If you've been anywhere near one of those forward-thinking discotheques in the last year and a half, it's almost certain that you'll have encountered The Count & Sinden's dancefloor slaying 'Beeper' ("Hit me on my beeper, hit me on my beeper, beeper, beeper, beeper, beeper..."). A high octane clarion call, 'Beeper' fuses house, electro, garage, R'n'B, booty bass, techno and so much more, in a manner that's neither hackneyed nor stylised, but wholly instinctive. The result is a stone cold 21st Century classic that is the perfect summation of what it means to be living in the UK in 2008 - joyous, inclusive, multicultural and damn good fun. Imagine speed switching the dial on your radio, where all the spellbinding shapes and sounds of the pirate stations come hurtling towards you at breakneck pace, and you'll get some idea of the tracks' alluring charms. Not bad for a tune that came about almost as an afterthought. But then 'Beeper' is characterised by a pleasing serendipity from the bottom up. Having been introduced by a mutual friend, The Count, aka The Count Of Monte Cristal, aka Herve and Sinden, two of dance music's foremost sonic experimentalists, soon realised that they had more in common than a shared love of music. Their opinions on music, films, humour, culture and life were shaped by a mutual spirit and attitude. It was this refreshingly irreverent take on things that formed the basis of their first EP. "Having decided to do an EP, Graeme (Sinden) came and stayed at mine for a few days and we spent hours talking,' recalls The Count. "Not only about music, but juvenile, funny things." "Beeper especially came out of us chatting," confirms Sinden, "where you're not actually being productive, but you are." The pair knew that they wanted to make an honest homage to garage. Not the mind-numbing, bling-encrusted non-entity that garage had become, but the vibrant, incendiary sounds that had been a core constituent of deviant disco since time immemorial. What they got was so much more. Although it was arranged in a traditional song format, 'Beeper' was always designed to be a club track. When it began to be picked up by radio, both were surprised. By March of last year, the duo knew the track had transcended all their original plans. It had become a phenomenon. Regularly hammered by everyone from the Ed Banger crew to the more indie-edged dancing dens, 'Beeper' became the party record of 2007. A title it doesn't look like shaking off this year either. With the partnership now signed to Domino, the track has been re-recorded with vocals coming courtesy of Kid Sister. Rather than pale next to the original, Sinden thinks the revamped version has become the definitive take. "She nailed it," he says. But, as he continues, the tale of 'Beeper' is evidence that you should never take anything for granted. "'Beeper' was meant to be played in DJ sets, it was the last track we did for the EP, but it's taken on a life of its own," he notes. "It's demonstrated that our sound is completely adaptable. It's not one thing. In actuality it's where dance music and urban music meet." When you consider the pair have remixed everyone from Mark Ronson to Pharoahe Monch by way of Mr Hudson And The Library, you can factor in indie, hip hop and easy listening too. "I think it's our strengths coming together," admits Sinden. "I don't think either of us could have made that track (which, incidentally scooped IDJ's coveted 2007 tune of the year no less) on our own." "It's a fun record," says The Count with a smile. "Hopefully, it'll be one of those tracks that is played at house parties and weddings for years to come." 'Beeper' is only the start of the journey for The Count & Sinden. The pair have been burying themselves in their underground bunker writing and recording their debut album, due for release in the summer. If you thought 2007 was their year, you wait until you see what they've got prepared for 2008.