In similar company with new-school French progressive dance artists such as Motorbass, Air, Cassius, and Dimitri from Paris, Parisian duo Daft Punk quickly rose to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and hip-hop. The combined talents of DJs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and... [+] Read More

In similar company with new-school French progressive dance artists such as Motorbass, Air, Cassius, and Dimitri from Paris, Parisian duo Daft Punk quickly rose to acclaim by adapting a love for first-wave acid house and techno to their younger roots in pop, indie rock, and hip-hop. The combined talents of DJs Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, the pair's first projects together included Darling, a voiceless indie cover band; their current recording name derives from a review in U.K. music weekly Melody Maker of a compilation tape Darling were featured on, released by Krautrock revivalists Stereolab (their lo-fi D.I.Y. cover of a Beach Boys song was derided as "daft punk"). Subsequently ditching the almost inevitable creative cul-de-sac of rock for the more appealing rush of the dancefloor, the pair released their debut single, "The New Wave," in 1993 on the celebrated Soma label. Instantly hailed by the dance music press as the work of a new breed of house innovators, the single was followed by "Da Funk," the band's first true hit (the record sold 30,000 copies worldwide and saw thorough rinsings by everyone from Kris Needs to the Chemical Brothers).

Although the group had only released a trio of singles ("The New Wave" and "Da Funk," as well as the 1996 limited pressing of "Musique"), in early 1996 Daft Punk were the subject of a minor bidding war. The group eventually signed with Virgin, with their first long-player, Homework, appearing early the following year (a brief preview of the album, "Musique," was also featured on the Virgin compilation Wipeout XL next to tracks from Photek, Future Sound of London, the Chemical Brothers, and Source Direct). As with the earlier singles, the group's sound is a brazen, dancefloor-oriented blend of progressive house, funk, electro, and techno, with sprinklings of hip-hop-styled breakbeats and excessive, crowd-firing samples, similar to other anthemic dance-fusion acts such as the Chemical Brothers and Monkey Mafia. In addition to his role in Daft Punk, Bangalter operates the Roule label and has recorded under his own name (the underground smash "Trax on da Rocks") as well as Stardust (the huge club/commercial hit "Music Sounds Better with You"). After four long years of eagerly awaiting a follow-up to their brilliant debut, Daft Punk finally issued Discovery in March 2001. The live record Alive 1997 followed near the end of the year, and a by now predictable four-year wait preceded the release of Human After All in early 2005. One year later, the duo released a compilation, Musique, Vol. 1: 1993-2005. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Though Goldie became the first superstar of jungle, the recordings of Rupert Parkes -- as Code of Practice, Aquarius, Studio Pressure, the Truper and Sentinel, but most famously as Photek -- made him an easy pick for the style's most artistic and intelligent producer. Working his way through street-level hardstep (on early productions for... [+] Read More

Though Goldie became the first superstar of jungle, the recordings of Rupert Parkes -- as Code of Practice, Aquarius, Studio Pressure, the Truper and Sentinel, but most famously as Photek -- made him an easy pick for the style's most artistic and intelligent producer. Working his way through street-level hardstep (on early productions for Certificate 18 and Street Beats) and airy, sub-aquatic "dolphin" tunes for L.T.J Bukem's Good Looking label, Parkes finally arrived at a sound that pushed the bounds of drum'n'bass from the dancefloor into the realm of breakbeat headspace; unlike most jungle producers, Parkes has never DJed and rarely goes to clubs. His incredibly intricate rhythm programming -- often requiring weeks of computer preparation -- and the unmissable aura of paranoid menace on recordings such as "The Hidden Camera" and "UFO" exerted quite an influence on the return of dark-style drum'n'bass during the late '90s.

As a teenager, Parkes listened to electro, techno and hip-hop as well as the more free-form side of jazz and fusion. Thanks to a sampler bought with a £2000 loan from the Trust of the Prince of Wales, he began producing tracks and first appeared on Paul Solomon's Certificate 18 Records with singles as Studio Pressure. He also recorded for Basement (as Sentinel) and Street Beats (the Truper) before initiating a series of 12-inch singles for his own Photek Records, which gave him credentials and led to releases on Goldie's Metalheadz label and L.T.J. Bukem's Good Looking, as well as a remix of the Therapy? single "Loose."

After Parkes had released more than 80 tracks of drum'n'bass on half a dozen labels, he was approached by Virgin and signed to a five-album deal with the label's Science imprint (provided he was allowed to continue recording for other independent labels as well). Parkes' first release on Science was The Hidden Camera EP, which appeared in May 1996. The second Science single "Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu" displayed an increasing interest in applying the lessons of martial arts to his programming (the title is Japanese for "two swords, one technique"). Virgin compiled the latter two releases on 1997's Risc Vs. Reward, then released the debut Photek album Modus Operandi in September 1997. Much-hyped though little-praised, the album was followed by 1998's Form & Function, a compilation including several original Photek Records tracks plus remixes and new tracks. During the next two years, Parkes focused on his new Photek Productions label, and finally released a second LP, Solaris, in 2000. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Boymerang is the drum'n'bass aegis of London-based producer Graham Sutton, better known as one-half of celebrated early-'90s industrial pop group Bark Psychosis. Covering similar territory as dark ambient/electronic dance groups such as Coil and Front 242, Bark Psychosis released only one album and a pair of singles for Virgin before splitting... [+] Read More

Boymerang is the drum'n'bass aegis of London-based producer Graham Sutton, better known as one-half of celebrated early-'90s industrial pop group Bark Psychosis. Covering similar territory as dark ambient/electronic dance groups such as Coil and Front 242, Bark Psychosis released only one album and a pair of singles for Virgin before splitting in 1994, due to intense internal conflict. Sutton as Bark Psychosis played at the electronic Music Festival in Russia, alongside Seefeel, Autechre, Ultramarine and Aphex Twin, a lineup that reflected what for Sutton had by then become his primary musical interest; experimental dance music. He and Daniel Gish then performed an electronic set under the Bark Psychosis name at the UK's Phoenix Festival. Sutton immersed himself in the drum'n'bass scene, learning the ropes from artists such as Ed Rush, Trace, Fabio, Luke Vibert, Goldie, and Doc Scott before releasing a self-titled EP on 4AD defect Tony Morley's experimental Leaf label. Sutton created two of the three songs ("The Don" and "Rules") with Gish; the 12" also included Sutton's first solo piece as Boymerang, "(Theme From) Boymerang." A mixture of tight jungle programming and frantic, armchair-oriented experimentation, the single did loads for Sutton's rep (to say nothing of Leaf's). Following an additional EP for Leaf and a remix of 2Player's "Extreme Possibilities" for Ninja Tune (next to Vibert in his Wagon Christ guise), Sutton contributed material to a pair of compilations on Jon Tye's Lo Recordings and inked a non-exlusive contract with EMI. Remixes for Collapsed Lung and Sufi followed, as well as an EP for Grooverider's Prototype label and a track on the Volume compilation, Breakbeat Science. His debut full-length Balance of the Force appeared on Regal/EMI in May 1997. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

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... [+] Read More

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 May 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, 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, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Finnish minimalist techno group Pan sonic are among the most active and well-known artists from that country's tiny experimental techno underground, and the first to reach acclaim at an international level. Pursuing the jagged edges of minimal techno and hardcore, the group have earned an enduring association with industrial and noise music... [+] Read More

Finnish minimalist techno group Pan sonic are among the most active and well-known artists from that country's tiny experimental techno underground, and the first to reach acclaim at an international level. Pursuing the jagged edges of minimal techno and hardcore, the group have earned an enduring association with industrial and noise music through their incorporation of antiseptic production techniques and power-tool electronics, landing them in 1995 on the English Mute label's experimental subsidiary Blast First! (most of their catalog to date has since appeared there). The affinity lay more at the surface, however, as Pan sonic are better understood as a collision between Jeff Mills and Mike Ink; dance-based electronic music with a maximum of impact, realized through a minimum of extraneous detail. Known for junking together studio equipment from spare parts and ancient analog debris, Pan sonic's search for the untried in techno is their compositional M.O., placing them closer to the music's Detroit roots than is often understood.

Formed in Turku in the early '90s, Pan sonic began as the duo of Mika Vainio and Ilpo Väisänen. As with most Finnish techno groups, Pan sonic's earliest beginnings lay with the Sahko/Puu imprint, the focus of the Northern European techno scene and home to such artists as Kirlian, Philus, Ø (Vainio's solo guise), Mono Junk, and Jimi Tenor. Pan sonic released its self-titled debut single through Sahko in 1994 before being joined by third member Sami Salo and landing a contract with Blast First! the following year. The group's first BF! release, Vakio, was a full-length CD/triple-10" boxed set featuring the same brand of furtive, passively aggressive techno, though with a fuller, more thought-out sound. Soon after Vakio's release in 1995, Salo left the group (apparently to join the Army), and Pan sonic's subsequent releases -- the Osasto EP and the group's 1997 sophomore long-player, Kulma -- noted his absence by their comparatively harder, less subtle tone.

Pan sonic added live performance to their regular repertoire in 1996, playing a number of gigs throughout Europe and Japan, as well as touring with gothic rock group the Swans. Vainio moved to London in 1997, where, in addition to his continuing commitment to Pan sonic, he continues to record as Ø (his third full-length under that name, Olento, was issued on Sahko just prior to Kulma's release). He has also released work on Sahko, Puu, and Cheap as Tekonivel, Orchestra Guacamole (with Jaakko Salovaara), and Kosmos (with Jimi Tenor), as well as remixed tracks for Björk and Tactile. Pan sonic have also been featured on several compilation albums, including A Fault in the Nothing (Touch, 1996) and Funktion 1: Finnish Techno Collection (Function, 1996). By 1998, an inevitable confrontation with the Japanese manufacturing giant also known as Pan sonic had resulted in a name-change of sorts, to Pan sonic. The missing letter re-surfaced the following year, as the title of the duo's third album. Vainio and Väisänen also recorded the Endless LP (as VVV) with the addition of Suicide vocalist Alan Vega. In 2001, Pan sonic returned with Aaltopiiri, toured the world, and then returned with a four-disc album, Kesto (234.48:4), in 2004. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Few producers or DJs can ride the drum'n'bass wave from light to dark without fear of wipeout. On his second official mix album, recorded for Mooonshine, Doc Scott accomplishes this mission with a collection of tracks spanning the cream of nu-dark jungle (Decoder, Jonny L, Cybotron Featuring Dillinja) plus a raft of jazzier tracks (Lemon D, Adam... [+] Read More

Few producers or DJs can ride the drum'n'bass wave from light to dark without fear of wipeout. On his second official mix album, recorded for Mooonshine, Doc Scott accomplishes this mission with a collection of tracks spanning the cream of nu-dark jungle (Decoder, Jonny L, Cybotron Featuring Dillinja) plus a raft of jazzier tracks (Lemon D, Adam F) and even nods to certifiable drum'n'bass classics (Hokusai's "Red Lights," Omni Trio's "Trippin' on Broken Beats"). Lost in Drum'N'Bass is not only an excellent mix album, but a great summation of the jungle scene circa 1998. ~ Keith Farley, All Music Guide [-] Hide

The second album from Justin Robertson's crew of British DJ renegades (this time with some live guitars and an MC tossed into the frantic mix) covers a lot of electronica ground on its 14 songs, sticking pretty close to classic surging house through the stretch. And while quite a bit of it is incidental -- the vocals are simply layered atop the... [+] Read More

The second album from Justin Robertson's crew of British DJ renegades (this time with some live guitars and an MC tossed into the frantic mix) covers a lot of electronica ground on its 14 songs, sticking pretty close to classic surging house through the stretch. And while quite a bit of it is incidental -- the vocals are simply layered atop the wildly stammering instrumental tracks, just as sampled dialogue was randomly piled onto An Instinct for Detection -- the best cuts on City Delirious (particularly the block-party electro-ska of "Rude Boy Rock") find as much inspiration on the sweaty dancefloor as they do in the gimmick-strewn studio in which the album was made. Lionrock's big beat is also more accessible this time around, trading in some of the more obscure musical references of the past for actual, timely tuned rhythms. ~ Michael Gallucci, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Increasingly ignored amidst the exploding trip-hop scene, Massive Attack finally returned in 1998 with Mezzanine, a record immediately announcing not only that the group was back, but that they'd recorded a set of songs just as singular and revelatory as on their debut, almost a decade back. It all begins with a stunning one-two-three-four... [+] Read More

Increasingly ignored amidst the exploding trip-hop scene, Massive Attack finally returned in 1998 with Mezzanine, a record immediately announcing not only that the group was back, but that they'd recorded a set of songs just as singular and revelatory as on their debut, almost a decade back. It all begins with a stunning one-two-three-four punch: "Angel," "Risingson," "Teardrop," and "Inertia Creeps." Augmenting their samples and keyboards with a studio band, Massive Attack open with "Angel," a stark production featuring pointed beats and a distorted bassline that frames the vocal (by group regular Horace Andy) and a two-minute flame-out with raging guitars. "Risingson" is a dense, dark feature for Massive Attack themselves (on production as well as vocals), with a kitchen sink's worth of dubby effects and reverb. "Teardrop" introduces another genius collaboration -- with Elizabeth Fraser from Cocteau Twins -- from a production unit with a knack for recruiting gifted performers. The blend of earthy with ethereal shouldn't work at all, but Massive Attack pull it off in fine fashion. "Inertia Creeps" could well be the highlight, another feature for just the core threesome. With eerie atmospherics, fuzz-tone guitars, and a wealth of effects, the song could well be the best production from the best team of producers the electronic world had ever seen. Obviously, the rest of the album can't compete, but there's certainly no sign of the side-two slump heard on Protection, as both Andy and Fraser return for excellent, mid-tempo tracks ("Man Next Door" and "Black Milk," respectively). ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Really, the title says it all -- Decksanddrumsandrockandroll is about as close to rock & roll as big-beat techno is going to get. Taking their cue from the Chemical Brothers, the Bath-based duo Propellerheads offer a set of pummeling, ultra-loud beats that may dabble in funk, house, hip-hop, soul, and rap, but which all come out sounding as... [+] Read More

Really, the title says it all -- Decksanddrumsandrockandroll is about as close to rock & roll as big-beat techno is going to get. Taking their cue from the Chemical Brothers, the Bath-based duo Propellerheads offer a set of pummeling, ultra-loud beats that may dabble in funk, house, hip-hop, soul, and rap, but which all come out sounding as aggressive as rock. Not that there's anything wrong with that -- at its best, big beat is as invigorating as any other music -- but Propellerheads don't have the finesse, innovation, or style of the Chemical Brothers, the leading proponents of big beat. When they shake the beat up, whether on the wah-wah-drenched "Velvet Pants" or the pair of John Barry/James Bond tributes (a reworking of their cover of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "History Repeating"), it sounds like a tactical move, since they know they can't spend the entire album on thundering dance cuts like "Bang On!" and "Take California." That said, Decksanddrumsandrockandroll remains a strong big beat album, even if it ultimately doesn't reveal anything new, because the duo knows how to craft a hard-hitting, infectious rhythm track. And while that doesn't make them the next Chemical Brothers, it does make them the best in this style since the Chemicals. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide [-] Hide

Given Richard Fearless' moonlighting gig as a DJ, Dead Elvis is invested with an often overburdened need to push the right buttons, resulting in occasionally formulaic tracks -- like the single "Dirt" -- which leave little room for surprise. Where Fearless and Hellier opt to explore different waters, dub rhythms and funky acid instead of just... [+] Read More

Given Richard Fearless' moonlighting gig as a DJ, Dead Elvis is invested with an often overburdened need to push the right buttons, resulting in occasionally formulaic tracks -- like the single "Dirt" -- which leave little room for surprise. Where Fearless and Hellier opt to explore different waters, dub rhythms and funky acid instead of just sampled guitar riffs, the results are much more impressive. ~ John Bush, All Music Guide [-] Hide