... Ian Van Dahl

Ian Van Dahl debuts at no 5 in the UK with Will I on December 16th, 2001. This follows the no 3 on 5th August, the trance number Castles in the Sky. Ian is in fact the nickname for 27-year-old female producer AnneMie Coenen from Belgium. Castles has already been a hit around Europe and is a favourite with US dance DJs where the song managed to crack the US Top 100.
Lyrics: Castles In The Sky (UK:3), Will I (UK:5)

... Paul Van Dyck featuring St Etienne

Paul Van Dyck's first British top 10, Tell Me Why (The Riddle), is credited as featuring St Etienne, who have never had a top 10 before either, but in fact only singer Sarah Cracknell appears on the no 7 debut of May 14th. The video is very attractively designed with futuristic sets and bubble views of singer and German producer albeit in rather frumpy clothing. Anyway the song fits rather well in the week 20 chart with so many other collaborations, remakes and reissues...

... Armand Van Helden

The mysteriously named Koochy gives Armand Van Helden his first top 10 since You Don't Know Me in February 1999. The track which debuts at no 4 on 14th May, features the classic Gary Numan hit Cars mixed with indecipherable vocals. The video has lots of crashes, explosions, crash test dummies and what science fiction fans will be pleased to point out, the robot enemy from Logan's Run, the insane Box. It may be the first and last re-appearance of Logan's Run in the charts but I doubt it will be last Cars remake...

... Vengaboys

Or should it be B for Bengaboys since that's how it's pronounced. Anyway the party group continue their success in 2000 with Sha La La La which debuts at 5 on the 5th of March, backed by a rather strange Alpen-western video with milk bottles standing in for whisky, and Uncle John From Jamaica which debuts at no 6 on 2nd July. Denice, Kim, Roy and Yorick are based in Holland where Yorick, the sailor, was a famous dolphin trainer before joining the group. Their first British hit was Up and Down in November 1998.
Lyrics: Sha La La La (UK:5), Uncle John From Jamaica (UK:6)