Coldcut | ||
| Allmusic Biography : DJs Jonathan More and Matt Black, aka Coldcut, rose to acclaim in the mid-80s through production and remix work for a number of modern rock, hip-hop, and dance outfits, including Yazz, Lisa Stansfield, Junior Reid, Blondie, Eric B. & Rakim, and Queen Latifah. While that connection has pegged them as a product of the U.K. acid house and rave scenes, the pairs larger commitment has been to urban breakbeat styles such as hip-hop, ambient dub, and jungle, the three of which have constituted the bulk of their recorded output since their first mid-80s white-label EP, Hey Kids, What Time Is It? Comprising project titles like Hedfunk, Hex, DJ Food, and Coldcut, More and Black have assembled an empire of U.K. breakbeat and experimental hip-hop through their Ninja Tune/Ntone labels and been a unifying force in underground experimental electronic music through their eclectic radio show Solid Steel, as well as club and tour dates. More and Black are also technological pioneers. They were early adaptors of the enhanced CD format, theyve integrated live video sampling into their performances since the 90s, and theyve developed innovative audio-visual manipulation programs and apps. More and Black got their start, not surprisingly, as radio DJs, working at the pirate station Network 21 during the first half of the 80s, and latching onto the snowballing club scene during the middle to the late decade. Their claim to early fame, Say Kids, What Time Is It?, was modeled on the cutnscratch turntable aesthetic of underground deck heroes like Grandmaster Flash and Double D & Steinski. Widely regarded as the U.K.s first breaks record and an influential force in bringing an identity to Londons nascent club culture, the record -- released as a U.S. import billed to DJ Coldcut to avoid sample litigation -- opened as many doors for More and Black as it did for DJs, bringing scads of production and remix work their way. The attention (and sales royalties) also allowed them to launch their Ahead of Our Time label, succeeded by Ninja Tune and Ntone, which together have been home to some of the most acclaimed and influential artists of Londons post-rave underground scene, including DJ Food, Drome, Journeyman, 9 Lazy 9, Up, Bustle & Out, and the Herbaliser. Although Coldcut was their earliest nom de plume, following a befuddled contract with Arista, the name remained in legal channels for the following few years. The intervening period found the pair no less active, releasing a flood of material under different names and continuing to work with young groups. The Coldcut name returned to More and Black in 1995, and the pair celebrated with a mix CD as part of the Journeys by DJ series dubbed 70 Minutes of Madness. The release was credited with bringing to wider attention the sort of freestyle mixing the pair were always known for through their radio show on KISS FM, Solid Steel, and their steady club dates, a style that later took off through clubs like Blech and the Heavenly Sunday Social. In 1997, Coldcut finally released another full-length, Let Us Play! Two years later, the pair followed up with the remix album Let Us Replay!, which was packaged with a CD-ROM including music videos and a demo of the groups interactive VJamm software. Numerous mix CDs appeared before they returned in 2006 with the new album Sound Mirrors, a slick album that recalled their debut. Following Sound Mirrors, Coldcut largely kept busy on the business and technological fronts. Black co-developed a "granular video synthesizer" titled Granul8, and the duo released a music production app called Ninja Jamm. Ninja Tune maintained their highly productive release schedule, celebrating their 20th anniversary in 2010 with Ninja Tune XX, an exhaustive box set including six CDs of remixes and rarities, six 7" singles, and a hardcover book. In 2016, Coldcut resurrected their earliest label, Ahead of Our Time, and released The Bullnose Step EP, the first release in 25 years by their little-known Bogus Order alias. They also issued Only Heaven, a new Coldcut EP featuring Ninja Tune regular Roots Manuva. In 2017, Coldcut and legendary dub/post-punk producer Adrian Sherwood (credited as On-U Sound) released the collaborative album Outside the Echo Chamber, featuring guest contributions from Manuva as well as Lee "Scratch" Perry, Cecile, Dennis Bovell, and others. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 16 Title: Whats That Noise? Released: 1989-09-19 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:01:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 People Hold On (03:58) 2 Fat (Party & Bullshit) (04:34) 3 (Im) In Deep (05:22) 4 My Telephone (05:26) 5 Theme From "Reportage" (01:34) 6 Which Doctor? (04:59) 7 Stop This Crazy Thing (05:56) 8 No Connection (03:37) 9 Smoke 1 (04:51) 10 Doctorin The House (Say R Mix) (05:17) 11 Whats That Noise? (02:55) 12 Beats + Pieces (Mo Bass remix) (06:00) 13 Stop This Crazy Thing (Hedmaster mix by Adrian Sherwood) (07:06) |
| What's That Noise? : Allmusic album Review : English DJs Matt Black and Jonathan Moore came up in the mid-80s by way of a good deal of remix work for the likes of Yaz, Eric B. and Rakim, Blondie, and Queen Latifah. They struck out on their own with the monumental Hey Kids, What Time Is It? EP, which showcased their heady blend of hip-hop production aesthetics and proto-acid house grooves. This 1989 long-player finds the duo ranging far and wide with their smart, yet fluid mix and features such heavyweight guests as Latifah, reggae singer Junior Reid of Black Uhuru fame, the Falls Mark E. Smith, and singer Lisa Stansfield. A fine starting point for the curious. | ||
 | Album: 2 of 16 Title: Some Like It Cold Released: 1990 Tracks: 10 Duration: 54:30 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Find a Way (feat. Queen Latifah) (05:09) 2 Ride The Pressure (04:52) 3 R U Ready (feat. Roots) (05:07) 4 Mi Sueño (feat. Aguirre) (08:01) 5 Bass 4 Luv (05:20) 6 Original Box (05:22) 7 Chaos Thing (06:55) 8 Screw Loose (03:13) 9 Maker Brake (03:13) 10 Theme From Evil Eddy (07:15) |
 | Album: 3 of 16 Title: Philosophy Released: 1993 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:03:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Philosophy (03:06) 2 Chocolate Box (05:44) 3 Pearls Before Swine (05:50) 4 What Were Living For (04:39) 5 Leaving Home (04:22) 6 Dreamer (Crazy Swing mix) (03:54) 7 Peace & Love (05:23) 8 Kinda Natural (05:12) 1 Autumn Leaves (Irresistible Force Full Chill mix) (09:46) 2 Autumn Leaves (a cappella) (?) 3 Eine kleine Hedmusik (04:10) 4 Sign (06:14) 5 Angel Heart (05:36) |
| Philosophy : Allmusic album Review : The duos disastrous major-label debut was worry-free acid jazz made even more palatable by vocalists Ade and Chinas canned, predictable delivery. The album did produce a minor legend in Mixmaster Morriss remix of "Autumn Leaves," but aside from that its a dry, muddy beaker with little of interest. | ||
 | Album: 4 of 16 Title: Journeys by DJ: 70 Minutes of Madness Released: 1995 Tracks: 35 Duration: 1:11:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Bola (03:18) 2 Street Beats, Volume 2 (03:01) 3 One Blood (02:24) 4 Jam on Revenge (The Wikki Wikki Song) (01:11) 5 Extreme Possibilities (Wagon Christ remix) (01:08) 6 King Ashabanapal (Dillinja mix) (01:35) 7 Noddy Holder (02:53) 8 Fuk (01:08) 9 More Beats (01:16) 10 Manganese in Deep Violet (01:58) 11 African Drug (03:13) 12 Stratus Static (01:55) 13 Beats and Pieces (01:47) 14 That Greedy Beat (01:23) 15 The Music Maker (01:07) 16 Find a Way (a cappella) (01:18) 17 King of the Beats (01:56) 18 Mag (03:02) 19 Justa "Lil" Dope (01:39) 20 Parp 1 / Rock Creak Parp (00:40) 21 Grace (01:01) 22 First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (a cappella) (02:07) 23 Balthus Bemused by Color (01:57) 24 Into the 90s (01:59) 25 The Bridge Is Over (02:49) 26 Dark Blood (MLO Nu Blud mix) (00:20) 27 Friendly Pressure (a cappella) (02:38) 28 Freshmess (Bandulu mix) (00:11) 29 Message From Our Sponsor (02:21) 30 Unify (01:57) 31 Again Son (02:17) 32 Hot Flush (Sabres of Paradise remix) (04:05) 33 Theme From Doctor Who (01:26) 34 Free (02:27) 35 The Dusk (05:19) |
| Journeys by DJ: 70 Minutes of Madness : Allmusic album Review : Although this mixed CD is a compilation of material by numerous different artists (from Harold Budd to Dillinja, Joanna Law to the Jedi Knights), only some of which are Coldcuts own, its an ample illustration of the sort of freestyle approach to composition the pair helped popularize. The group jump from style to style at will, drawing out the connections between hip-hop, jungle, techno, electro, ambient, and beyond, with first-rate mixing and turntable work. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 16 Title: Journeys by DJ: Marathon Released: 1996 Tracks: 44 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Garden of Peace (The Shakra remix) (?) 2 Deeper Sunshine (?) 3 Love Me Tonight (?) 4 (Who?) Keeps Changing Your Mind (Fresh Fruit mix) (?) 5 Deep Inside (Heavy Weather mix) (?) 6 Infatuation (?) 7 Eterna (?) 8 Future Groove (?) 9 Timeless Land (?) 10 The Snake (?) 11 Dreams (?) 12 Possible Worlds (?) 13 LSD (?) 1 Fuk (?) 2 More Beats (?) 3 Manganese in Deep Violet (?) 4 African Drug (?) 5 Stratus Static (?) 6 Beats and Pieces (?) 7 That Greedy Beat (?) 8 The Music Maker (?) 9 King of the Beats (?) 10 Mag (?) 11 Justa "Lil" Dope (?) 12 Parp 1 / Rock Creak Parp (?) 13 Balthus Bemused by Colour (?) 14 Into the 90’s (?) 15 Dark Blood (MLO Nu Blud mix) (?) 16 Friendly Pressure (a cappella) (?) 17 Freshness (Bandulu mix) (?) 18 Message From Our Sponsor (?) 19 Unify (?) 20 Again Son (?) 21 Hot Flush (Sabres of Paradise remix) (?) 22 Theme From Dr Who (?) 23 Music Box (?) 24 Yeah Yeah (?) 25 Fresh Jive (?) 26 Desire (?) 27 Voyager (?) 28 The Wonders of Wishing (?) 29 Eden (?) 30 D-Pressed (?) 31 All You Wanted (?) |
 | Album: 6 of 16 Title: Cold Krush Cuts Released: 1996-12-21 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:09:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Groover (00:43) 2 Global Chaos (archi version) (00:32) 3 Sometimes (03:41) 4 The Breaks (02:17) 5 The Real Killer, Part 2 (Rooftop Prowler) (01:58) 6 Get Your Head Down (04:27) 7 Goodbye Cruel World (01:41) 8 Naked Leaves (01:04) 9 Spiral (03:07) 10 Harmonic (04:17) 11 Mod You (04:41) 12 Readybrek (02:07) 13 Creatures (03:52) 14 Nightrous (03:13) 15 An Unmarked Grave in Memory of Butch Cassidy & The Sundance Kid (04:22) 16 The Revolutionary Woman of the Windmill (OestroGwen mix) (02:23) 17 Mr. Chombee Has the Flaw (03:52) 18 The Breaks of Wrath (03:39) 19 Alice Effekt (02:41) 20 Glass (01:30) 21 Sunvibes (01:46) 22 Oddly Godly (03:20) 23 Going Down (08:00) |
 | Album: 7 of 16 Title: Let Us Play! Released: 1997-06-01 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:14:49 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Return to Margin (08:31) 2 Atomic Moog 2000 (Post Nuclear Afterlife Lounge mix) (07:06) 3 More Beats + Pieces (Daddy Rips It Up mix) (06:08) 4 Rubaiyat (06:41) 5 Pan Opticon (06:59) 6 Music 4 No Musicians (07:02) 7 Noahs Toilet (04:34) 8 Space Journey (04:20) 9 Timber (04:32) 10 Every Home a Prison (07:03) 11 Cloned Again (04:40) 12 Im Wild About That Thing (The Lost Sex Tapes: Position 1) (07:09) |
 | Album: 8 of 16 Title: Let Us Replay! Released: 1998 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:16:51 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Atomic Moog 2000 (Cornelius mix) (07:22) 2 Every Home a Prison (Shut Up & Dance mix) (05:02) 3 Border (07:42) 4 More Beats & Pieces (DJ Lord Fader Turntable mix) (05:44) 5 Panopticon (Irresistible Force mix) (08:16) 6 Return to Margin (J Swinscoe mix) (07:27) 7 Last Night a Cliché Saved My Life (06:06) 8 Atomic Moog 2000 (live in Sonar Festival, Barcelona) (05:50) 9 Panopticon (live in Tokyo) (06:21) 10 Rubaiyat (Carl Craig mix) (05:56) 11 The Tale of Miss Virginia Epitome (06:12) 12 Noahs Toilet (Fuqua & Sycophants version) (04:47) |
 | Album: 9 of 16 Title: Cold-Cut-Outs Released: 2000-11-01 Tracks: 13 Duration: 1:16:41 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Say Kids (What Time Is It?) (04:45) 2 Beats & Pieces (05:57) 3 Smoke Dis One (feat. Queen Latifah) (05:41) 4 Off to Work (03:40) 5 That Greedy Beat (05:34) 6 Stop This Crazy Thing (Instrumental) (06:34) 7 Ride the Pressure (04:47) 8 Which Doctor? (04:29) 9 Not Paid Enough (07:21) 10 Kick Out the JamEs (Speng) (07:58) 11 Panopticon (live, Planet K, 26-11-99) (08:17) 12 Sign (06:08) 13 The Original Box (05:24) |
 | Album: 10 of 16 Title: People Hold On: The Best of Coldcut Released: 2004-02-02 Tracks: 15 Duration: 1:11:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 People Hold On (03:58) 2 Doctorin’ the House (03:47) 3 Stop This Crazy Thing (04:01) 4 My Telephone (03:51) 5 Kinda Natural (05:12) 6 Autumn Leaves (03:24) 7 Fat (Party and Bullshit) (04:36) 8 Screw Loose (03:11) 9 Find a Way (04:02) 10 Plastic Man (12″ version) (06:19) 11 Dreamer (ECU Mix) (03:40) 12 Coldcut’s Christmas Break (03:58) 13 Beats + Pieces (12″ version) (05:59) 14 People Hold On (12″ version) (09:27) 15 Autumn Leaves (French version) (05:50) |
 | Album: 11 of 16 Title: Sound Mirrors Released: 2005 Tracks: 12 Duration: 55:10 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Man in a Garage (03:27) 2 True Skool (03:34) 3 Just for the Kick (05:06) 4 Walk a Mile in My Shoes (05:08) 5 Mr Nichols (05:45) 6 A Whistle and a Prayer (05:55) 7 Everything Is Under Control (03:37) 8 Boogie Man (03:49) 9 Aid Dealer (04:13) 10 This Island Earth (04:14) 11 Colours the Soul (04:19) 12 Sound Mirrors (05:59) |
| Sound Mirrors : Allmusic album Review : Sound Mirrors suggests that 1989s Whats That Noise? wasnt a slick fluke, but that there are actually two Coldcuts. Theres the Coldcut who sound like theyre controlling the uncontrollable with jagged shards of hip-hop and dance music bouncing joyfully around the room while sneering at the conventional song. Let Us Play!, the unstoppable Journeys by DJ, and their Solid State radio program all fall into this category, all featuring maverick music that made the un-ironic guest appearances of Lisa Stansfield and the bubbly/forgotten Yazz on Whats That Noise? seem like youthful pop folly. Follow Norman Cooks evolution from the slick Beats International to the choppier but still accessible Fatboy Slim and it makes much more sense, but Coldcut blossomed into something different with their ass-kicking underground attitude dividing its time between white-boy turntablism and multimedia subversion that challenged the CD medium itself (Let Us Replay! featured a bonus CD-ROM long before most had a use for it). Sound Mirrors isnt entirely without its challenging side -- urban poet Saul Williams talks a suicidal businessman down from the ledge on the hardly everyday "Mr. Nichols" -- but the Solid State downloading snoots are going to be thrown for a loop and the guy from Maroon 5 wouldnt be entirely out of place here. So if Sound Mirrors wont make you the coolest kid at school, its still an incredibly well-crafted album with much less of the cocky cleverness that burdened Let Us Play! The beautiful voice of house legend Robert Owens isnt lost in "Walk a Mile," but supported by delicious bleeps and dreamy loops. Well-dressed lovers of the fringe will just gush over the icy/avant Annette Peacock going house on "Just for the Kick," and if you want power, Jon Spencer and Mike Ladd bring it on "Everything Is Under Control," the albums only real punch in the gut. Mpho Skeef is one-part M.I.A., one-part Sneaker Pimps on "This Island Earth," the brilliant start to the albums perfect wind-down. "The Soul" and closing title track are as deep listening as they want you to be, creating loose, mysterious landscapes to explore or ignore. While Sound Mirrors works just fine with eyes closed and headphones on, it also lends itself to less involvement, like a stylish accessory. By pulling back on the "wow" factor and demanding less from the listener, Coldcut have delivered their first album that will be listened to twice as much as its talked about. | ||
 | Album: 12 of 16 Title: Live at the Big Chill 2006 Released: 2006 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:18:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Whistle and a Prayer (05:21) 2 Music 4 No Musicians / Dark River / Jungle Book (12:33) 3 Revolution (10:04) 4 Man in a Garage (04:15) 5 Walk a Mile in My Shoes / Just for the Kick (10:04) 6 Skit 1 (01:19) 7 Skit 2 (01:10) 8 Timber (05:23) 9 Atomic Moog (06:30) 10 True Skool (07:05) 11 Paid in Full (09:22) 12 Everything Is Under Control (05:50) |
 | Album: 13 of 16 Title: Sound Mirrors (Videos + Remixes) Released: 2006-10-30 Tracks: 14 Duration: 1:11:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 True Skool (Spank Rock BBC Soundsystem remix) (04:55) 2 Everything Is Under Control (Coldcut Theory 0.1) (04:59) 3 Everything Is Under Control (Qemists remix) (05:30) 4 True Skool (Sway remix) (03:28) 5 Man in a Garage (Snap Ant version) (04:19) 6 Everything Is Under Control (DJ Kentaro remix) (03:37) 7 True Skool (Switch remix) (06:20) 8 People Hold On (Casuals remix) (04:30) 9 Walk a Mile in My Shoes (Tiga remix) (06:52) 10 Everything Is Under Control (Solid Groove dub mix) (07:13) 11 The State Were In (Coldcut Bassass mix) (03:42) 12 Man in a Garage (Nick Franglen Lemon Jelly remix) (07:03) 13 Man in a Garage (Daedelus Hydraulic remix) (04:25) 14 Walk a Mile in My Shoes (Henrik Schwarz remix) (04:54) |
 | Album: 14 of 16 Title: Only Heaven Released: 2016-11-25 Tracks: 5 Duration: 26:39 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 Only Heaven (05:52) 2 Creative (05:57) 3 Dreamboats (04:58) 4 Donald’s Wig (03:02) 5 Quality Control (06:48) |
 | Album: 15 of 16 Title: Only Heaven feat. Roots Manuva Remixed Released: 2016-12-01 Tracks: 3 Duration: 17:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Only Heaven (Matthew Herbert remix) (06:50) 2 Only Heaven (Special Request remix) (06:02) 3 Only Heaven (Cadenza remix) (04:09) |
 | Album: 16 of 16 Title: Outside the Echo Chamber Released: 2017-05-19 Tracks: 17 Duration: 58:26 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Vitals (02:55) 2 Metro (03:51) 3 Everyday Another Sanction (03:20) 4 Make Up Your Mind (03:20) 5 Aztec Riddim (02:54) 6 Kajra Mohobbat Wala (03:37) 7 Divide and Rule (03:49) 8 Make Up Your Mind (03:19) 9 Robbery (03:32) 10 Livid Hip Hop (03:57) 11 Beat Your Chest (03:24) 12 Vitals (dub) (02:54) 13 Everyday Another Sanction (dub) (03:22) 14 Make Up Your Mind (dub) (03:20) 15 Kajra Mohobbat Wala (dub) (03:05) 16 Divide and Rule (dub) (04:03) 17 Robbery (dub) (03:39) |
| Outside the Echo Chamber : Allmusic album Review : For their first full-length in over a decade, U.K. breakbeat/sampling pioneers Coldcut teamed up with the even more legendary Adrian Sherwood for Outside the Echo Chamber, an album of globally conscious dub and dancehall. Instead of appearing on Ninja Tune, the prolific, widely influential label Coldcut have been running since 1990, the album actually arrives on Ahead of Our Time, the duos earlier label which they resurrected in 2016. Theres a degree of backward glancing here, but mostly in keeping with the roots and culture aspects of reggae -- Coldcut have never been a retro-minded group, and they continue looking toward the future here. There are nods to more recent developments in reggae, with the eerie, inventive productions of Equiknoxx being a potential influence, plus a trace of dembow rhythms here and there (such as the twisting, exotic "Aztec Riddim"). With Coldcut holding down the beats and basslines, Sherwood is free to splatter his warped dub effects over everything, and even the sweetest, sunniest tunes are splashed with harsh, messy echo and distortion. Guest vocalists abound; Roots Manuvas baritone voice spits politically conscious verses over an equally booming beat on "Vitals." "Divide and Rule" brings together deep dub and conscious reggae, with longtime Sherwood ally Lee "Scratch" Perry joining Junior Reid (who sang on Coldcuts 1988 hit "Stop This Crazy Thing") and smooth-voiced singer Elan. The slinky "Kajra Mohobbat Wala" features Indian playback singer Hamsika Iyer, and it fits in perfectly with the rest of the albums sunny, trippy vibe. A generous amount of dub versions appear at the end of the album, bringing the songs further out of orbit. As with pretty much all of Coldcuts collaboration-heavy full-lengths, however, the album is wildly inconsistent, and there are certainly a few skip-worthy tracks. Most glaringly, there are three versions of the slow, sappy love ballad "Make Up Your Mind" here, and the only saving grace on any of them is Ceciles sharp vocals. Still, Coldcut and Sherwood remain visionary artists, and Outside the Echo Chamber is (for the most part) a worthwhile hour of futuristic reggae. | ||