Accelerated Culture along with promotional information regarding "Get Smashed Gate Crash."

For the Masses and The M.A.D. EP (2009–2010)

In the middle of 2009, Hadouken! entered the studio in the Netherlands to work on their sophomore album, For the Masses, collaborating with drum and bass producers Noisia. The band highlighted a deliberate evolution in both their lyrical themes and sound, frequently sharing progress updates through Twitter.

By August 2009, they announced that the M.A.D. EP would be digitally released in September, containing three fresh tracks alongside three remixes of the title song "M.A.D." The single "Turn the Lights Out" made its debut on MySpace on 10 November 2009.

For the Masses officially launched on 25 January 2010, entering the UK Albums Chart at number 17. To promote the album, a remix of the track "Mic Check" was released, featuring a sample from Tina Moore's "Never Gonna Let You Go."

In May 2010, Hadouken! created "Things Could Only Get Worse," an anthem commissioned for the UK Labour Party during the lead-up to the 2010 General Election.

Mecha Love and The Oxygen EP (2010–2011)

On 30 May 2010, Hadouken! revealed via Twitter that sessions for their third album had commenced, sharing demo snippets the very next day. The single "Mecha Love" was officially released on 17 October 2010. Following its radio premiere, frontman James Smith confirmed a second single was ready; "Oxygen" became available digitally on 7 November 2010, with an extended "Oxygen" EP arriving on 18 January 2012.

During 2011, the group performed at London's O2 Arena as part of the Transformation Trust Rock Assembly event.

Every Weekend (2011–2014)

On 18 April 2011, Hadouken! inked a deal with independent label Ministry of Sound and subsequently released singles including "Bad Signal" and "Parasite." The latter premiered on BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe show on 12 April 2012 and was distributed as a complimentary download. Various remixes were later shared through their official SoundCloud account.

"Bad Signal" first aired on Zane Lowe's program on 12 June 2012 before its official release on 5 August. On 17 August, Hadouken! supported artists Example and DJ Fresh at the iTunes Festival, showcasing new material such as "Daylight," produced by Drumsound and Bassline Smith.

On 27 December 2012, they announced their third full-length album, Every Weekend, to be issued via their own imprint Surface Noise Recordings. That same year saw them featured on Feed Me's track "Trapdoor," while James Smith lent vocals to KillSonik's "Slaughterhouse."

The track "Levitate," from Every Weekend, was included in 'People Are Awesome 2013,' released on 22 January 2013. The accompanying video became the most viewed YouTube clip worldwide that week with over 20 million views and has since surpassed 100 million views, exceeding the original viral video’s popularity.

"Levitate" achieved top two chart positions in three countries and ranked within the top 40 across twenty-eight territories, debuting at number 97 on the UK Singles Chart.

The album Every Weekend was released on 18 March 2013.

Additionally, Hadouken! appeared on Loadstar’s song "Boa" from their album Future Perfect and collaborated with Tom Swoon & Paris Blohm on the single "Synchronize."

Hiatus (2014–present)

Hadouken! declared an indefinite hiatus on 10 November 2014 via Facebook. Since then, lead singer James Smith has pursued collaborations under the alias James Hadouken.

A notable usage of their music occurred on 25 December 2019 when a remix of "Oxygen" was featured during the closing scene of Season 8, Episode 1 of Canadian sitcom Letterkenny.

Between February and April of 2023, several unreleased singles—namely "Bounce (Myspace Version)", "Girls", and "Superstar (Myspace Version)"—were made available across streaming platforms.

Members

• James Smith – lead vocals, keyboards (since 2006)
• Alice Spooner – keyboards, vocals (since 2006)
• Daniel "Pilau" Rice – electric guitar, backing vocals (since 2006)
• Christopher Purcell – bass guitar, backing vocals (since 2006)
• Nick Rice – drums (since 2006)

Discography

• Music for an Accelerated Culture (released 2008)
• For the Masses (released 2010)
• Every Weekend (released 2013)

Productions

• Meg – tracks "Freak" and "Toxic"

Remixes

• Klaxons – track "Atlantis to Interzone"
• The Whip – track "Frustration"
• Bloc Party – track "The Prayer"
• Plan B – track "No More Eatin"
• Does it Offend You, Yeah? – track "Dawn of the Dead"
• Don Broco – track "Hold On"
• Sugababes – track "Get Sexy"
• Twin Atlantic – track "Make A Beast Of Myself"
• Kids in Glass Houses – track "Animals"
• The Prodigy – track "Warrior's Dance"
• DJ Fresh featuring RaVaughn – track "The Feeling"
• The Midnight Beast – track "Love Bites"

Remixed

• Crank It Up - remixes by Clik Clik, Does It Offend You Yeah?, Haunt, Noisia
• Declaration of War - remixes by Hadouken! vs. Kissy Sell Out, Jeuce, Mason Vocal & Dub, The Whip
• Get Smashed Gate Crash - remixes by David Wolf and Dezz Jones vs. D&G
• House is Falling - remix by Sigur Ros (Leit Aõ Lifi)
• Leap of Faith - Shoes Remix
• Liquid Lives - remixes by Aaron LaCrate & Debonair Samir (Gutter Remix), Noisia
• M.A.D - remixes by Detboi, Phace, Plastician
• Mecha Love - remixes by LAXX and Nova
• Mic Check - remixes by Camo and Krooked, Stupid Fresh
• Oxygen - remixes by Alix Perez, Gemini, Slugz and Joe London
• Turn the Lights Out - remixes by JFB and Spor
• Ugly - Dub Remix
• Parasite - remixes by Break, SKisM & Zomboy, Shadow Child, Akira Kiteshi Rulin'
• Bad Signal - remixes by Wideboys, The Prototypes, Xilent
• Levitate - remixes by Koven, Swindle, Alex Light

Awards and Nominations

Hadouken! received nominations for Best Electronic Artist/DJ at the BT Digital Music Awards in both 2007 and 2008, securing the win in 2008.

|- | 2007 | Hadouken! | Best Electronic Artist/DJ | |- | 2008 | Hadouken! | Best Electronic Artist/DJ |

Soundtracks and Syncs

• Leap of Faith served as the opening theme for BBC Switch featuring Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw (2007)
• Featured in Converse's Band of Ballers Campaign (August 2009)
• Rebirth and Mic Check included in National Sports Forum Promo Trailer (January 2010)
• Turn the Lights Out featured in MMA: EA Sports game (February 2010)
• M.A.D appeared in Piranha 3D film (March 2010)
• Bombshock included in Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit soundtrack (November 2010)
• M.A.D used in The Sims 3: EP3 expansion pack (July 2010)
• Turn the Lights Out featured in Crysis 2 trailer (August 2010)
• Bombshock included in trailer for Fast Five (April 2011)
• Turn the Lights Out used in trailer for The Amazing Spider-Man video game (June 2012)
• Bombshock featured in Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days movie (August 2012)
• Bliss Out included on FIFA 13 soundtrack (September 2012)
• Levitate was showcased during FA Cup replay on ESPN and Badminton coverage on Sky Sports 4, as well as the closing segment of Sky Sports Soccer Sunday (January to March 2013)
• Mic Check ([Camo & Krooked Remix]) featured in Asphalt 8: Airborne game (August 2013)
• House Is Falling used as VT insert for CBBC Wild! Series 2 (September 2014)

Television appearances

• Featured on MTV Australia (August 2008)
• Performed "Leap of Faith" on BBC Switch alongside Annie Mac and Nick Grimshaw
• Appeared in the Hadouken! edition of Channel 4's 4Play
• Made a guest appearance on E4's The Midnight Beast

Noteworthy live performances

• Participated in Summer Sonic Festival across Osaka and Tokyo (August 2007, August 2008)
• Played at Leeds Festival on the Radio 1/NME Stage (August 2007, August 2010)
• Took the stage at Reading Festival’s Radio 1/NME Stage (August 2007, August 2010)
• Performed at Ibiza Rocks during Manumission event (August 2007)
• Appeared at NME Brats held at Koko (February 2007)
• Featured on the Clash Stage at RockNess Festival, Scotland (June 2008, June 2010)
• Played John Peel Stage at Glastonbury Festival (June 2008)
• Participated in iTunes Festival at Koko, London (July 2008)
• Appeared at Splendor in the Grass, Byron Bay, Australia (August 2008)
• Took part in Bestival on the Isle of Wight (September 2008)
• Headlined at Camden Roundhouse, London (October 2008)
• Performed at Pukklepop Festival in Belgium and Lowlands Festival in the Netherlands (August 2008)
• Played Melt Festival in Hamburg (July 2008)
• Featured at Exit Festival, Serbia (July 2009)
• Joined Tiesto for a show at Victoria Park, London (July 2009)
• Appeared at Stagedive Day Out Festival in Sweden (August 2009)
• Shared the stage with The Prodigy at Warrior's Dance Festival in Tokyo (September 2009)
• Participated in BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend (May 2010)
• Performed at Razmatazz Festival and Underage Festival in Victoria Park (June–August 2010)
• Served as main support on Pendulum Arena Tour (December 2010)
• Played The Big Top stage at Isle of Wight Festival (June 2011)
• Appeared at Sziget Festival and Volt Festival in Hungary across summers of 2011 and 2012
• Performed at Cambridge Junction and multiple UK arenas including Birmingham NIA and Wembley Arena between 2011 and 2013
• Took main stage slots at Reading and Leeds Festivals (August 2012, August 2013)