The Quantic Soul Orchestra

Making his name as an eclectic DJ/producer of global beats and house sounds, Will Holland's live ensemble, The Quantic Soul Orchestra, took him out of the studio and brought together Latin rhythms, soulful power and tropical melodies, and realised his melting pot vision of glorious, contemporary world music. A musical technician often compared to the likes of Mark Ronson, Birmingham-born Holland began the orchestra in 2003 and - with an ever-changing cast of musicians - created blasting funk grooves taking influences from Portugal and Cuba on debut album Stampede. Follow-up Pushin' On (2005) features Alice Russell and its title track was used in the first episode of US TV series Californication, while 1960s soul diva Spanky Wilson fronted the band on I'm Thankful (2006) and turned the project into a joyous retro New Orleans romp. Williams also runs his own label Magnetic Fields, is an obsessive record collector and, after he moved to live in Colombia, his orchestra's fourth album Tropidelico (2007) was made up of Afrobeat, bossa nova, salsa and jazz influences.