Artist
Phats & Small
Why we feature this artist The disco fragment that becomes a new house song Phats & Small’s “Turn Around” is immediately recognisable through a short vocal phrase and a groove that seems to arrive already smiling. The record borrows from older dance music, but…
- From
- United Kingdom
- Sound
- house
- Active
- 1998–present
Start with the music
Tracks to explore
The artist, in context
The story of Phats & Small
Why we feature this artist
The disco fragment that becomes a new house song
Phats & Small’s “Turn Around” is immediately recognisable through a short vocal phrase and a groove that seems to arrive already smiling. The record borrows from older dance music, but its identity comes from how the pieces are placed together. Recognition starts the pleasure; the rhythm keeps it going.
The first album world
The British house project’s breakthrough came in 1999, followed by the debut album Now Phats What I Small Music. “Turn Around”, “Feel Good” and “Tonite” show a consistent interest in bright samples, firm bass movement and a pop hook that can fit comfortably inside a longer club arrangement.
The production uses repetition without making every cycle identical in effect. A vocal fragment returns after the drums have changed, or the bass takes a little more space, and the familiar material suddenly feels newly prominent.
Keeping the groove generous
This Time Around in 2001 offered a broader follow-up, including songs such as “This Time Around” and “Takin’ It”. The early recordings remain connected by a particularly open kind of dance-floor invitation: the tune is clear, the rhythm is steady and the older musical references are allowed to remain audible.
The first album and original extended mixes make a rewarding starting point. They capture a late-1990s house sound in which a carefully chosen sample could become the basis of a new pop identity. The best Phats & Small tracks do enough with the surrounding arrangement to make the borrowed fragment feel newly alive.
Essential releases
Now Phats What I Small Music
The full original setting around the sample-led breakthrough.
This Time Around
The early sound develops through a broader group of songs and grooves.
Turn Around
The signature balance of familiar vocal material and a bright house rhythm.