Sneaker Pimps is a British Electropop band formed in Reading, England in 1995. They are best known for their first album Becoming X (released in 1996) and particularly the singles "6 Underground",b "Spin Spin Sugar"b and "Tesko Suicide" from that album. They took their name from an article the Beastie Boys published in their Grand Royale magazine about a man they hired to track down classic sneakers. br br The band's founding members were Chris Corner and Liam Howe (both ex-DJs), who then recruited Kelli Dayton (formerly of Lumieres, now recording under the name Kelli Ali) for vocal duties. After the first album, the band felt that demos for second album (on which Corner provided the guide vocals) better suited his voice, especially in regard to the more raw, personal quality of the lyrics. Combined with the fear of being identified with the fad for trip-hop acts (i.e. Portishead), Dayton was asked to leave the group, and Corner became the singer. br br Dayton's departure was well received by some critics who felt that it gave the band a more honest, emotional timbre. Some fans feel that the songs on subsequent Sneaker Pimps albums, Splinter and Bloodsport, have lost the bubblegum feel and have gained an emotional intensity, while others enjoyed Dayton's vocals precisely because of that feel. br br Currently the band are recording material for an as-yet untitled fourth album, having shelved a number of songs previewed live during 2003, and having recruited a new, as-yet unknown, female singer.