Still just the tender age of 26, is there is much more to come
from Mr B. Next up, godfather of soul James Browns new tracks are
due for the John B remix treatment, a real surprise for even this musical
chameleon. Hes also been busy Remixing Howard Jones, Heaven 17, Digital
Nation, Robbie Craig and SExpress. True to form, it doesnt seem as if
things will be becoming predictable any time soon&
Older Biography (2001)
John B is a name synonymous with originality. He has constructed
some of the most daring Drum & Bass audio experiments of the last five
years, and this is a consequence of his reluctance to pigeonhole himself under
any one style. His refusal to conform to traditional methods means that his
productive streak is ever changing; and so in delving into the timeline of
John's musical career, some staggeringly contrasting and imaginative vinyl
pressings can be discovered. The only ingredient that is retained between each
of his successive releases is quality; there is always thought present, as is
hindsight. This quality is a trend that has existed in John's work ever since
he first set sight on a synthesizer, as we shall now find out.
Way before the drum and bass boom of the year 2000, when the
music was still in its teething stages; the sounds of the irrepressible Fabio and Grooverider caught the
attention of our budding beats enthusiast, Mr. B; on their Kiss FM slot. Within a
year of venturing to his first rave, John had already adopted this rogue art
form as his music of choice; and was deep into the process of creating his own
records.
Formation Records' DJ SS supported John's new-forged
interest in the underground sound and encouraged him to cultivate it, upon
hearing his demo tape. Then, staggeringly, and in a weird reverse of roles,
John managed to catch the attention of the man who actually caught his
attention in the first place, that being Grooverider. John achieved
this through his first batch of promising 12" singles; which screamed out
to DJs; such as the warped and foreboding 'Sight Beyond', and the
contrasting, but musically accomplished 'Fermat's Theorem.' The chain
reaction had now begun; and from hereon in, John never looked back.
In 1997, Grooverider requested for one of John's tracks to be
included on his 'Prototype Years' LP - the album from which all future long
players would later be measured. For John; who had only been producing for a
few years, this was a phenomenal achievement. His creation, 'Secrets' now lay nestled
in and amongst the 33-speed vinyl-grooves of legendary artists such as Ed
Rush, Optical, Dillinja, Matrix and Grooverider; and so there
was no turning back. The brooding track; complete with insane, blaring
Armageddon screeches, and slimy, glutinous bass-lines, pushed John headlong
into the spotlight of the scene; and people were watching. Inspired by his
successes, B began brainstorming new tracks; and began to lay the foundations
to his trademark sound.
John B's electric originality caused more than its fair share of
static between the vinyl plates of DJ boxes worldwide; with his 1998
masterpiece; the 'Visions' LP. Released on SS's New Identity label; it
was critically acclaimed.
WIKKID - DJ MAGAZINE
PURPOSE BUILT FOR THE CAFE DEL MAR - MUZIK
THE SOUND OF DRUM & BASS BEING SHOWN THE TIME OF ITS LIFE
- KNOWLEDGE
RAW FURY FUCKIN ELL - MIXMAG
Next came Mr. B's revolutionary 'Salsa'; and a deft
uppercut to the jaw of the inwardly oppressive, dark, unimaginative drum and
bass that swamped the scene in 1999. All that was missing with this release was
the free sombrero; as it included cactus-ridden soundscapes, tequila-soaked
synth trickery, and 'Arrriba' chants which put even the great Speedy Gonzales
to shame. This release had DJs scratching their heads in awe of its sparkling
renaissance of positive and uplifting undertones; something totally against the
grain at its time of release. It helped to push the scene forward; and helped
earmark the album on which it resided; SS's 'Countries' LP; as different and
daring. It was a clever move on John's part; it stood out like a sore thumb;
and dragged evermore-watchful eyes from the recesses of the underground scene
onto his movements.
Although the keystone to John's artistry before the end of the
millennium was obviously creativity and intuition, he was still on a path of
self-discovery. This fact, coupled with his penchant for cult, 80's
synthesiser-style, Electro soundscapes, would eventually lead him to the
driver's seat of his soon-to-be signature style; one that would sell him
thousands of records.
In 1999, John constructed his own label, Beta Recordings. Over the next
two years, this outlet would absorb much of his personal time, as he set about
building up a healthy batch of releases. Finally, after all his hard work, all
his releases, and the lengthy distance he had travelled; John B tore the scene
to shreds with a single release that would change the way people looked at
D&B forever.
It was 2001; and the most notorious individual in drum and bass,
Goldie, recruited a tiny sect of seven individuals to relaunch arguably the
most influential record label of all time; Metalheadz. Who better to
call upon than John B; who consequently delivered the final and shocking
chapter to Goldie's remarkable five release-run of life-changing music. 'Up All
Night' was the name of B's magnum opus, a record that his name would become
synonymous with ever after.
This record screamed out to the masses by breathing life into a
tired and over glamorised hardcore / drum and bass sub-genre. It was one of
those tunes that, when played at a rave, transcended the whole tangibility of
your surroundings, and created an atmosphere and tension that made you forget
that the essence of the moment was solely accountable to a deck and a needle.
It was fused with unspeakable emotion and feeling; it called out to you and
made you close your eyes and think. When it was aired in a club, it made the
audience forget where they were and how you got there, and simply left them
dwelling in totality on the music.
'Up All Night' registered in at No. 1 in the all-format UK
dance charts; above all other house, garage and techno entries. It
transcended genres and unified different cultures; it was not uncommon to hear
the sounds of breaks and hiphop DJs, such as the Scratch Perverts, blending and
scratching the sounds of John's masterpiece with their own. Astonishingly, the
record was created just over a year before actual release; it was seemingly
light years ahead of his time. This record is factual proof of John B's
pioneering attitude and fiery streak of originality; it is a sonic landmark of
epic proportions.
After this, the snowball of success began careering
uncontrollably forward for John. His new forged fusion of oldskool sounds and
newskool traits instigated the enormous 'When I'm Close 2 U/Crazy in Love' on
his finely tuned Future Reference EP. Even though it was the only hard and
scathing tune on there; it was reserved for DJ Marky's incredibly
successful 'Brazilian Job' CD LP, which was heralded as one the best jungle CDs
of all time. Regardless; the Future Reference album, in itself, received one of
the top 10 albums of the year in the Sunday Times; due to its balance of hard,
smooth, and sexy subtleties. This achievement was the first if its kind for a
drum and bass release.
Soon after, in 2002, John B had returned to his hard-dance
mentality with an equally bruising; but beautifully melodic remix of 'Up All
Night'. The spangled synthesiser-style melody in its introduction was notably
different from John's previous releases, and it was this sound that he would
retain; in character; for his future production experiments. John had clearly
been bitten by the 80's vibe; and his ensuing Future Reference remix EP
confirmed this. Its production style was saturated with a precious, gaseous
envelope of the early acid-house days; and was riddled with tear-jerking siren
calls, and oldskool synthesiser bleeps. This was the start of a new era for
John.
The Mad Scientist of drum and bass had always been
interested in the synthesiser-driven energy of the 1980's. The scene in which
John resided had previously recycled many musical genres, but never one as
obscure and as daring as this. The fact that this 1980's sound was solely
responsible for the uprising of dance music as we know it today, ran rife in
John's mind; and a brainchild was born.
By harnessing this vibe of old and stuffing it into the same
melting pot of the170bpm sound, not only did John achieve something previously
unheard of, but he displayed, in audio format, the foundations to the
underground music which he and so many others love today. In doing this, John
was subconsciously feeding the more recent fans of drum and bass the
foundations to which their music was built upon, through something they could
relate to, in an extraordinary fusion of two musical genres. John had become a
true ambassador of his sound.
When the oldskool revival came about for drum and bass, never
did it delve as deep into the timeline as John B managed to burrow. B now had
an untapped market all for himself, as this regeneration of 80's synthesizer
sound in D&B had never been attempted before. His ensuing work featured
more of this daringly different past / future mutation, such as 'Electronic,
'Rendez Vous' and 'Celebrity; which are all fantastically original
showpieces in their own right.
Following on, and another acclaimed release in 2002 touched down
in the form of John B's remix of High Contrast's 'Return of Forever'. High Contrast; a
relatively new artist at the time, was hurtling up the ranks of the music's
finest at an unprecedented speed. In the same way that Grooverider trusted John
to contribute for his 'Prototype Years' compilation, and in similar fashion to
when Goldie had faith in John to produce an accomplished track for his
legendary Metalheadz label; High Contrast left the anthemic tune that arguably
propelled him into the limelight in the sturdy hands of signor B. John gave the
track an electro 80's lick of fuzzy, funk-fuelled production paint, all in his
inimitable style.
John has many compatriots that share his methods of originality
and forward thinking. His new labels in 2002; Tangent, Chihuahua & Nu
Electro are architectures constructed to magnify and enlarge the
successes of these people who produce drum and bass with similar ideals. These
three outlets help to cater for John's broad ranging taste in his chosen music.
The first of these labels; Chihuahua caters for the sassy, Latino
funk-lifestyle prophesised by his pioneering 'Salsa' track; and so its first
release epitomised this.
The artist Nu Tone concocted the simply sublime 'E. Spresso /
Chupa Meus Samples' to kick-start John's Chihuahua label; and it provided a
stark, fiery boot to the backside of crowd members throughout the UK,
especially at nights such as Fabio's 'Swerve' residency, with its cheeky,
scorching undertones. This label cemented itself as a remedy to all the
sickening, shin-shattering dark-core material that so commonly ventures into
raves en mass to mutilate the crowds.
Also; Tangent. John instigated this new imprint with his own
acclaimed 'It's so real'; paving the way for Australian producer Greg Packer to
serve its second release with some more succulent beats and percussion; the
critically acclaimed 'You are the one / Wake up'. It was the next record which
really left a dent in DJs mental receptors, though; Mars' 'Road Runner /
Soul-Jah'; a staggering slice of raw, rugged funk; made all the more staggering
by the fact it was conceived by an 18 year old, Will Marsden. The label
continues to release singles by these artists, and a Greg packer Album is due
for Spring 2003.
Nu Electro is the 4th label in the Beta recordings camp - a home
for the electro punk drum & bass of 'American Girls', 'Electronic' etc by Mr. B, and
new artists CydeFX, Shapeshifter and Genetic Sequence.
So, one can see from these imprints that not only is John
providing new music; but new opportunities for other individuals. No bias is
involved; be they thousands of miles across the globe with no encountering of
the UK scene; or just young, and inexperienced in the industry; it does not
matter. As long as the music is good, that's what matters, and its even better
if it can help bring new artists through.
What now, from John B? He is too unpredictable to draw an
opinion; but whichever direction he treads, one can always assure that he will
never forget his roots, and that his workings will be wracked with pioneering
thought. This man will always be serving up the sounds of the underground until
either the tinnitus from his speakers; or arthritis from DJing gets to him;
whatever comes first.
Whichever style or slant John approaches his work from; he pulls
on qualms in wearing his originality on his sleeve. As long as it is new,
fresh, different and extravert, it will always reside in his production
experiments somewhere along the line. So; until the day that John shaves his
precious, blonde Barnet in favour of a 'short, back and sides'; do not expect
to hear any overly familiar distortion synths and amen drums in his assemblage
any time soon. This individual has carved himself his own corner in the scene,
and because he continues to be successful, he has no reason to conform.
Bearing the aforementioned points in mind, it is justifiable to
propose that John is a true, bright spark of our dark, subterraneous culture.
As long as he keeps on making music, in whichever form, and whichever guise; it
will bring light and positive energy to even the darkest corners of the rave.
Written by John Murray-Hill john@breakbeat.co.uk
Extra info:
John B was born on 12 July 1977
Lives in Maidenhead, in the South-East of England, UK.
He Runs 20 Miles a week, and can do a half marathon in 1hr52m.
DJs a lot, see: http://www.beta-recordings.co.uk/livedates
Favourite wine is Dry Riesling
Favourite Food is Sushi
Favourite bands are Flock of Seagulls & A-Ha
He 'really likes American girls'. But you knew that already.
Has an Honours degree in Cell Biology, from Durham University..
John B B.Sc (Hons.)
Doesn't really like show music.
Loves almost everything about the 80s.
Favourite films: Teen Wolf, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Breakfast
Club, Blade Runner, American Psycho.
Still watches 'Neighbours' although not as religiously as in
years gone by.
New hobby is collecting Robots.
