Fatboy Slim vs. Armand van Helden. Story behind the battle of the titans

Fatboy Slim or Armand van Helden? In the spring of 1999, it finally became clear who ruled. In three years, a small South British party Big Beat Boutique spread from one club to the whole planet. To celebrate this joyful event, the organisers decided to arrange a fight between two main DJs from two countries. By that time, Armand and Fatboy were receiving tens of thousands of dollars to make a hit for the dance floors out of non-dancing tracks. Van Helden was a prominent member of the New York house scene and the founding father of UK garage. Fatboy was the leader of the big beat movement, which he developed for many years, mixing house, funk and hip-hop.

Of course, the battle of the titans was part of a joint promotional campaign. Both DJs released a single in support of their most famous albums right before the battle. The American van Helden was actively promoted and published by a major British label FFRR. Rockafeller Skank and You don’t know me were played in every spot. The media allegorically called the duel of top-ranking DJs ‘Battle between Brighton Butcher and Manhattan Mauler’.