This disc differed from the previous works in the use of real instruments and a larger number of guest vocalists. Nevertheless, this story had a deep impact on the emotional charge of the next album by Fatboy Slim - Palookaville, which had dance hits Slash Dot Dash and The Joker. In 2003, Fatboy Slim parted with his wife, but the couple re-united in three months after the highly publicized separation. Although there was found no guilt by Kook, he was forbidden to perform in Brighton. In 2002, Fatboy Slim gave a DJ concert in Brighton, which resulted in two deaths. The success was supported by the energetic single Weapon Of Choice, noticeable for its video, starring Christopher Walken. The Halfway Between The Gutter And The Stars full-length saw light in 2000 and featured slow, meditative track Sunset (Bird Of Prey), based on the sample of Jim Morrison from The Doors. In 1999, the artist married British TV-person Zoe Ball, with whom he met during one of his DJ sets on Ibiza.
The music by Fatboy Slim was actively used on television and in advertisements. Its hits The Rockafeller Skank, Praise You and Right Here Right Now, based on samples of classical soul tracks, got many awards and praises. The second album You've Come A Long Way, Baby was issued in 1998. In 1996, the career of the musician gave a drastic leap - his album Better Living Through Chemistry, released under the pen name of Fatboy Slim, instantly made Kook an extremely popular artist. Kook became one of the founders of dance genre known as big beat - the combination of hip hop, rock, break beat and R&B. His album Pizzamania produced such dance hits as Trippin' On Sunshine, Sex On The Streets and Happiness. In 1995, Kook began to create under the pseudonym Pizzaman. The band achieved moderate success and later changed the name for Fried Funk Food. The second disc by the band Excursion On The Version did not copy the success of the previous disc and Kook concentrated on his new project - Freakpower. In some time, the artist organized the command Beats International - its first album Let Then Eat Bingo featured the hit Dub Be Good To Me. Kook came back to Brighton in order to pursue his interest in dance music - around that time he met the studio engineer Simon Thornton, who has been collaborating with him until now. The musicians made two hits - Happy Hour and cover for Caravan Of Love, originally by The Isley Brothers. In 1985, Kook became the bassist for the indie-rock band The Housemartins. At the age of eighteen, he moved to Brighton and soon made a name in local clubs. During his college study, Kook began to train his DJ skills. In Reigate he formed his first band - punk trio Peroxide, but soon became the bassist (and later lead vocalist) in the rock band Disque Attack. Musician and producer Quentin Leo Kook, also known as Norman Kook or Fatboy Slim, was born in Bromley, Kent, in 1963.