Day One

by Heather PharesThe Bristol-based electronic/rock group Day One consists of vocalist Phelim Byrne and multi-instrumentalist Donni Hardwidge. The duo began collaborating in the mid-'90s, blending the storytelling traditions of hip-hop and British folk along with a slew of musical influences, including jazz and classic rock. Day One's experiments coalesced into a three-song demo, a copy of which made its way to Massive Attack's 3D; soon after, Day One were signed to Melankolic, the pioneering trip-hop group's boutique label. While recording their debut album Ordinary Man, the group tried a variety of studios and producers before settling on Mario Caldato Jr., the Beastie Boys' producer of choice. Ordinary Man was co-released by Melankolic and Astralwerks in early 2000.