Klute

Treasons Questions for Klute: Freiburg 14 06 2003

1. What are the advantages of playing records over playing the guitar?

2. What is the link between Punk and Drum and Bass (if any)?

3. Is it harder now to establish yourself as a dance music producer,  than when you got started?

4. Did your work with the Stupids help or hinder your Start in Electronic Music?

5. Do you get bored of answering the where did the name Klute come from question?

6. How do you handle the "clearing your samples problem"?

7. What is it like having your own lable?

FirewireWebsite

Klute alias Tom Withers kam Anfang der neunziger Jahre erstmals mit elektronischer Musik in den USA in Berührung und ist seitdem als Produzent aktiv. Beeinflusst durch Techno und Detroit Sounds veröffentlichte Klute seine ersten Releases auf dem Kultlabel "Certificate 18", welches seinen Sound gut repräsentierte und auch schon Stars wie Photek und Source Direct beim Beginn ihrer Karriere als Plattform diente. In den letzten vier Jahren konnte sich Klute auch als DJ großer Beliebtheit erfreuen, seine zahlreichen DJ-Gigs führten ihn bereits rund um den Erdball. Dabei läßt sich sein Stil zwar nur schwer in eine Schublade stecken, tendiert jedoch zum düstererem, technoiden Drum'n'Bass. Seine Sets orientieren sich dabei aber immer am Publikum, am ehesten lassen sie sich wohl mit dem Begriff "open-minded" charakterisieren.  Seit den ersten Releases bis zum gerade aktuellen 3. Album auf seinem eigenen Label "Commercial Suicide" ist Klute immer bestrebt gewesen, neue Stilarten zu präsentieren und die Grenzen von Drum&Bass mit seinen eigenen Soundvorstellungen zu erweitern. Seine Produktionen sind aus den Plattenkoffern der meisten DJs weltweit nicht mehr wegzudenken. Der im Mai erscheinende Longplayer "Lie, Cheat and Steal" wird jetzt schon als Album des Jahres gehandelt. Das Album beinhaltet 12 Drum & Bass Hits, meist organischer und poppiger als zuvor, aber nach wie vor auf der Suche nach futuristischen, schrägen und disharmonischen Klängen. Obwohl zum Drum & Bass Album noch eine eigenwillige zweite Techno/Breaks CD als Zugabe draufgepackt wird, ist auch ersteres sehr technoid - in dem Sinne, daß sichviel Schlagzeug des ehemaligen Drummers der "Stupids" ohne Pausen durch die CD trommelt. Doch die Melange aus natürlichen Sounds, abgedrehten Synths und gekonnt sparsam eingesetzten Vocals ist einzigartig, was rauskommt ist wohl Pop-Musik der Zukunft für Anspruchsvolle. Neben den zwei größten Hits "Song Seller " und "Part Of Me" gibt es 10 brandneue Tracks, die mehr als in früheren Alben echte Dancefloor-Hits sind. Klute's Dubplates werden von Djs wie Goldie, Bailey, Doc Scott, Marcus Intalex, Fabio, Trace, Andy C und Ed Rush gespielt, hier wie auch bei seiner Zugehörigkeit zu Labels wie Metalheadz und 31 Records wird sein enormes Ansehen in der Drum & Bass Szene deutlich. Mit den Firewire DJ's Subside, Choice, und dem mittlerweile sehr beliebten MC Sinista aus Ludwigshafen wird das Event abgerundet. Als zusätzlichen Gast-DJ konnten wir Double-L aus Ravensburg/Freiburg gewinnen, der unter anderem bei der erfolgreichen Partyreihe "Reclaim the Beats" im Douala in Ravensburg mitwirkt. Als weiteres Bonbon ist eine Lasershow im Outdoorbereich geplant; weitere Infos hierzu folgen in den nächsten Tagen...Das Event wird mit freundlicher Unterstützung von den beat agents - Freiburg präsentiert.

From Godbrain

KLUTE 'LIE, CHEAT AND STEAL' COMMERCIAL SUICIDE 2LP (3x)/2CD (JUN 2003)

Klute, the uncompromising drum'n'bass phenomenon has returned to the album arena, with his third long player ‘Lie Cheat And Steal’ on his own Commercial Suicide label. Klute (born Tim Withers) has been a well known fixture on the drum'n'bass scene for over eight years, releasing for the likes of Metalheadz, 31 Records, Hospital and his early stable Certificate 18, responsible for releasing his first two albums ‘Casual Bodies’ and ‘Fear Of People’. In 2001 Klute created his own imprint Commercial Suicide in order to have more creative input in his releases and provide a support network for the ever increasing new generation of like minded producers. So far the label has released original tracks from other producers such as Calibre, Digital, Total Science, Concord Dawn, and Austrian prodigy D-Kay. Klute's third instalment of album experimentation has taken on a life of its own of late. The result? Not one but two albums of future thinking electronic magic. The first CD (‘Lie, Cheat And Steal’) is an inimitable announcement of intent to a genre that rarely dips below its own stale surface, a marriage of musicality and dancefloor appeal – perfect for both clubs and living rooms. This CD features the the drum'n'bass hits ‘Part Of Me’ and ‘Song Seller’, and a monstrous remix of the legendary ‘Glue Sniffer’. Compliment this with the down tempo/techno project on CD2 (‘You Should Be Ashamed’), which is its perfect companion with its downtempo and techno beats, and together you have a legacy fitting of a producer with the depth of knowledge and experience as Klute.

Certificate 18 web site

 From the earliest recordings to his forthcoming second album for Certificate 18, the sound of Klute has remained at the cutting edge of drum & bass for close to a decade. Tom Withers, the production force behind the project, fuses elements of Techno elements with intricate beats and emotive arrangements to form a distinct hybrid. Although now eclipsed by his work as Klute, Tom's induction to the music industry came in the eighties with his role in the notorious skate punk band 'The Stupids' however, after three albums, ever-increasing attention got the better of the band and they split. Following the break up Tom took some time out to travel around the US, where he first discovered 'electronic' music, as he explains. " I started listening to a hell of a lot of techno, but when I came into it all of the strands were pretty much lumped together so that if you went out you would hear anything from Belgian rave to progressive house." " Becoming involved in the music was never a calculated move, more something which just ended up happening. I bought a drum machine but found that I was more interested in having my own sounds and it seemed a logical step to buy a sampler - I haven't really picked up the guitar since." On returning to England in 1993 he settled in Ipswich, with his early material surfacing on Deep Red although it was his recordings under the KLUTE pseudonym ("the word has aesthetically pleased me since I was a child," he laughs) at Certificate 18 that brought widespread attention. Already enjoying considerable success with artists such as Photek and Digital, the label suited Tom's techno influences. His singles have stretched the genre, with the eerie, deep space manoeuvres of 'Total Self' contrasted against the seminal 'Leo Nine,' which captured the essence of Speed with delicate synth constructs propelled by tumbling percussives and an unforgettably deep bassline. "I've tended to just do what I do and not think too heavily about the concepts behind it," says Tom. "It's those times when I'm lost in the space of a track that it really starts happening for me. Different things please different minds, but it is the challenge of making something new and avoiding things that are perhaps too obvious or familiar that keeps me interested. I listen to quite a wide variety of music but have always tended to be quite marginal; outside looking in - so a 'science fiction feel ' for me is more abstract than buzzing computers and dark sounds. I'm very much into portraying an image, but try to present that image in a distorted manner so a track or a title could mean any one of many things. I guess my music isn't the easiest to get into, and if I had to provide a description it would be as intimate terrorism in that I try go out of my way to stretch expectations of what music." After four years at Certificate 18, Tom released the debut KLUTE longplayer, 'Casual Bodies.' The album extended on the singles, coupling a complex blend of sounds sourced from the vaults of Detroit Techno with complex beat programming, which worked with as opposed to pulling against the atmospherics. The resulting level headed feel allowed the more unusual tracks to leap from the system with liquid agility, abstract sounds built into molten landscapes of percussion. Adds Tom; "Casual Bodies is a reference to the mass of people out there without referring to them as individuals. For me and my musical background I feel that the first album is often the burning one - tearing it out of the garage and getting that fury out of you and once completed it is almost as though you're free to expand and develop what you are doing a lot further." He feels his recently completed second album, 'Fear of People,' is quite different from the first. "It's difficult for me to offer a perception of this one as I'm still settling on it, other than I am more relaxed with what I'm doing and feel able to do more on the musical side of things." In explaining the curious title he adds, "Again it's not necessarily a negative or paranoid thought, more two fingers to the pretentiousness which seems to accompany a lot of the dance music scene and an observation of the reluctance of a lot of people to take their music a step further. The real reason behind the title is to reflect what seems to be a prevalence of fear in modern day living, whether that's a fear of crime or missed opportunities and we almost encourage ourselves to be equipped with this fear. I wanted to move away from that and adopt a deeper and emotional outlook within my music. I think a lot of people have been turned off by certain elements of drum & bass, and I would hope that 'Fear of People' demonstrates a side of the music which doesn't exclude anyone and shows that there is still much that can be done within the genre." This is demonstrated in the album, with the introduction of vocals acting to further humanize the electronics while the instrumental material is as focused as ever with multi faceted rhythm sections balanced by melancholic low end and thoughtful melodic leads."To me drum & bass is a form of music which has always been out on a limb and the tracks that have shocked me are those that have expanded on what went before them," explains Tom. "Whether that's people using the technology in ways that you're not supposed to or just turning around sounds in different ways. As far as I am concerned people taking chances is the future and I would like to think that my material falls into that category." Words: Kingsley Marshall

February 2001 DNB online exclusive interviews 5: KLUTE (Certificate 18)

Firstly, why the name Klute?
Nothing other than personal asthetic, it's originally from the 1971 film starring Jane Fonda and Donny Sutherland, But I did'nt just call myself after it.

How did you get into drum and bass music, and music production as a whole?
I got into it back in 1992 when people started to call what was basically urban breakbeat techno, jungle.....this is still my preferred term because that's what it is. It was only until a couple of years later that people started using the term Drum and bass......I guess to distinguish itself from the overexposure of "ragga jungle" like General Levy etc. I've been into music production one way or another since 1980. Ive always been into home recording.....so I guess it was always a dream of mine to record records at home........at first it was cassette players, later it was 4 track porta studios......and then a sampler.....i guess the technology leads you in other directions......so I gave up recording guitars.......and instead fucked around with breakbeats.

You have a few down tempo tracks on the album, which help to build a more complete picture of Klute production as a whole, what was the criteria you set out to achieve when working on this new album?
I think, when it comes down to it , when I first started the album I just got on with making music........and it continued that way.....as I collected tracks as I went on I'd start to get a clearer picture of what I needed or where I could go......I definitely decided that I wanted to double up on "non d+b tracks" so I went for 4 instead of 2 . I didn't want to do more than that as I definitely wanted to make a drum and bass album.....next time we'll see.

After completing "Fear of people", do you see it as a great departure from your last LP "Casual bodies ?"
Yes and no. It's about 2 years older (casual nbodies) so I guess I have gained interms of more experience......but in other ways I see "Fear of..." as leading on from "Casual...", it seems like a natural progression......but it still mearly hints at where im heading.

You have been promoting the album recently, do you dj often, and where can we catch you?
Yes, ive been djing very often.....sometimes I have to stop bookings so I can get a nice long run in the studio..........for details of upcoming dates check my website.....www.kluteproductions.co.uk .

You have recently launched your own website www.kluteproductions.co.uk , do you think drum and bass is represented well on the web?
Yes, I think d+b has a lot of support on the web........the web is what has kept it going outside of the uk, and therefore propped it up considerably in the uk as well. This goes for all forms of music (on other things of course!).

What forthcoming releases and remix work can we expect from Klute in the near future?
Coming out in a week or two is the "moving Finger" ep on Cert.18......which is basically the non d+b tracks from the "Fear of....." cd. After that will be another two sinles from the lp.....basically one d+b and one not. In january ive got a remix coming out on Skunkrock recordings, of "Intastate" by Kabuki+Savine. Ive got new tracks written with a view to start my own label....but ive not finalized anything just yet.......keep watching my web site for details.

How do you perceive the state of the drum'n'bass scene today?
In the whole scheme of things......like what else goes on in the real world..........well it's not really an issue is it? Just get on with it. If you like it fine......if not..... ......oh well!!!

Many thanks for your time Klute, is there anything else you would like to add?
Thanks a lot for your time and interest.........I'll be busy so keep checking me out!

Things Don't Come Cheap: Klute Interview
Words: Kingsley Marshall

Since his first vinyl outings on Ipswich's Deep Red records Tom Withers, the production force behind Klute, has remained at the very cutting edge of drum and bass. It was his recordings for the Certificate 18 label however, which brought widespread attention - his music moving with a liquid agility, abstract melodics blazing vapor trails above molten landscapes of percussion. His first two albums for the label, "Casual Bodies" and 2000s "Fear of People" successfully expanded upon his previous work, shying away from any single subgenre in favour of throwing down a complex blend of sounds; intricate beat programming pushing against the gravitational draw of soaring orchestration.

Having split from C18 in 2000, he contributed to the likes of 31, Hospital, Advanced and Metalheadz before launching his own pessimistically monikered Commercial Suicide, the bubbling synths of his opening Tranceformat providing the foundation for a barrage of well-received singles from the likes of Hive, Echo, John Tejada, Digital, Spirit and lesser known Illskillz and AI.

"The idea of not having anyone else to manage my label was quite frightening at first, but I soon overcame that and realized it was the best thing I had ever done," opens Tom. "I set off with no real expectations and after releasing a couple of my own singles I became interested in releasing other people's music. There are certain things I am trying to say with the label, but other than releasing music that I like there is no real set agenda, to the point where I'm intending to release other styles of music beyond drum and bass in the future."

His first album for the label marks this first genre shift. Coming in two parts - the drum & bass master class of "Lie, Cheat and Steal" is countered with "You Should Be Ashamed," a second CD which wanders a techno path. The gestation for the album began close to three years ago, as Tom explains. "I had written one of the techno tracks around the time my contract came to an end with Certificate 18. The project was always going to be a mix up of styles but I eventually came to the conclusion that, as I had accumulated so much techno in addition to the drum and bass, I'd offer up two albums in one rather than dilute it."

"I had other offers from other labels to release "Lie Cheat & Steal," but came to the conclusion that if I didn't release through Commercial Suicide then I would be admitting to myself the label was just a sideline," he says. "The titles are both quite ambiguous, but are really directed towards the way I perceive the music business has been conducting itself. Major labels have basically milked artists for all they can get to the point that picking an album now feels to me more like buying a burger rather than a deeply moving emotive experience. Of course, there are still many true believers in music but I can see a trend emerging for the independent music makers to follow the majors and try to market their music accordingly."

"I guess with the label I wanted to antagonize people - make them wonder what the hell I'm doing and to question what's going on around them. I would hate to be known for just one style of drum and bass and therefore like to chop and change as much as I can. This is drum and bass obviously and we are dealing inside of these parameters - for now."

Klute is set to tour North America later in July with Breakbeat Science.

treason: This guy is a big success at the moment and has playes the waldsee in Freiburg.

Mickey Finn

treason : Claim To Fame : Co produced "Dark Selector" with Aphrodite. There is also an interesting doco on the net about him setting up some gigs in London.

Ed Rush

treason : I had a listen to one of this guys albums pretty experimental,  Hard edjed .

knowledge : Artist quote:“The main thing is that I have fun. It's not like I’m in the studio slaving over the machines. I’m always jumping around, there's a lot of weed smoking going on and plenty of laughter. I think you can hear that in the music as well. It's not all tight and restricted, a lot of it's quite loose” The knowledge: Like when you get up too quickly? I think you mean head rush, but then again that’s what Ed, aka Ben Settle, is trying to get at. The jungle stalwart has been on the scene since the beginning of the 1993, when, along with his neighbour and fellow drum and bass head Nico Sykes, he produced the thrillingly dark track ‘Bludclot Artattack’  Is he dyslexic? No, it’s for effect. Who says we have to spell correctly, that kind of thing Okay, what next? Two years on Rush released ‘Guncheck’, thereby stamping his name on the new wave of drum & bass and became very much a force to be reckoned with. From here Rush began producing tracks with ridiculously large, distorted basslines, which soon found their way into the drum & bass mainstream  Scary bass: Quite. Tracks like ‘Kilimanjaro’ and ‘The Raven’ from the ‘Syklab EP’ epitomised the sound and shook soundsystems everywhere. Rush was and remains a regular on London’s drum & bass circuit spinning his dense, broody tunes all over the capital, with regular slots at Fabric and The End What of this Optical fellow? Well, Ed teamed up with Optical, another defining drum & bass figure of the time, in 1997, to set up the Virus label and begin producing as a duo. If Rush is king of the beats, Optical is king of the unusual sounds Good on them: Their ‘Wormhole’ album, released the following year, was yet further testament that both Rush and Optical were on top of the game, and very precise innovators of the scene moving the sound forward from breakbeat to two-step. Their reputation was further strengthened in late 2000 with the release of ‘The Creeps’, the follow-up to ‘Wormhole’  Most likely to say: “Can’t hear you through the bass mate” Don’t say: “Oh drum & bass, that’s sooo not happening anymore”  Not to be confused with: Optical, Ed Winchester, Ian Rush

Optical 

Matt Quinn's recordings as Optical skirt the atmospheric side of neuro-funk drum'n'bass, the paranoid musings of a handful of industrial-strength British producers like Ed Rush, Source Direct and Quinn's brother Jamie, who records as Matrix. Jamie and Matt began releasing singles on their own Metro Records from a West London base, with Matrix's "Double Vision" alongside Optical's "Shining" as the label's opening shots. Optical recorded for a half-dozen other imprints as well, including Goldie's Metalheadz and Grooverider's Prototype. The producer's two contributions to those labels (respectively, "To Shape the Future" and "Grey Odyssey") raised his profile considerably after gaining re-release on CD compilations — Goldie's Platinum Breakz II and Grooverider's The Prototype Years. He had already earned a reputation as one of the most hotly tipped producers of 1997 when another classic single for Prototype, "Moving 808s," hit big late that year.
By 1998, Quinn had been tapped to contribute his engineering expertise to two of the most hyped jungle LPs of the year — Goldie's SaturnzReturn (replacing Rob Playford) and Grooverider's Mysteries of Funk. He also earned co-production credits on Dom & Roland's Industry, and continued to release single after single of intense, Predator-styled drum'n'bass. After forming his own label, Virus, with No-U-Turn Records don Ed Rush, he was co-billed with Rush on a five-LP set titled Wormhole, the first full-length to actually carry Optical's name. — John Bush

Andy C

Andy C has been voted the world’s top drum & bass DJ in a poll carried out by Drum & Bass Arena. The dedicated drum & bass website have been running the poll since November last year and received an overwhelming 91,000 votes between then and now, from all over the world.  Andy C topped the poll by a long way with DJ Hype coming in second and Ed Rush taking the bronze medal. Further details were unavailable at time of going to press. Drum & Bass Arena will be holding their Poll Winners Party at Fabric on Friday March 6 with appearances from Andy C, Hype and Ed Rush as well as a host of other d&b DJs, and MCs GQ, Skibadee and Power.

4Hero

treason : Claim To Fame : These guys contributed allot of stuff to Dance Music Programming secrets by Roger Brown.

Artist quote: "When we started making this music it was nameless. It wasn't just about the drum & bass scene and those barriers - it was something much wider that concentrated on experimentation. We've always tried to expand on what is happening in the dance scene in general. I suppose that's why people have always seen us outside drum & bass, because we've never concentrated on being just a part of that scene" (Mark Clair) The knowledge: Who? 4 Hero, treasured talents from the drum & bass scene producing consistently interesting music. Dego McFarlane and Mark Clair are the men with the vision, but are notoriously unaffected by publicity. This has helped to maintain the mystique that surrounds them  Unaffected? By publicity yes, but not by music. This duo will record any music that feels right, whether it be drum & bass, techno, house, hip hop or downbeat tracks. As a result of this compositional diversity, they receive respect from all corners of the dance music industry, whether it be the hard jungle fraternity, the house heads or the techno producers of Detroit. But the purists don’t always see it like that. Their label Reinforced Records, formed with childhood friends Iain Bardouille and Gus Lawrence, deals mainly in breaks and was one of the first labels a young producer named Goldie recorded tracks on under the name ‘Rufige Cru’. He even designed the label’s logo  Cool: So it would seem. They record under many different pseudonyms too, so you may have heard some of their storming sonic constructions and not even realised. Previously they’ve done stuff as Jacob’s Optical Stairway, Tek 9, Nu Era and Tom & Jerry among many others. Collaborations with the likes of Josh Wink, King Britt and Juan Atkins have further added to the overall appeal of these remarkable musicians. They are particularly fond of the sounds of the Motor City and remain one of the only UK labels to have close links with the mystical Underground Resistance  Underground Resistance? They sound like a Tube protest group: Don’t be clever, they actually make staggeringly good jazz techno records What, like Shakatak? Oh do shut up  And the music? Arguably their finest moment was their third album ‘Two Pages’, a collection that had people from all ends of the dance music spectrum raving about it, even if it was a bit self-indulgent. Always a good sign  Known Associates: Underground Resistance, the entire drum & bass fraternity, blokes who sell old keyboards made out of stone  Most Likely to: Continue to push the boundaries of sound until they don’t exist anymore   Least Likely to: Sell out to The Man  Do Say: They’re continuing the tradition of making experimental dance music   Don’t say: ‘Two Pages’ sounds a bit like Kenny G

Goldie

treason : My favourite Goldie track is terminator.

Artist quote:"Some people might call what I do 'drum & bass’. But I'm not going to narrow it down to what [the industry] thinks is commercially viable. I'm really not into narrow thinking. Making this music is like poker. You begin with five cards. You don't play poker with two cards. That's just the rule of the game. Once you learn how to play, you can bend the rules" The knowledge: What-ie? Give me strength. Goldie, the man who created arguably the finest drum & bass album ever made. His debut album ‘Timeless’ was the first to take the jungle sound to a wider audience on its release in 1995 and also the first to be released on a major label. He shot from no-list to a-list Met bar celeb in the space of a couple of years  A-list, eh? Oh yes, rarely seen without a glass of fizz in one hand and a supermodel on the other, Mr Goldie really is a regular champagne Charlie these days   What about this Roughage Crew? Into health food is he? No it just sounds like he is. Anyway, he’s an actor now  Acting? Not a usual DJ pursuit? Admittedly he didn’t have that many lines, but the calibre of the part (Bull, a bad guy in the Bond film ‘The World is Not Enough’) spoke for itself. The gold teeth gave him that modern day Jaws effect. For a young graffiti artist from Wolverhampton, it’s not bad going really  Any other brushes with greatness? When he headed to NYC to pursue his passion for street art and hip hop, he impressed a certain Afrika Bambaataa with his work, consequently appearing in the classic graffiti movie ‘Bombing’  Good skills: Good skills indeed. Skills that extended to setting up his Metalheadz label, releasing some of the roughest, darkest breaks ever placed onto wax. He broke many an act with this imprint including Peshay, Photek and Alex Reece. He’s pretty nifty on the decks too, still drawing the crowds  Known accomplices: The Gallagher brothers, the Appleton sisters, Robbie Williams, Pierce Brosnan. The London celebrity party massive at large, Dave Lee Travis  Not to be confused with: Goldie Hawne, though this is unlikely, Jaws Most likely to: Be on the guestlist Least likely to: Not be on the guestlist

Rob Playford

Sizza : Rob Playford,is of course the founder of the MOVING SHADOW label! he started out in 1990, selling his first releases out of the back of his car...Today he's the CEO of one of the most influential D&B-Labels ever.They even do Soundtracks for videogames and Hollywood movies. ENDQUOTE.

Rob has recently produced the Melanie C No 1 `I Turn To You' with Rick Nowels, plus tracks for Snowponyfor Radioactive NY at his own studio in He is currently working with Justin Robertsonon new Lionrockmaterial. He recently co-produced a Jennie Lofgrentrack with Rick Nowels for Sony and produced Marlo from Bomfunk MCs. Rob's musical career began in 1985 as a DJ, spinning soul and hip hop platters around local venues in Hertfordshire. Early influences included the Human League, Heaven 17 and Depeche Mode but by the time Run DMC and the Beastie Boys hit the music scene, Rob's interest was fixed firmly on dance music. From here he embarked upon a career that has taken him around the world DJing, seen him achieve huge critical and financial success through Moving Shadow Records, arguably the worlds premier drum & bass label, and on to produce & write one of dance music's finest classic albums, `Timeless', with Goldie. Rob has been instrumental in pushing developments in drum & bass music and technology and has, via Moving Shadow Records, showcased some of the finest and most innovative dance music to emerge from the UK in the last 10 years. Recent projects include producing Japanese songstress Monday Michuru, remixing Tin Star, The Fugees, Bush, Garbage,Black Grape, Hard Knox, David Bowie, Control Freqand ...

Doc Scott

treason : Doc Scotts claim to fame in my books is the remix of here come the drums.

The recipient of the first release on the influential Metalheadz Recordings — which he co-founded with Goldie and an early inspiration on the jungle star, Doc Scott began producing records in the early days of the '90s, when jungle was in its tender infancy. The ever-joyous strains of rave and hardcore were gradually giving way to darker sounds, more influenced by hip-hop, and few producers did more to birth the dark mid-'90s sound of jungle than Scott. A resident of Coventry, he was early inspired by the heady moods of the Blade Runner soundtrack as well as Detroit figures such as Derrick and Kevin Saunderson, and after receiving a pair of turntables at the age of 18, he began DJing. Scott played live dates at raves during 1989-90, and soon after gave up his job as a telephone worker to enter music full-time. His early recordings for Absolute 2 like NHS,Vol. 2 and Surgery made him one of the top names in the emerging hardcore scene, and Scott soon became part of the Reinforced Recordings crew, which included Dego and Mark Mac of 4 Hero, and later,Goldie. Scott's 1992 EP for Reinforced, Nasty Habits As Nasty as I Wanna Be, set the template for darkside drum'n'bass with the classic "Here Come the Drumz." He and  Goldie recorded several tracks together while at Reinforced, then formed Metalheadz in 1994. The Doc Scott single "VIP Drums" proved to be the label's first release, starting out Metalheadz with style and foreshadowing additional releases such as "Far Away" and an update of "Here Come the Drumz" titled "Drumz 95." Scott recorded as well for LTJ Bukem's Good Looking Records, and set up his own label in 1996. That same year, he released a volume in the Mixmag Live! series of DJ albums. — John Bush

Photek

treason : I know photek because he she they did the remix of the orbital track "The seven samurai" that is the source of the samurai break.

Aqua Sky

treason : Dono anything about this guy.

LTJ Bookum

Treason: Saw a set of his once on the telly it was pretty new jazz tres smooth! Good looking organization : Just who is LTJ Bukem? Ground breaking DJ? Inspirational musician? Record label entrepreneur? Club visionary, perhaps? When the man behind those wire rimmed glasses and that disarming smile writes his job description just what does he put? The man who took the drum and bass concept from a small venue off London's Charing Cross Road to the nation's superclubs and then onto the international stage? The geezer whose records launched breakbeat into a brand new galaxy of sound? Or maybe he just writes 'Renaissance man for a digital age'. In truth LTJ Bukem is all of the above. Although he wouldn't like to admit it, LTJ Bukem is the living embodiment of the post-acid house entrepreneurial creative spirit. He is a mild mannered energy flash whose panoramic musical vision has found success in every area he has explored. From running soundsystems to cutting up breaks at raves, from relocating the heart of breakbeat culture to redefining the spirit of drum and bass, the man known to his friends as Danny Williamson has sat at the forefront of breakbeat evolution, lighting the way with little more than a zest for life and a love of music. In other words, LTJ Bukem is a man on a mission! Bukem's first introduction to music was, like so many others, through piano lessons as a child. Unlike so many others however, the young pianist turned out to possess a natural talent and he quickly moved through the piano grades. Classical music represented the soundtrack to his home life. Both parents having a passion for Rachmaninov and Tchaikovsky that rubbed off on their son. However it was when the family moved to Watford and Bukem changed music teachers that he developed his first true musical love. Thanks to a progressively minded teacher called Nigel Crouch - with whom he lost touch but, after a long search, has recently found again - he was introduced to the world of jazz fusion, a style which has informed his work ever since. In the mid eighties, at the age of seventeen, Bukem discovered the joys of clubbing. The teenager regularly checked out the local soul clubs and legendary rare groove all dayers. As a keen record buyer he soon became interested in the idea of putting over his own version of the club soundtrack and before long he got involved with a sound system. Throughout this time he also had a jazz funk band, although this had never presented itself as a serious past-time… just fun. The DJing was his main thing and by 1987 he gained something of a reputation for his sets. However it was 1988 that Bukem first realised that DJing could offer a full-on career. In 1990, LTJ Bukem got his first big break at Raindance. Booked to play between 1 & 2 AM in front of 10,000 people, it was the first true test of the fledgling DJ skills. It may have taken all his mates to push him onto the stage but it proved to be a set that he'll never forget. From the first track he ripped it up and LTJ Bukem, the world class DJ was truly born. Around this time Bukem had also ventured into the studio to record a track which was to become one of the most influential records of the era. Called 'Logical Progression' it surfaced on the newly formed Vinyl Mania imprint. At once anthemic and relaxing it offered the first true blueprint to Bukem's sonic vision. By the time of his follow up to 'Logical Progression' Bukem had set up his own imprint. Run from a small office in Harlesden, London, the label was christened Good Looking and its debut offering came in the shape of 'Demon's Theme'. Finished in mid 1990 and pressed up onto dub-plate, Bukem dropped it into his sets for a full year just to test the reaction before he finally released the track officially in July 91. 'Demon's Theme' caught people's imaginations immediately, its soulful combination of rushing breaks, lush ambience and mellow vibes opening up fresh vistas within the increasingly dark ambience of the rave. Bukem's next release was 'Apollo' in 92, however his biggest breakthrough came with his next release 'Music' in 1993. In 1994 Bukem unleashed '19.5' while the release of the similarly epic 'Horizons' coincided with the opening of the legendary "Speed" at the Mars Bar off the Charing Cross Road in London. It was an important time for Bukem. The label was gaining ground with its growing catalogue of must-have tunes and his own in-demand DJing. The launch of Speed was intended to run hand in hand with the growth of Good Looking while also offering a focal point for the growing drum and bass scene. After a shaky start, which almost forced the night into closure, "Speed" quite literally took off one night in the summer of '94. Typically for Bukem he made the most of the situation to forward his vision. He used the sudden media limelight to highlight Good looking Records and its label roster. In 1995 the label licensed a compilation to London Records. Called "Logical Progression" it featured exclusive cuts from the roster alongside old tracks and is still one of the highest selling drum 'n' bass compilations to have been released. "I wanted to see the label grow, I wanted to invest in the people who were signed to the label, so the move had to happen. It was never simply about LTJ Bukem, it was about Good Looking Records, Logical Progression and the sound." Bukem's own music never took a back seat. There were remixes (including astounding reworks of Jodeci's "Feenin" and Michelle Gayle's "Sweetness"), his own addition to the label compilations and a collaboration with David Arnold on the infamous James Bond theme to "Thunderball" In the middle of all of this rampant activity Bukem also managed to release the "Mystical Realms EP" in March 98. The EP featured "Twilight Voyage" with some somber flute refrains, chopping keys and outer world ambience. The vocal and instrumental versions of "Orchestral Jam", with its urgent break, echo dropped sonar and dissonant violins, and final track; the reflective, Herbie Hancock-esque "Journey Inwards". Three new tracks, each representing a deeper development of the Bukem sound, further underlining Bukem's position as a sonic leader of post rave breakbeat culture. Bukem went further and continued to produce and mix some of the World's best Drum 'n' Bass and cross-over compilations that have ever been put out. Titles such as Progression Sessions, Earth and further instalments of Logical Progression series have become notorious for their and exciting directions that Bukem has always strived to take, but without losing sight of his original musical roots and all the things that inspired him in the beginning. The begining of the 21st century saw LTJ Bukem continuing his extraordinary musical odyssey with his long awaited solo album Journey Inwards. A diverse and multi directional album of Drum 'n' Bass, Soul, Downbeat and house tracks that opened the eyes of those that had no faith and warmed the soul's and inner belief's of those that did. He has also added to his impressive remixing portfolio with his interpretation of "The Essence" by jazz legend Herbie Hancock. On top of this he has continued the Progression Sessions series, with a storming live performance from the USA captured on CD, compiled the highly acclaimed Soulfood and Soul Addiction compilations, released not one but two Producer CDs, and continued to set the venues of the world alight with his stunning DJ sets. It's all a matter of opinion ! Text by Martin James Edited and updated by Mat Bush Photo by Nick Purser

Bomb the bass

treason : My favourite bomb the bass track is "bug powder dust". I first heard about him from a aquaintance trilby who is now the sample artist for audio responce group. He has produced lots of stuff for Depech Mode, Nene Cherry,  David Bowie and Björk. EndQuote.

Tim Simenon - producer/director, DJ, turntables, scratches, beats and samples. Known for: mixing/producing Depeche Mode, Neneh Cherry, Gavin Friday, Sinead O'Connor, Seal, Curve and more.

MC Killa B 

treason : MCs for Bassface on Occasion, He has been interviewed by treason : for the drum and breakfast show.

Bassface Sascha

treason : Bassface has been intervied by treason for the drum and breakfast show. Watchout English speaker here comes some German!  bassface :  Nach seinem Album Debut "Different Faces" auf Mole Listening Pearls und diversen Remixen für namhafte Künstler wie Emi  nem, Armand van Helden, Jazzkantine, Brian Ales u.v.m. kehrt Bassface Sascha zusammen mit Machine-Label-Partner Sebel (London) und DJ Viper mit frischem Material auf Smokin' Drum Recordings zurück. Eine Mix CD begleitend zur Serie von triple Vinyls mit dem Titel "MACHINE VS SMOKIN' DRUM" Round 1 wird am 27. August 2002 veröffentlicht. Als Vollblut-DJ, der seine erste Residenz 1984 im zarten Alter von 14 Jahren  innehatte, prägte Bassface Sascha zusammen mit Groover Klein das Mannheimer milk! und goss beharrlich das zarte Pflänzchen namens Drum&Bass. 1994 gründete er mit Smokin' Drum Recordings das erste deutsche Label für gebrochene Beats und tiefe Bässe. Er darf von sich behaupten, der Drum&Bass Pioneer Deutschlands zu sein. Seine Gigs führen ihn um den ganzen Globus, und hierzulande ist er ein fester Bestandteil großer Drum&Bass und Techno-Events, darunter wohlbekannte wie Meditation, Future, One Nation, Love Parade, Mayday und viele mehr. Im Mai '97 startete er "Reload" auf Evosonic Radio und seit September '98 hat er seine eigene wöchentliche Radio Show "Outbreak" beim hessichen Runfunk auf hr XXL. Seine Tätigkeit als Produzent, Soundtrack-Künstler, DJ und Radio Moderator ergänzt sich gegenseitig und bildet durch den 360 Grad Radius eine perfekte Plattform für den All-Round-Maniac. 1997 wurde Smokin' Drum nach 20 Releases bei den "Future Music Awards" zum besten deuschen Drum&Bass Label gewählt. Bassface Sascha erhielt dort auch die Auszeichnung zum besten nationalen Produzenten des Genres. Bassface Sascha's Remix "Scary Movies" für Rapper Eminem und Royce 5-9 auf Smokin' Drum 025 ist bis dato der größte Erfolg auf seinem Label. Verstärkt durch die Talente des Bassface Proteges Viper (Smokin' Drum 026) haben die Jungs 6 neue, heißbegehrte Tracks hingelegt, die keine Fragen offen lassen. Auf der Mix CD präsentiert Bassface das neue Material zusammen mit MACHINE und SMOKIN' DRUM Classics. ROUND I featured u.a. den langerwarteten "PERFECT DAY" REMIX, den Clubrenner "UP HOUSE", der von diversen DJs auf Dubplate rauf und runter gespielt wird und den Quickshot "Playback". Diesen Track haben die drei Studiowizzardz Sascha, Sebel und Viper zusammen produziert, um ihn direkt aufs Album zu packen. Es gab für diesen Tune keine Dubplates und keinen Vorlauf. Das hier vorliegende Material stammt aus drei Studios an vier Orten. Bassfaces Studio in Mannheim, Vipers Lab in Landau und Sebels Sound Mothership Berlin, das inzwischen nach London umgezogen ist.