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Orbital: In my opinion, Orbital are without doubt the most brilliant producers of any kind of music ever. You can read more about why I think this at the Orbital Shrine. Right, let's take a look at their history. In 1989, they released 'Chime' - a track that proved us Brits could make quality, original house/acid house/whatever you want to call it as good as those across the pond (well, original apart from the brilliant backwards stringy bits, nicked from Joey Beltram's most excellent techno anthem, 'Energy Flash'). In 1991 came the debut untitled album, commonly known as The 'Green' Album. It doesn't take a genius to work out why it was called that (hint: it's got a green cover). It contains what I deem to be the most beautiful piece of music ever written - 'Belfast'. It's almost too good. It also featured lots of other highly interesting stuff, like the booming 'High Rise', the punky 'Choice', the topical 'Desert Storm', and the super-weird 'Steel Cube Idolarity' (UK release). The US release featured the first version of 'Satan'. It sounds a bit weedy compared to recent renditions, but it has got a brilliant "S-s-s s-s-s sa-s- sa s-s SATAN!" bit in it, which is never used anymore. Shame. Anyway, that was great, but the next album, released in 1993, was a stunner.
It was also untitled, so the fans christened it The 'Brown' Album, for obvious reasons (hint: it had a brown cover). It's sort of like one long dreamy track, evolving and mutating throughout. The standard of production is much higher on this album, mainly because they could afford better equipment, and had more of an idea what they were doing with it (they were, after all, just a air of builders who decided to make some beats one day). The two-part wonder that is Lush would probably be described by the average person as "trance". Lets just say it lives up to it's name. Impact is quite a stunner, and is still the centrepiece of Orbital's live set. Halcyon is a track you should recognise, really quite a beauty. The live version even has Bon Jovi and Belinda Carlisle samples in it, for no apparent reason whatsoever, and fits in surprisingly well (you'll have to take my word for it if you have heard this). The next album is usually never even given a mention outside the world of Orbital fandom.
OK, so it was quite experimental, but that's no excuse to be rude. Featuring lots of dreamy soundscapes, and general strangeness, it did contain one of their big singles, named 'Are We Here?' A very lengthy, breathtaking, and, of course, weird tune generally described as jungle. I can guarantee there is no jungle track that ever has, or ever will sound anything like it. The dreamy 'Attached', the beautiful 'Science Friction', and the blistering 'Crash And Carry' are great examples of the diversity of this wonderous album.
In 1996, they released 'In Sides', still the best album of any kind, ever, in my humble opinion. I rarely listen to it, because once it sets in, I just can't turn it off. You really do have to just listen to understand what I mean. I'm not even going to attempt to explain it - words just aren't enough. The intensity of 'P.E.T.R.O.L', haunting 'Dwr Budr', and the breathtaking 'Out There SOmewhere' are just a few reasons why this means so much to me.
In 1999, they released 'The Middle Of Nowhere', which was lovely. They revived the stylophone on 'Style', went all pseudo-rock on 'I Don't Know You People' and created another corking anthem with 'Nothing Left'. Still going strong after 10 years. Not bad going really, is it?.
But it doesn't end there, for 2001 heralded the release of their 6th album, entitled 'The Altogether'. They change direction on every album, but this was quite a departure. 'Tension' is possibly the most mental tune they've ever done, 'Waving Not Drowning' sounds like the Beach Boys on acid, and 'Meltdown' is possibly the first glitch 'n' bass anthem. This got a bit of a hostile reaction from a lot of people, but a lot of people are impatient.
2002 was the release date for 'Works 1989-2002', a collection of their most popular tracks. Speaks for itself really.
Orbital are currently working on their 7th (and possibly 8th) albums(s). One of them at least could be released before the end of 2003. Woo!
Thankfully, Orbital have a really incredible website. It's written and maintained by Mr Steve Price, most commonly known as Loopz. He's a sound geezer and will be more than willing to help you out with any questions you may have. Pretty much anything you want to know about Orbital can be found at their official site: www.loopz.co.uk.
For the Orbital Shrine, just click here.

Bad Company: If there is one band in drum 'n' bass that people respect, it's probably Bad Company. Usually spelt as ")EI3(" to stop the American rockers of the same name from suing their arses, they set things up nicely for themselves by releasing what was, at the time, something truely incredible. This was a tune called "The Nine", and it scared the shit out of people. This was probably what set the whole drum & bass scene into motion, turning it into the world-wide phenomenom it is now. The debut LP "Inside The Machine" was full of the same nasty sound of "The Nine", and lots of producers adopted this sound to create a new wave of d&b. They continued to develop this sound into harder, nastier forms, with increasingly scarier tracks and remixes. They remixed Q-Project's classic "Champion Sound", and released a mixed album called "Digital Nation", with a greatly progressed sound. They remained quiet for a while, but it wasn't too long before they released "Book Of The Bad", which saw them experimenting with all sorts of different sounds. They have continued experimenting, to the point where you really don't know what to expect, apart from the fact that there will always be a few classic Bad Company bangers released every now and again. The latest album, "Shot Down On Safari", includes all sorts of surprises, including "Mo' Fire", which could see the widespread return of ragga vocals in drum 'n' bass. One of the members, Fresh, is also doing quite a bit of solo work at the moment.
Their official site is located at www.bcrecordings.com.

Sasha: Most people know him as a DJ. He’s my favourite DJ. Get one of his Global Underground CDs to see why. But he also makes incredible tunes aswell. One of the best example of this is his "Xpander" EP. From the luscious opener Xpander, through to the mesmerising Belfunk, to the twisted tech-house of Rabitweed and the dreamy closer Baja, I consider this to be the best EP ever made.
What of the album then? Well, 'Airdrawndagger' may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it's certainly a finely-crafted work. Muchos ambienté starts the album off, in the form of the wibbly 'Dremples' and Flamenco-like 'Mr Tiddles'. Mainly breakbeat-orientated stuff ensues, until the James Holden collaboration 'Bloodlock' unleashes the 4/4. And i'm sure you've heard the magnificent 'Wavy Gravy'. Not a full-on album at all, it's all very floaty, but you'll have no trouble dancing to it, i'm sure.
He's done some incredible remixes in his time too. On his own, he's done stuff for the likes of The Chemical Brothers, and has done stonkingly good remixes with the help of mysterious figure The Light. Under the guise of Sasha and The Light, he's made breaktastic re-interpretations of Orbital's 'Belfast' and 'Purple' by Gus Gus. And it would be rude not to mention his right-hand-man, Mr Charlie May, who has recently released the extroadinary Bug EP all on his own. More info at the official site - www.djsasha.com.
For the Sasha Shrine, just click here.

James Holden: You would not expect this sort of music to come from a 19-year-old maths student. In fact, it's so good that one Mr Pete Tong has given his style a name of it's own - Pixie Trance. A lot of good music now is coming from young artists, which can only be a good thing. Most easily described as trance, his sound is a bit left-of centre, with layers of sound, and has a thankful uniqueness to it. Basically, his style very far removed from the stereotypical cheese that people think of when they think of trance. 'Horizons' is the one to check out, with it's slowly building atmosphere, and delicate melodies. After you've digested that, try the absolutely incredible 'One For You', proper no-nonsense 100% trance magnificence. And after that you can savour the delights of 'Solstice', a deeper, techier affair. Recent biggie 'Nothing' (with the vocal talents of Julie Thompson) is not your standard club anthem, with it's quirky production and frankly strange percussion. It's just lovely.
James has recently launched his own Border Community label, and is also working on an album. He has domne quite a few remixes too, some real corkers for the likes of New Order, Solid Sessions and Kirsty Hawkshaw. His official website is www.jamesholden.org.uk.

Slam: The legendary duo that combine to form Slam are partly responsible for one of the finest record labels in the UK - Soma. They have been around for a good while, and have been bastions of great techno in the UK. Years-old anthems like 'Eterna' and 'Positive Education' still resonate throughout many sweaty cellars. Stuart McMillan and Orde Meikle (I don't know how to pronounce it either) took their time to write their latest album, but when it finally arrived, it dropped like an atomic bomb (not kitten, thankfully). Containing a fresh remix of their classic single 'Positive Education', Alien Radio opened techno to a wider audience (probably much to the annoyance of the purists). Narco Tourists (with Unkle) is a trippy affair, Lifetimes is bit of an anthem, Bass Addiction stomps like a 50-ton mega-elephant, and the title track Alien Radio scared the shit out of everybody (well, it would have, if they weren't too busy dancing to it). All the other tracks are quality too, of course. And one thing you cannot fail to notice is the intensity of the album - even at quite low volumes, the bass electrifies the air, which is quite an experience at higher volumes. Learn more at www.alien-radio.com. They're Scottish too.

Radioactive Man: Otherwise known as Keith Tenniswood, or 'Andy Wetherall's mate', Radioactive Man released something quite exciting in 2001. It was an album, imaginatively called 'Radioactive Man'. Hard to describe, it appealed to electro-heads, techno-heads and breaks-heads. All quality, highly original material. At it's heart is good ol' Mr Analogue Wavering-synth (that's what I call it anyway). Worth it for Uranium alone (also available on the 'Uranium EP') - a track that completely astounds everyone that has a remote interest in electronic music. Other amazing tracks include the breaks-friendly 'Radio Eins', the electro-lulaby 'Goodnight Morton', and the slightly sinister 'Tresspasser'. A truly stunning piece of work that is way ahead of it's time. The official RGC Recordings site is www.rottersgolfclub.co.uk.

BT: No, not the phone company - Brian Transeau. Or Brian Wayne Transeau to give him his full title. He does breakbeats - very tasty breakbeats. He also does trance - very lovely trance. He also does other things - different-sounding other things. His first album, 'IMA', was quite remarkle when it was released in 1995, and still sounds quite fantastic today. Sasha even comes along and adds a 45 minute mix in the middle, it's that good. The next album, 'ESCM', sees him diversify sounds-wise, with a bit of drum 'n' bass, and even a bit of rock (well, it is his album I suppose). The 'Movement in Still Life' album (now with a bonus CD) sees him collaborating with such eminent artists as Sasha, PvD, Way Out West and Hybrid. There's some really great stuff on his own in the form of 'Giving up the Ghost' and 'Godspeed', and incredible joint efforts such as 'Dreaming' and 'Running Down the Way Up'. The bonus CD has 'Fibonacci Sequence' on it - proper heavy, nasty, unstoppable breaks.

Chemical Brothers: They were certainly a huge influence in Big Beat. Many people don’t like the Chemical Brothers - probably because they were disappointed by the latest album "Surrender". I have to admit that I was also disappointed, mainly because they moved away from the dark 'n' dirty sound. There are some great tracks on Surrender, like "The Sunshine Underground", a track that just builds and builds, getting more and more uplifting. Nice stuff, but I like the old style - nasty, evil tunes that trouble your speakers. The best example of that is on the album 'Dig Your Own Hole'. The first album, 'Exit Planet Dust' is damn good too. Morning Lemon is what I consider to be one of their best tracks, but can curiously only be (easily) found on the "Brother’s Gonna Work It Out" mix album. The only way I can describe this is 'fucked up genius'. Love it. But there is no finer example of Big/Break Beat than the 1995 "Loops Of Fury" EP. All four tracks aren’t on any of the albums - the ones that do appear are different versions. It never sounds dated, and while not being very "intelligent", it should still blow you away. Quite literally. And what about the latest offering? you ask. Well, Come With Us probably isn't going to astound you, but with tracks like Come With Us, Galaxy Bounce and My Elastic Eye will be causing dancefloors nationwide to ignite. Not literally, obviously, as that would be quite scary, wouldn't it? Good singles too, and Beth Orton and Mr Ashcroft return, which will keep a lot of people happy. The official site is, rather sensibly, www.thechemicalbrothers.com.

Tipper: The first thing I thought when I played Dave Tipper's "The Critical Path" album was 'Oh my god! They're coming out of the speakers!'. "Standing before you is the sound you never wanted to hear" it says on the sleeve. Never have I heard something that sounds so... evil. The sound effects are so incredibly nasty and dirty, with disjointed breaks and beats here and there, and bass so low you'll be hiding under the covers. And on top of that, mister Tipper manages to arrange the most haunting orchestrations i've ever heard, and successfully implants them into the carnage. Sometimes it even sounds beautiful. And there are incredible vocals, too. I guarantee that you will never have heard anything like this before. There are hidden tracks, too (like at the end of Leftfield's 'Leftism' album), but lots of them. One particular section sounded as if my speakers were shaking themselves apart. Unless you are of a nervous disposition, I seriously recommend that you buy this album. But don't say I didn't warn you...
The second album, entitled 'Holding Pattern', is quite a departure. Not at all like the doom-laden soundscapes of The Critical Path, it features mostly cracking nu-skool breaks monsters, that aren't really all that scary. I'll admit I was disappointed at that aspect, but it's still bloody brilliant. The experimental tracks like Pins And Needles and Tip Hop are still completely unique, and it's 2 lovely Zero 7-ish tracks too (End Of Make Believe and Minimal Thoughts Of Reason). And the bass still interferes with seismological equipment world-wide, you'll be glad to know.
Tipper has also released a mix album with more gigatron sub-bass per square inch than is technically possible. It's got Buckfunk 3000's 'High Volume' on it, plus other great stuff. And a serious warning: some of the sonic experiments in the soundclash section can seriously damage your hearing. No, really. DO NOT play Filthmonger any louder than very quiet. Or better off just don't play it at all. Bowel Movement also lives up to its name.
Tipper also records as Crunch, which is on more of an electro tip. Apparently, www.tipper.co.uk is his official website, but it disappeared a long time ago. It might return one day though. More info on Tipper can be found on his label's site, Fuel.

Leftfield: Neil Barnes and Paul Daley's band are quite impossible to pigeon-hole into any genre. Maybe because they regard themselves as 'soundscape engineers' rather than musicians. One thing that can be expected from them, though, is big, loud bass. So loud infact, that it has caused some unlucky peoples' ears to bleed at their live gigs. The duo of Barnes and Daley released their debut album 'Leftism' in '95, and shook foundations across the world. There were tracks containing reggae vocals, and the odd ambient section, amongst the house monsters. The 'hidden track' knackered my speakers. And i'm sure you all know about Phat Planet. One of the stand-out tracks off the 'Rhythm And Stealth' album. This long-awaited second LP once again showed much variation between tracks. If you like your tunes loud, but finely crafted, I think you might just enjoy Leftfield.
As i'm sure you all know by now, Leftfield are sadly no longer, but the official site is still alive and well at www.leftfield-online.com.

(The) Prodigy: Some of you out there may not like the Prodge, but have you listened to all of the albums? Well, the debut 'Experience' is classic rave music, completely mad stuff with sirens, superfast beats and all the rest of it. Just generally a great album. Some may complain about the lack of depth, but that isn't what this music is about. It sums up getting off your face in a muddy feild somewhere on the outskirts of London. Despite that, they still manage to pull off Weather Experience - an incredible downtempo drum 'n' basser that is completely different from the rest of the tracks, and I would say worth buying the album for alone. Then we have 'Music For The Jilted Generation', a much more mature album. It still has some classic rave anthems, but tracks like Break & Enter and Skylined are truly unique. Definitely worth a listen. Finally comes 'The Fat Of The Land'. No bangin' ravin' tunes on this one. The raviness has been replaced by something darker, but just as good. You've got Firestarter and Breathe which everyone is probably sick of, but again we have masterpieces in the form of Mindfields and Narayan. The other tracks aren't bad, either. Any self-respecting Prodigy fanatic should also try to track down The Trick, which is the b-side to Breathe. Possibly their finest moment, but one which most people are oblivious of. Love 'em or hate 'em, the Prodigy have done a lot for dance music. A new album is com ing out next year, with a working title of "Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned", and personally I can't wait.

Photek: Mr Rupert Parkes used to make drum & bass. Very dark, very destructive d'n'b, that was really quite scary. Still probably most famed as a d&b producer, he now makes house music. Although he produced what (for me at least) was - and still is - one of the most incredible slices of jungle ever (The Water Margin), I have to say I prefer the new Photek. Solaris was the name of the album under this new direction, and it is a masterpiece. The thunderous, downtempo track 'Terminus' kicks off the album after a few seconds of edgy silence. I have never heard anything like, and it still continues to amaze me. I've also got the single on vinyl, which is played at 33 RPM. But it sounds damn good at 45 aswell, which only adds weight to the debate that this tune is officially WIDE. Anyway, the album then turns into Junk (that's a track title by the way), a weird electro-houser, and Glamourama, in a vaguely similar style to the previous track. Then in comes Mine To Give, with vocals by a certain Robert Owens. Quite hard to believe that someone that seemed to have been making some of the darkest drum & bass imaginable, could all of a sudden create such a classic, soulful house record. But he did, and he did it again on the track that follows (Can't Come Down). Infinity is a drum 'n' bass tune - probably the last Photek will ever do. Thankfully, it's an eight-and-a-half minute stunner. Various weird genius ensues, until the closer 'Under The Palms' sets in. Sounding like something from Blade Runner, it's a beautiful, haunting piece of electronica, and the only downfall is that it's far too short.
Nowadays, Photek seems to be continually remixing. Although they don't have the same depth as his own productions, Mr Parkes' re-interpretations are guaranteed to devastate the dancefloor. Or your money back. Photek still dabbles in drum & bass now and again, under the guise of Special Forces. Check out recent releases like "The End", "Miracle" and "Sidewinder" - he's still on top of the game.

Timo Maas: His appearance here is long over-due, so apologies for that. You will probably know Mr Maas best for his remix of Azzido Da Bass's 'Dooms Night' - a tune that ate the boundries between genres for breakfast. And there aren't many pieces of music that come close to doing that. But that's not all he's done - Music For The Maases (an appalling title, I know) shifted some units. So did his Connected mix album. And he has recently released Loud - his first proper album. Not to everyone's taste, but at the very least, it proves that he is one of the most innovative producers around. Check out "That's How I've Been Dancing", "Manga" and "Help Me" on said album. He's done various other remixes as well, such as his dastardly mix of Moby's (rather shite) "We Are All Made Of Stars", which was hammered to oblivion by Sasha and Digweed. A lot of credit has to go to Martin Buttrich, who is his right-hand man.
You may be interested to know that there is a possibility that a follow-up to Loud may be out by the end of the year. Those crazy Germans.....
Timo's official site is located at www.timomaas.de.

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