Five For The Funk: Bedrock16

Photo: Bedrock Easter 2013 / Credit: Ryan Dinham

With Bedrock Records 16th birthday landing at Electric Brixton this weekend, our office has come over with a bout of nostalgia as we scrabble over control of the office airwaves to relive some of our favourite moments from John Digweed and Nick Muir's iconic label.

For any imprint to stay at the forefront of underground dance music for as long as Bedrock has is an inordinately tricky task, and in Bedrock's case comes down to the far-sighted wisdom and insight from its owners, who have refused to get stuck in a rut by constantly pushing the direction of the label, whilst staying true to an aesthetic that they are clearly very passionate about.

With that in mind, we've decided to go through some of Bedrock's finest moments, shining our light on tracks that epitomise the record label's evolution over its 16 year career.

Bedrock - Heaven Scent

Where better to start than with Bedrock Records' very first release - a label debut that will forever take some beating. Absolutely rinsed by any trance DJ worth his salt, 'Heaven Scent' came at a time when trance was breaking the mainstream. Producers were going back over past trance hits and reworking them with terribly vacuous female vocals, determined to commercialise and sell out the original trance spirit.

But thankfully, producers like Nick Muir and John Digweed were on hand, along with a bunch of others to show how good trance still could be. Their combined production know-how introduced a gritty, trippy interpratation to beats and melody, resulting in a trance tune with a bite, something that was becoming all to rare.

The record still stands out as a classic, a pivotal moment in the trance history, showing an intelligence and depth that was to become not only John Digweed's, but Bedrock Records' calling card. 

Moonface - Futurized Fears

Following on from the intelligent trance the label kicked off with, Moonface came along and made it abundantly clear that Bedrock was going to be a label that would defy expectations. The story goes that Phil Thompson, aka Moonface would burn his latest works onto CD and hand it over to Digweed during a set, who would then incorporate it in to his performance before he'd even listened to it - such was his respect for the young producer.

It's dark, ominous tone and fierce bassline came from left of field, and marked the beginning of Bedrock's explorations darker, edgier territory, whilst at the same time exploring the finer edges of a burgeoning progressive house scene. What's more, despite being some 13 years on, this track still sounds fresh, which is no mean feat.

Luke Fair - Ultraviolet

Fast forward four years and controversially past releases like Steve Lawler's debut 'Rise In' (we've already had one obvious entry, two would be too far, surely?) we find ourselves with Luke Fair's immense 'Ultraviolet' and 'Bloc Rock' double sider.

Whilst 'Bloc Rock' on the flip side is a dark and menacing, tribal masterpiece, the epitome of tough progressive house, 'Ultraviolet' really showed off the labels penchant for combining delicate, lilting melodies with floor ready beats and bass, something that is still very much part of the Digweed approach. An oft overlooked, golden moment in the Bedrock canon.

Robert Babicz - Pink Trees

As Bedrock continued to evolve, the next four or so years saw Digweed, Muir and co delve further into the lean and bassier signatures of tech house and techno, whilst holding the same sort of airy atmospherics that had become the label staple. No track embodied that progression more than Robert Babicz's 'Pink Trees'.

The crisp shuffling drums and unique swing of the German producers Bedrock debut add an unusual flow to the tune, whilst working wonderfully with the modulating bass tones, overlaid with Babicz's refined ear for rousing, uplifting melodies. Babicz has continued to be a favourite of John Digweed, and on this display its easy to see why the veteran German producer has become an extended family member of the Bedrock brotherhood.

John Digweed & Nick Muir Versus Psycatron - Awakenings

The end of last year saw John Digweed and Nick Muir reinstate their production partnership for their album Versus, a huge length double LP that saw them team up with various other artists - Japanese Popstars, Carlo Lio, and Pig & Dan to name a few, invariably adding that special Bedrock touch to a wealth of varying styles.

This track in particular saw them link up with Psycatron for an absolute techno monster (perhaps a homage to the huge Dutch brand of the same name), harking back to signature acid house tropes whilst ecasing it in relentless, rave heavy shell, resulting in a dancefloor killer that provided some of the most frenzied moments in Digweed's sets last year.

Bedrock turns 16 on Saturday 4th October at Electric Brixton, with guest appearances from Josh Wink, Pig & Dan, Spencer Parker, and of course, John Digweed. Grab your Bedrock tickets here.

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