Faithless' 'Insomnia' | The Making Of A Dance Anthem
Ойын-сауық
This is the story of how Faithless made one of the most iconic dance music tracks of all time - 'Insomnia'.
Sister Bliss gives us exclusive insights as to how lyricist Maxi Jazz, producer Rollo and herself came up with 'Insomnia', and how it launched their hugely successful 25-year career that still continues to this day.
Timeline 👇
0:00 Intro
0:24 How did Faithless form
1:34 Meeting Maxi
1:59 Faithless' first ever album
3:26 Making the music for 'Insomnia'
5:31 The lyrics for 'Insomnia'
7:26 First mix
8:18 Playing 'Insomnia' live
9:04 Avicii playing 'Insomnia'
9:40 Outro
More from Faithless 👇
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How To Recreate Faithless' 'Insomnia' In 60 Seconds • How To Recreate Faithl...
Electronic music history is rich with unforgettable and timeless classics. In our series, DJ Mag explores the tales behind some of the world's favourite dance tracks, told by the people that made them.
Explore more stories of the biggest tracks in dance music below.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvxAP...
#Insomnia #Faithless #DanceClassics
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RIP Maxi Jazz. Your lyrics are still ringing in our hears and our hearts. Faithless left a legacy.
@notyourbusinessreallyisit9495
Жыл бұрын
Victim of the vaccines, another one. RIP
@zodiac909
Жыл бұрын
WAIT WHAT!??! I HAD NO IDEA HE PASSED AWAY 8 DAYS AGO!!! I'm at a loss for words. Rest In Peace legend.
@InHouseStudio
Жыл бұрын
Oh no! I had no idea either.... He did look a concerningly fraile when performing at a concert a few years ago and had to be helped off stage he had no medicial conditions (that we knew of at least) and was only 65. We have lost another music legend. RIP
@Boom12
Жыл бұрын
His rhymes got me through bad times, and it changed my views on life in some ways. A legend, a hero, a legacy to be remembered.
@S-fn3oe
Жыл бұрын
"legacy" 1 good song lol
25 YEARS! And the track is still going... to this day! Still sounds as fresh as the day it was released, it's ageless.
@mjamusicswitzerland
3 жыл бұрын
Oh yes 👍🇨🇭🎶
@freeflycoffey
3 жыл бұрын
and still my ring tone :-)
@Tom052588
3 жыл бұрын
Good Music Doesn’t Have An Expiration Date !
@stewills9711
3 жыл бұрын
25 Years later, we are locked in our homes with nothing to do but sleep!!! I need a release xD
@nubscrub
3 жыл бұрын
Unreal track
This track has probably given rise to more goosebumps than there are stars in the universe
@zoekenny3619
3 жыл бұрын
Hahaa yep every second comment mentions goosebumps lol
@-MacCat-
8 ай бұрын
Amen.
@djhillfinger
8 ай бұрын
Or grains of sand on all the beaches on earth
@apoplexiamusic
6 ай бұрын
and it literally did there before the riff starts
@CCP-pb5ss
6 ай бұрын
i had the same thought..ditto
That Riff that Sister Bliss came up with is Timeless and will live on and be a classic for a long time 👍
@marksims3904
Жыл бұрын
Sister bliss made an incredible riff with Insomnia, and who can forget God is a DJ, just four notes...........but WHAT notes.
@TheEljefe20
Жыл бұрын
She is such an icon.
@S-fn3oe
Жыл бұрын
Drug addict
@77936fief
Жыл бұрын
for sure!
@pablo65315
9 ай бұрын
Timelessness does tend to go on for a long time tbf
Insomnia, in a dark club, sweaty, surrounded, euphoric. When it hits, it's sheer heaven.
@lazowayne
3 жыл бұрын
i had the perfect moment like 13 yrs ago... the xtc hit me and then, guess what song the dj played? i felt like: omg, im in heaven with the lord
@AndyTurba
3 жыл бұрын
@@lazowayne haha I can imagine! As close as one can get to heaven on earth 😂 God let the clubs reopen NOW please!!
@fahdkamal1420
3 жыл бұрын
Hell yes - it was ecstasy
@johnpootan3354
3 жыл бұрын
Totally agree, when that came out it hit the roof every club night
@honestgoat
3 жыл бұрын
Especially when ya pinging off ya face. Ahhhh... Memories.
Was doing a wedding disco, and this guy came up and asked for insomnia. He said he was 72, and he loved it! He then danced like a 20 year old. It's a FLOOR FILLER.
@dl2one
3 жыл бұрын
That'll be me in 30 years
@shumeister1059
3 жыл бұрын
Bless his heart~
@walterroux291
3 жыл бұрын
@@dl2one this made me laugh, ay, me too.
@mickrobo6073
3 жыл бұрын
I’m 62 onwards still dance to this now like a madman 🙂😂
@sulijoo
3 жыл бұрын
Wish I could have seen that. 😂
I'm 68 years old now and have seen many groups over the years, but none were as exciting to witness as the two times I saw Faithless.
Insomnia...24 years later...and this song STILL gives me chills. This was literally the best song of it's time. The beat drop is ICONIC.
@HookBeak_66
2 ай бұрын
me too, not many songs can do that.
I`ll never forget been at a rave in Johannesburg and the DJ kept teasing the crowd with the riff off Insomnia, he kept ever so subtly bring it in and fading it out for about three tracks, then built up a track and then dropped Insomnia ... the crowd went NUTS! The simple thought of the way that riff echoes through a warehouse venue still makes my hair all stand on end!
@thesoultwins72
3 жыл бұрын
C A ........Wow....I have never heard of that 'technique' before!
@ca9968
3 жыл бұрын
Yeah, it was special...
@johannwartington6681
3 жыл бұрын
Insomnia was huge in Seff Effrica.
@nicks6196
3 жыл бұрын
@@thesoultwins72 really? I had quite a few artists build up to a specific track for 3-5songs.
@siphamandlankwanyana5862
3 жыл бұрын
I remember hearing Insomnia at a RAVE in DURBAN when it came out and seeing People going CRAZY n standing there thinking I'M PART OF HISTORY right now.
She is legend
@djsoomo
3 жыл бұрын
and so down to earth - legend
@debbierobertson4835
3 жыл бұрын
So is he
so anyone else getting goosebumps with this story and the tracks, the videos ???
@77936fief
Жыл бұрын
hells yes!
@PeresD
3 ай бұрын
YES !
I’m 62 years of age and love Faithless, Insomnia is without a doubt the greatest dance tune ever
@jeffhallworth4832
2 жыл бұрын
Agreed, I was 70 last week !
@PedroPauloAmorim
2 жыл бұрын
I Feel Love by Donna Summer is better.
@jeffhallworth4832
2 жыл бұрын
@@PedroPauloAmorim opinions Pedro
@PUDDICOMBE1992
7 ай бұрын
Get on!
She has such a pleasant and eloquent air about her.
This is content I want to see on KZread! Not the average KZread’s with their long non informative intro’s and their standard “without further ado” line.....
@SocietateaAscendenta
3 жыл бұрын
Or “reactions” 🤦🏻♂️
@trhoades2063
3 жыл бұрын
I'm with ya brother! More content like this please! These tracks are the soundtracks of my life I love hearing the back story to how they were created
@BorisGadjowsky
3 жыл бұрын
Or "click the f***ing subscribe button below"
I cant belive Maxi is dead!!!😪😪😪 He give me so much good times, i love him and his words,his gentle, i am sooooooo sad!!! He died on 24.12.2022 on holychrismas day..... i feeling so helpless i am down!!! I prey for his soul,now he is in heaven. RIP. Sorry for my bad english best wish Reiner from Germany
There's just something about that riff. That part where there's silence and then it kicks back in 🤤
My father gave me the Rolling Stones. I give my sons Faithless.
@JaggersLips
3 жыл бұрын
Snap !
@2FaceTube
3 жыл бұрын
They will give their sons 'Despacito' 🤣
@Original50
3 жыл бұрын
@@2FaceTube No dude, I'm in my 'Gianluca Vacchi' years; beardy, baldy, tattoos. Despacito is all mine!
@pedroorpheus
3 жыл бұрын
good parenting all round..
@mrpaulorola1ify
3 жыл бұрын
@@pedroorpheus Agree.👍
Faithless and the Prodigy the two best dance acts on the planet bar none. This track has always made me smile and still does. Maxi’s lyrics are timeless.
@russianvoodoo
3 жыл бұрын
Underworld, Chemical Brothers. God Bless all the producers from the UK.
@Parialated
3 жыл бұрын
Massive attack and portishead too
@jimsound7888
3 жыл бұрын
Groove Armada
@hipstersinspacee
3 жыл бұрын
and Leftfield!
@Silversurfer604
3 жыл бұрын
mainstream ;-) thanks to Martin Freeland (Man with no name) /Simon Posford etc..
That song is part of a very vivid memory of mine. In 2002 I lived on Ibiza & the Pacha discotheque basically was my living room. Although the Pacha has different dance floors with different music styles, they all can be connected to the main floor. So one night one Italian DJ connected all floors to his set on the main floor & I remember the club going silent at precisely 3:30 am. First confusion from the audience, then that beat with the line "half past 3 in the morning..." hit & the whole place went completely bonkers! I'll never forget that moment when approx. 8.000 people made that place shake - good times! Best party I've ever been to.
Well. Thank goodness you did. I,m 66 and this is my favourite dance track. Saw Faithless live in bournemouth, they were amazing. Still dance to faithless whenever they come on wherever I am and I dont care what anyone thinks.
Imagine being told 'just do a riff' and pulling out insomnia. Unreal
@djcyberash4926
2 жыл бұрын
So talented
@fripp4999
2 жыл бұрын
Imagine writing Insomnia and then being told “it got no hook” haha
My wife and I had insomnia as our first dance at our wedding, everyone got up, what an amazing track x
This and God Is a DJ will forever two of the greatest dance music anthems.
I’ve heard it a thousand times and the chills still go down my back like the first time I heard it.
I don't think I have ever not had goosebumps while hearing that riff
@xMMMLK
2 жыл бұрын
I can relate
About 25 years ago I was writing interviews and reviews for a Dutch dance music magazine called Bassic Groove. Faithless came over for an interview at a fancy hotel. After that we went record shopping together and spend the whole day in Amsterdam. Rollo even gave me a Cheeky Records hoodie. Fun times.
My personal story with Insomnia centres around spending a few days in Brussels in the mid-nineties and hearing, in a mega-club - God knows what it was called - a track so hypnotising, that I found it impossible to stop thinking about it. It totally revolutionised my perception of dance music and acted as a catalyst in searching for dance tunes matching its sublimity (there were a few). Reading of Maxi Jazz's passing has triggered me to revisit some of Faithless's best tracks, to listen to their lyrics, and has restored a little of my faith in humanity. Maxi Jazz was full of humanity. Sometimes, we find our personal heroes too late. R.I.P.
@fpadam
Жыл бұрын
Well said. Care to share some of those other tracks?
@Dandyphonic
Жыл бұрын
Was that club "Fuse"? 😀
RIP Maxi. This track/album... man oh man... big part of my year living on London back in the late 90's
True. It has no hook. It has no chorus. It’s not light and bouncy. But it’s timeless. It’s relatable. It’s a banger.
@M0jibake
3 жыл бұрын
No hook? Seriously?
@elinagk9902
2 жыл бұрын
Because it has a drop
@whitewindbluehand
Жыл бұрын
Her riff IS the Hook
I remember hearing that riff for the first time, that sound just seemed impossible, I still get goosebumps thinking about it now. Today I don’t think I could be shocked by a sound or a track in the same way, it feels like I’ve heard every noise that’s possible, or at least close to every noise. Back when this came out I couldn’t believe that it was possible to sound so huge! I just kept thinking “wow it’s possible to make music like that?!?” It sounds like it was recorded in a church, the reverb and size of the track is epic in scale, certainly bigger than a garden shed.
@tehspellchecker
3 жыл бұрын
Exactly this!
@londonmelodicdeep1352
3 жыл бұрын
Yeah it felt so fresh and new, still does, iconic
@SergioSerbia
3 жыл бұрын
Biggest dance record ever. Like you said, first time when you hear it, sounds impossible but also every other time doesn't feel much less than that.
@mjamusicswitzerland
3 жыл бұрын
Yes it was like that indeed Very cool or still cool 😄👍🎶🇨🇭
@JoolsUK
3 жыл бұрын
Yes it did sound like a church. The cathedral of dance! Dance and house music was really hitting its stride in '96.
I shamefully didn’t know who Sister Bliss was before watching this, I’d never heard of her. But I’ve instantly fallen in love with her, she’s such a badass. She seems so chill, she’s so talented as well! Sister Bliss is iconic and I’m so glad I know who she is now thanks to my KZread recommendations!
@lowrispooner2279
3 жыл бұрын
Same here, watching insomnia and saw something about Sister Bliss, checked this out, and at 60 I should have known...but better late than never....
@JackT-ht2pg
2 жыл бұрын
Ive seen her dj she is unreal
@johncude152
Жыл бұрын
I was at school with Sister Bliss. She joined our school in the sixth form. I didn't know her but had mutual friends who got me interested in her music in the years afterwards. Met her at a friend's mother's funeral years later. A very nice girl. Intelligent, talented, and incredibly modest.
Makes my heart hurt we’ve lost Maxi. Glastonbury 2002 I was a bubba in the crowd, something magical happened during this track ✨✨✨
Generations after generations will thank sister bliss for creating dance tune of the century. ❤️
25 years and I am still to hear another track that is as massive as Insomnia. No matter what the set is, once that riff from Insomnia hits, nothing else matters.....nothing else is relevant!!
@Hydrazine1000
3 жыл бұрын
If I may humbly make a suggestion: *Underworld's Born Slippy .NUXX* I've had the priviledge of seeing and hearing both Faithless and Underworld (when they were still a 3-man group) perform live. To me, _both_ tracks are up there, at rarefied heights. The _dun-dun-dunnnn_ chords of Born Slippy will do the same thing as Insomnia's chords.
@silver_surfer88
3 жыл бұрын
Remember Prodigy - Fat of the land album? Some tracks that are at this level if not better
@nphil93992
3 жыл бұрын
There's a couple i can think of that are in the same ballpark of epicness. Cafe del mar and both the William orbit and Tiesto versions of Adaigo. And for something more "modern" an orchestral version of either Insomnia or Cafe del mar
@victormarin4061
2 жыл бұрын
Avicii levels comes to mind
@danimayb
2 жыл бұрын
I have to completely agree! And that is saying something considering the many epic tracks out there, But there's something about this one that culminates a whole generation of dance/trance music.. A riff and drop that amazed crowds at the time, There was nothing like it before, And even to this day it sounds so fresh.. It's like being in a dark place and then being suddenly lifted euphorically lol. And when it comes (club or through your speakers) it brings a level of feeling/emotion like no other. It truly is the greatest club track of all time in my opinion.
Ive never heard Sister Bliss talk in an interview before - what a legend!
RIP Maxi. Such a good band
One of the greatest club hits in history and still rocks to this day!!!
Instant goosebumps as soon as the melody started to play 💪🏼💪🏼
No hook, no chorus.... but that riff, that drop, those lyrics (with gritty meaning most have experienced) , that’s all we needed to be hooked. 🙏
Some of my most euphoric and memorable Club nights were because of this song! Soooo one of the BIGGEST dance songs ever was "just a riff, it just came to me". They had no idea how they would change the lives of so many with a song!
Arguably the DEFINITIVE anthem. Even after all these years, it still gives me goosebumps. "Insomnia" truly transcends the genre.
Sister Bliss is a great DJ and comes across really well, seems like such a cool person. Would love to go on a sesh with her, imagine the stories!
@kb4777
3 жыл бұрын
I was just thinking exactly the same thing.
@sergiocorcuera7530
Жыл бұрын
I was in one: Dance Valley 2001 . I still remember how she brought us up together , cuddled and bombed . Amazing
Sister Bliss is one of the pioneers of dance music in my opinion. I believe everything Faithless did was hard work and from the heart. Working the DJ scene, and getting promoted is extremely hard and it must have been frustrating for them to have Island music bench their tracks. Lucky for us the fans that there was a clause, or we may have never had Faithless. Great interview. First time I've heard from Sister Bliss and before this I imagined she was articulate and intelligent as she comes across in this interview. Thanks for this DJ Mag. Thanks for Sister Bliss to do the interview! From one of your biggest fans!
when I first heard this riff in 1996 it was like a slap in the face and I instantly knew this is a classic we will hear it even 25-30 yrs later and the people will dance to it. For me the best dance riff ever composed (or better say it flew out of the fingers of Sister Bliss), thanks for that tune, goosebumps when ever I listen to it…
Iam just 67, and that is my ringtone, what a mix.keep the faith,
25 years and it still holds up as one of the biggest drop melodies ever!
I was at Manumission on a Monday night in July '96, Sister Bliss was on the decks... She dropped this tune and it blew the roof off. Will never forget it. So cool. One of the best nights of my life.
Faithless are legends, when I hear “crazy English summer” if I could cry, I would. It is one of the most beautiful tracks ever
One of the greatest tunes ever created.
This is the best 9 minutes 57 seconds on KZread!
@danoliver8804
3 жыл бұрын
LOL
@MichaelBoogerd
3 жыл бұрын
Your not wrong
RIP Maxi, you can finally get some sleep. Absolute legend that will live forever.
Faithless is one of my all time favourite groups, Reverence is one of my all time favourite albums. Epic. So many big nights in the late 90’s in Sydney, Australia and early 2000’s in Toronto, Canada. Ah the good ol days! 🕺🏻
I'm not really a fan of dance music. However I love this track. It's a total classic.
Sister Bliss, a musical genius! Legend!
When I die..... I want this played at my funeral as I'm been lowered in the ground to my forever Rave..... Hand out poppers and XTC.... Fog machine and a strobe... Priest must recite Maix's lyrics.. And end it with.. "now you can get some sleep."... The everyone can throw their empty Heineken can in the hole as they cover me up.... And leave PLUR bracelets on my tombstone... 🙏
I still play this song when I’m DJing. It’s one of the top ten best dance tracks in my opinion.
@HR-iv9vc
9 ай бұрын
What is your top ten?
In such a male-dominated industry, it was Sister Bliss who came up with arguably the most iconic melodic riff in all of dance music. Completely epic!
@blade1535
3 жыл бұрын
Yup she is a legend
@prestigious5s23
3 жыл бұрын
Exactly and I think that pizzicato sound they used is what really makes it stand out. It really is one of, if not the best dance riff of all time.
@freddymarcel-marcum6831
3 жыл бұрын
The biggest names in pop/electronic music today are mostly female.
@Dwafiz
3 жыл бұрын
@@freddymarcel-marcum6831 I'm talking DJs and producers, mainly.
@olliefoxx7165
3 жыл бұрын
Yay. Girl power🙄
I remember when the track released. I was 16 years old, and just started being a dj in a small local radio, and this song was the start of my daily dance radio program. they were good days
Still remember feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up the first time I heard that epic melody.
"And that's the rift that came out" time just stopped for a little as that dropped. So good.
I will never get tired of listening to this absolutely iconic tune. 🔊🔊
Imagine being the poor soul who tells the artists of one of the greatest electronic masterpieces of all time, "its got no heart its got no chorus, go away"
R.I.P. Maxi Jazz :(. God bless Sister Bliss
Im 24yo, found this track by accident, it blew me away, absolute goosebumps, thinking of early 2000s visuals
The most beautiful album of a generation, it still today runs through my blood.
I'm 56 and obviously biased.... But I'd say we are the first generation in which the dance music created has never been surpassed!!! Many of the tracks are true classics and timeless!!!
i was like 5 years old when this came out. I loved it ever since
That riff still gives me chills, every time. Many hazy and fond memories attached to this one....
How many can have a memory of this playing while heading out at the weekend. Several cars full of friends on the way to a rave or club. I've very fond memories of this blasting out the speakers in the car with friends chanting along. One tune that will last in memory for ever. Still have it in my collection Many thanks for the fond memories 🙏
@DJMag
Жыл бұрын
Great story!
It's incredible when you realise how old this song is and yet, so modern with all the intricate details and absolutely timeless. Thank you for sharing the story. I'm 56 and remember hearing it on the radio the first time back when I lived in the south of Sweden. Such an amazing bit of music.
I remember having that tune stuck in my brain as a child and when I finally found the album in the public library I thought it was so weird that the "good part" only begins 7 or so minutes into the track. To this day this choice stands out as one of the coolest, cleverest and dare I say ballsy ideas of electronic music. This was what made Faithless above and beyond all other dance acts, having that deeply spiritual dimension, the breadth of all the different styles in a coherent package on the albums as well as live, and of course Sister Bliss' and Rollo's impeccable sense of hooking the listener. One of my biggest regrets is never seeing Maxi Jazz perform. Rest in peace, magical mystery man
Just 🔥 🔥 🔥
its rad seeing all the comments about old dance event/club memories. music really brings us together :)
@walterroux291
3 жыл бұрын
The post covid parties when we can all be together again are gonna be some of the biggest, hypest, nuts energy that ever did exist.
I’ve heard this a million times but it still gives me chills
"And that's the riff that came out" Wowzers. The vast majority of us will never do anything as seismic as this. Just incredible.
Without doubt, one of the greatest tunes of the last 50 years
I remember when this hit the clubs in London before it was a hit. Never seen crowds go so wild. In all my years as a raver in the 90s, this tune lit up the dancefloors more than any other I remember. So many arms in the air and whoops and screams when it dropped.
It was the biggest dance music discovery of that time for me.I remember telling people how good this track was then.We have danced to this tune like an underground hit for a year then it reached masses after it rereleased -like Sister Bliss said. Any one else bought the first release of the record?
Just the greatest drop ever, so simple, but brilliant.
One of the best riffs in the music
The first time I ever heard Insomnia I had goose bumps all over my body, that was twentyfive years ago. Sitting here listening to that track again and I still get goose bumps. Timeless, beautiful, perfection.
This song is so iconic.
Christ I must have heard this and danced to it over a thousand times since I first heard it in a field in 1996, but just hearing that drop in this video had my neck and arm hair standing on end. It still has that power to make me shiver.
sister bliss your a star shinning bright ... not that your gone but faithless probably the one outstanding band in the world in my eyes ❤
I still get goosebumps when that riff starts. It’s just such an epic song and it came out just when I had started University. I can remember the dance move a friend and me came up with and always did when the riff hit, jumping up and down, sweaty and happy in the middle of a crowd full of fellow students. Insomnia is definitely the soundtrack to my daydreaming of those younger days.
This track was a life changing tipping point for me- Deep,dark, honest, and a groove that's immortal
Just a legendary track. It never gets old, even after all this time it gives you that feeling. RIP Maxi, thanks for the memories! ❤
I remember all of these great tunes.... never associated these songs coming from a dark place, but the years of my life where I had so much fun, freedom and absolutely no responsibility. Happy days and party nights! Still love these catchy tunes and always think about the good old days when I hear them.😊
My friend introduced me to this song when I was 16 in 1996, travelling home on a bus from a college trip to London. Loved your music ever since.
This will always be one of the greatest classics of all time
I still remember the first time I saw them in Brussels Ancient Belgique, (4 april 1997). I stood in the front and in the end, we all jumped on stage and hugged Maxi Jazz. So much energy! Never realized until now that they played this song twice.
wow @4:44 . the riff without anything else gives me chills everytime. its just a timeless legenday peace of composing.
One of my favorite anthems of all time. Got goosebumps listening to the story behind it.
@chalkfarmcarsquadso1664
6 ай бұрын
Ditto. What a tune. 👍👍🙏🙏🙏
Incredible. Love hearing these stories. Like being present at the birth of the universe itself.
@lgarcia1249
2 жыл бұрын
Underrated comment my friend
That is one hell of a riff...there is no getting away from it..tuneeee
This song had me on my knees. One hell of a song to grasp you and take you to another world with your eyes shut it transfixed me. One of my top songs to run to now
This track will NEVER be touched. Beyond legendary.
One of the best "take offs" ever on a dancefloor. Periode!
I truly believe this is one of those songs that will never die.
Maxis voice is so iconic, just seeing a picture of him , I can hear his voice. Rip. And hopefully faithless can continue to create music in his honour