finetune artist: Aphrodite

b. Gavin King. Although Roni Size and Goldie are perhaps the most famous sons of the drum 'n' bass scene, King is its unsung hero. He is a record label boss, globe-trotting DJ, recording artist and producer and remixer, working with high-profile artists including A Tribe Called Quest, Ice Cube, the Jungle Brothers, Nine Inch Nails and Moby. King first began making his own tracks when he could not afford to buy enough records to compile his own mix-tapes. Using a very basic Omega computer, he recorded extra tracks to supplement the tapes. He used to play these mix-tapes to people at his local record store. One of these people was the DJ-producer Mickey Finn, and the two subsequently began to work together. King's first release was the Cellar 4 EP but he first experienced commercial success as Urban Shakedown with Finn. Released in 1992, "Some Justice" was a prototype jungle single. It combined the positivism of acid house (with its "We'll live as one" refrain) with heavy sub-bass and infectious synthesiser melodies. The track established a blueprint for future jungle releases and entered the UK national Top 40, despite some problems in clearing the sample of Ce Ce Rogers' "Someday'. It was Aphrodite and Mickey Finn's (as Urban Takeover) remix of the Jungle Brothers" "Jungle Brother" that exposed the team to a much wider audience. Their reworking brought together New York hip-hop beats with the new jungle sound, entered the UK Top 40 and caught the imagination of US hip-hop fans. Aphrodite and Mickey Finn established their own record label, Aphrodite Recordings and a sister label, Urban Takeover, in 1993. Since then, they have released a string of respected and popular drum 'n' bass singles. King would rather remain prolific than produce technically precise but uninspired music. He takes a similar approach to his Djing, often playing his own roughly produced dub plates, including his own versions of the themes from the television programme Bonanza and the movie 2001. His own hip-hop-infused form of drum 'n' bass has become known as "jump-up". In 1999, the major record label V2 signed Aphrodite for the single "BM Funkster" and Aphrodite. The album featured remixes of older, classic tracks from the Aphrodite Recordings label, such as "Woman That Rolls", "King Of Beats" and "Rincing Quince" alongside new material. It demonstrated a range of influences including breakbeats, soul, jazz, dub, funk and the ever-present hip-hop.

Listen to Aphrodite at Finetune.

(1999) Urban Jungle
(1999) Aphrodite
(1998) The Takeover Bid

King of the Beats
Style From the Dark Side '99
Woman That Rolls
Fallen Angel (aphrodite mix)
Summer Breeze