BLEEPOGRAPHY

The back of the book is a chapter-by-chapter list of records — the only book in this series to do the work for us. It is reproduced here entire, in Anniss’s order, with his labels, his years and his notes. Where a chapter of this guide also carries a record, it is marked.

— · WEIGHT FROM THE BASS · no records

Recordings of Winston Hazel and George Evelyn’s DJ sets from Boiler Room’s Sheffield Shaped The Future event at the Southbank Warehouse are available via the Boiler Room’s Soundclound account (https://soundcloud.com/platform/sets/boiler-room-sheffield-shaped).

1 · CULTURE CLASH · no records

There’s not much in the way of recommended listening, but I would suggest watching the Taskforce Chapeltown (1986) and Chapeltown: One Year On (1987) documentaries, both of which can be accessed for free via the BFI Player (https://player.bfi.org.uk/). The same website also includes another excellent Yorkshire Television documentary from 1987 about residents of the Manor council housing estate. Titled Made in Sheffield, the 30-minute film focuses on the extreme lengths some jobless Sheffielders went to in order to get by as the city suffered through the effects of rapid de-industrialization.

2 · THE DANCE · 23

There are plenty of compilations available that will give you a good overview of the sounds that fired the all-dayer scene during the Northern Soul, Jazz-Funk and Electro era. Good places to start with Northern Soul include: The Northern Soul Story series on BMG/Sony/Music On Vinyl (each of the four volumes focuses on records made popular at a different iconic venue - the Twisted Wheel, the Golden Torch, the Blackpool Mecca and the Wigan Casino), Northern Soul Floorfillers (Demon Records, 2017), Northern Soul All Nighter (One Day Music/Not Now Music, 2014), Andy Smith’s Northern Soul (BGP Records, 2005), Northern Soul Floorshakers (Music Club, 1996) and the six volumes in Kent Dance’s Northern Soul’s Classiest Rarities series (2001-2017).

As for Jazz-Funk, you can do no better than head for Mastercruts’ Jazz-Funk Classics series (1991-94). The first five volumes give an excellent introduction to the kind of Jazz-Funk jams that were popular on UK dancefloors in the late ’70s and early ’80s. Also worth a listen are Z Records’ Back Street Brit Funk compilations, which focus on UK-made variations of Jazz-Funk, Disco, Boogie and Electrofunk from the same period. In terms of Electro, I’d suggest exploring the Street Sounds Electro and Street Sounds Crucial Electro compilation series, which ran between 1983 and ’88. Some are better than others, but all were hugely important at the time. 1984’s Street Sounds UK Electro compilation is an absolute must.

The following albums and singles are also pertinent for different reasons and are well worth a listen:

3 · RIDDIM IS FULL OF CULTURE · 33

The 1980s was a crucial time for soundsystem culture, with Dub and Reggae music undergoing significant changes thanks to the popularity of electronic instrumentation. This was naturally reflected in the music played at sound clashes and Blues parties, with each “sound” or illicit venue having their own particular blend (for example, some stuck to more traditional Roots Reggae records while others embraced the brave new world that accompanied the ‘digital riddims’ that increased in popularity as the decade increased).

My suggestion would be to listen to a wide range of Jamaican and British Dub, Reggae and Dancehall. If you can find a copy, Honest Jon’s 2002 compilation of British Dancehall, Watch How The People Dancing - Unity Sounds From The London Dancehall, 1986-89 is a must (especially as some of the producers involved would later play a role in the rise of Bleep & Breaks, Darkcore and Jungle), while a number of key labels also released vinyl compilations during the period that offer neat introductions to their particular take.

Jammy’s sets 1985 Master Mega Hits - Sleng Teng Extravaganza and Sleng Teng Extravaganza: 1985 Master Mega Hits Volume 2 showcase the significance and influence of the now-infamous “Sleng Teng Riddim”. The Wackie’s collections African Roots Act 2 (1982), African Roots Act 3 (1983) and Best of Champions (1990) offer an indication not only of how times were changing but also the influence of that imprint’s Dub and Dancehall output. I’d also recommend hunting down some of the output of King Tubby’s digital-era imprint Firehouse, particularly the Firehouse - Waterhouse II (1986) and King Tubby’s Presents Soundclash Dubplate Style (1988) compilations.

Another important aspect of the story told in this chapter is the growing appreciation of early House and Techno by some within the British soundsystem scene, particularly in Yorkshire. Because of this, the list below also includes some key records from Chicago and Detroit.

4 · HOUSE PARTY · 49

The changing nature of Yorkshire’s club scene was in some ways reflective of wider trends in dance music in both America and Europe. The best way to quickly get a grasp of the most significant changes is to listen to a few albums and compilations representing each of the most significant musical movements and important sub-genres. We’ve already covered Electro and Jazz-Funk, so begin with checking out the Post-Disco/Proto-House era NYC vibes of Dimitri From Paris Presents Night Dubbin’ on BBE (2009), before working your way through Dave Lee’s excellent Washington Go-Go retrospective, Go Go Get Down: Pure Ghetto Funk From Washington D.C. (Z Records, 2012) and the first two volumes in the Classic Rare Groove series on Mastercuts (released in 1993 and ’94 respectively). In terms of 1980s Hip-Hop, few compilations cover all bases, so I’ve included some of the most popular dancefloor tracks and influential albums in the list below, alongside other records popular in Yorkshire’s clubs.

It feels like we all know the history of Chicago House instinctively, but there are still options for those who require an introduction to the sound. If you can find a copy of BCM’s epic, 15-CD retrospective The History of the House Sound of Chicago (1988) then that’s worthy of attention, primarily because it includes both tracks that influenced the style plus a whole heap of early Windy City House cuts; if not, then The House Sound of Chicago on London Records (1986) and any Trax Records retrospective (the Bill Brewster compiled Sources: The Trax Records Anthology on Harmless from 2015 is my current favourite) should provide a good overview of the formative years of that sound. For the harder end of the Chicago spectrum, Acid: Can U Jack? Chicago Acid & Experimental House 1985-95 on Soul Jazz Records (2005) is a great place to start.

10 Records’ two Techno! The New Dance Sound of Detroit compilations (released 1988 and 1990 respectively) are historically significant primers for the Motor City sound, while the four-disc TSOB: The Sound of Belgium (La Musique Fait La Force, 2013) does a terrific job in chronicling the country’s dance music story from New Beat to Trance via EBM, Industrial, Hardcore and Techno.

Finally, should you want an introduction to the Balearic sound, then FFRR’s infamous 1988 Balearic Beats compilation is a must - if only to read Terry Farley’s slack-jawed, loved-up sleeve notes (“I’m on one, matey” etc.)

5 · BLOW YOUR HOUSE DOWN · 28

To get an appreciation of Manchester House music during the period - or at least the specific strain covered in this chapter - take a trawl through the catalogues of T-Coy, 808 State and A Guy Called Gerald. Pretty much anything made between 1987 and 1990 will give you a good overview. Naturally, I’ve made some more specific selections below. Another key release is DeConstruction’s 1988 compilation North: The Sound of the Dance Underground. If you want to get a feel of the more baggy and loved-up end of the “Madchester” spectrum, Happy Mondays’ Bummed (1988),Hallelujah (1989) and Pills ‘N’ Thrills And Bellyaches (1990) naturally remain the touchstones.

6 · ONLY THE BEGINNING · 8

The best introduction to the sound of Unique 3 is undoubtedly their 1990 debut album, Jus’ Unique. It includes versions of “The Theme” plus their other singles from the period. Some of their EPs and 12” singles include some heavier alternative mixes, plus bonus cuts worthy of re-appraisal - the list below contains a few pointers.

7 · STATING A FACT · 14

For a quick introduction to the early sound of Nightmares On Wax, the best place to start is debut album A Word of Science (The 1st and Final Chapter) (Warp Records, 1991). That said, I’d recommend checking out their early EPs and 12” singles to get a better grasp of their Bleep-era club cuts and the way their sound developed between 1989 and 1991. Naturally, if you can find their first self-released EP, it’s worth a listen, if only for the ludicrously raw, “Voodoo Ray”-sampling version of “Dextrous”.

8 · WARPED VISION · 31

If you have the time, it’s worth browsing through the discographies of both FON Records and Mark Brydon and Robert Gordon as FON Force. This will give you a good grasp of how their productions - and the label they produced for - developed during the mid-to-late 1980s. Naturally, it’s essential to gorge on the Forgemasters’ few releases and remixes; while only their earliest work is covered in this chapter, I’ve listed later EPs and remixes below. Robert Gordon’s later debut solo album, Rob Gordon Projects (Source Records, 1996) contains several Forgemasters tracks recorded in the period. I’ve also listed other essential Gordon releases under other aliases, primarily because they’re worth a listen but also because it gives a fuller picture of his distinctive contribution to UK electronic music culture.

9 · THE TRUE CREATORS · 9

LFO, DJ Martin and the Chapeltown crew are covered in two separate chapters (see below for the second), so I’ve split the lists into records covered in that chapter. In this first one, the key records are of course “LFO” and “LFO (Remix)”, including all of the weighty and otherworldly B-sides. The list that follows also includes records that influenced LFO and some of the numerous tracks made in tribute or inspired by Mark Bell, Gez Varley and Martin Williams peerless classic.

10 · ITAL ANTHEMS AND BASSIC BEATS · 15

The key records this time round are those Bassic Records releases engineered/co-produced by Martin Williams/Homer Harriott (details below) and LFO’s brilliant debut album, “Frequencies”. There are some other fine releases worth checking - including a number of remixes by the Leeds producers documented in this chapter - so I’d suggest paying particular attention to the following list if you’re after overlooked gold.

11 · PLAY THE FIVE TONES · 31

For this chapter, I’d recommend first getting to grips with CabaretVoltaire’s catalogue, especially albums and 12” singles released between 1981 and ’91. This will give you an idea how their sound developed, with Code (1987), Laidback, Groovy and Nasty (1990) and Body & Soul (1991) being essential listening with regards to the period covered in this book. For an introduction to the Sweet Exorcist sound, Warp’s RetroActivity compilation (2011) contains the vast majority of the duo’s Bleep andClonk-era work.

12 · HARDBEAT & BASSLINE · 20

Most of the Ozone Recordings’ tracks mentioned in this chapter can be found –in some form or another - on the label’s 1991 compilation, Hardbeat + Bassline. The imprint released a second compilation that year, Technozone; that too is worth a spin.

13 · BIO RYTHYMS · 52

To get an overview of the music at the heart of the story told in this chapter, I’d recommend tracking down both of Neil Rushton’s Detroit Techno compilations - Techno: The New Dance Sound of Detroit (10 Records, 1988) and Techno 2: The Next Generation (10 Records, 1990) - as well as both Bio Rhythm compilations on Network Records. If you can find them, Kool Kat’s two House Masters: US v UK Showdown collections also make interesting listening. While the standard is hardly high, they give a good indication of the kinds of House music being made and released in the UK before “Voodo Ray” and the Bleep & Bass movement.

14 · NORTH OF WATFORD · 31

Your best bet here is to take a trawl through the Jack Trax and Chill catalogues. One or two Jack Trax compilations will give you an idea of the Chicago House records they were sampling, while the label’s various 12” releases include some stone-cold classics that no discerning listener should be without (e.g. Ralphi Rosario, Mr Fingers, Fingers Inc, etc.). Getting hold of Chill releases - especially the rare and sought-after ones - can be a little trickier, but helpfully there are clips of quite a few of them on YouTube. Tony Bonisegna released loads of music under a large number of aliases, so the list below includes the best (and most interesting) of these.

15 · RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE · 83

Helpfully there many compilations chronicling the Bleep & Breaks and early Breakbeat Hardcore scenes, as well as sets that reflect the changing nature of British dance music at the time. In the latter category, a great place to start is Above Board’s 2019 compilations celebrating the legacy of Fabio and Grooverider’s weekly Rage night. Entitled 30 Years of Rage and available in numerous formats (double CD, four double vinyl albums and download/streaming), they feature a mixture of tracks - some very hard to find - that detail the club’s unique music policy and how bass-heavy British dance music was changing during the period.

Rumour Records’ contemporaneous Bass, Breaks & Bleeps compilations are worth tracking down as they contain many of the biggest records in the style, as well cuts that have long been forgotten or may have stood the test of time. Four volumes were released between 1990 and ’92. A number of the key labels mentioned in this chapter either released compilations at the time or later celebratory sets charting their contribution to the changing sound of British dance music. These include XL Recordings’ The First Chapter (1990) and The Second Chapter: Hardcore European Dance Music (1991); Warriors Dance’s Acid Trax & Warriors Dance (1988) and The Tuffest of the Tuff (1989, but reissued in expanded form in 2019); and the triple-CD Suburban Base: The History of Hardcore, Jungle and Drum & Bass (2014).

16 · ELEMENTS OF TONE · 40

The North American take on Bleep & Bass and Bleep & Breaks was relatively short-lived and focused on a few key groups of producers. Because of this, a good overview of the movement can be gained by listening to the work of Frankie Bones (notably the Bonesbreaks series and Looney Tunes EPs produced in cahoots with Lenny Dee) made between 1988 and 1990, his brother Adam X (1990-91) and, of course, John Acquaviva and Richie Hawtin.

If you have the time, take a trawl through the early catalogues of Atmosphere Records and Plus 8. Belgian label Buzz’s 1991 compilation The Atmosphere Compilation offers a good primer for the former imprint, while Easy Street’s Brooklyn Beats: Brooklyn’s In The House contains cuts from many of the key players in the early NYC Techno scene (Joey Beltram, Mundo Muzique, How and Little, Frankie Bones etc.).

17 · COMING DOWN · 43

Some of the compilations mentioned in the Bleep & Breaks chapter remain relevant to this one, particularly the 30 Years of Rage and Suburban Base: The History of Hardcore, Jungle and Drum & Bass ones.The gradual transformation of Warp Records in 1991 and ’92 is perfectly chronicled via the contrasting Artificial Intelligence and Evolution of the Groove compilations.

18 · JOIN THE FUTURE · 22

You can listen to Utah’s Bleep & Bass special, as mentioned in this chapter, on the NTS Radio website. Below I’ve listed various Bleep-influenced cuts mentioned in the main text; there are tons more out there, but there’s not space here to mention everything.

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