Although born in London, Marlon Roudette spent most of his formative years in the Eastern Caribbean, where he fell in love with the reggae music that seemed to spill forth from every storefront. He returned to London as a 17-year-old and quickly met Preetesh Hirji. The two formed Mattafix, a musical duo whose songs combined the island music of Roudette's youth -- reggae, dancehall, and dub -- with electronic loops and urban rhythms. "Big City Life" became the group's signature hit, peaking at number 15 in the U.K. and topping the charts in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and New Zealand. Mattafix released two albums before splitting up in 2010, halfway through the recording sessions for a third release. Roudette signed with Universal as a solo artist and began working on a solo album immediately. "New Age," his first single since splitting with Hirji, became an international chart-topper in July 2011, and the full-length album Matter Fixed followed later that fall. ~ Andrew Leahey