Ed Rush

Ed Rush's productions have single-handedly redefined Drum 'n' Bass, purging it of its Ambient and Acid Jazz undertones and returning it to its roots in Hardcore Techno to create Techstep -- a style which, for three solid years, ruled London clubs. Though his seminal label No U-Turn, which he co-founded with fellow sound assassin Trace, was conceived in 1993, it did not gain influence until three years later with the release of the blazing compilation Torque. Frightening metallic clanging and scraping sounds collided head-on with monstrous, fuzzed-out basslines that growled with vicious arrogance atop crunching, two-step breakbeats. Having made a boldly nihilistic statement with his earlier work, Rush's later collaboration with Optical delved into the slimy nether regions of digitally processed Funk to create a hybrid genre dubbed "neuro-funk" by writer/enthusiast Simon Reynolds. Rush's latest solo work exhibits a more stripped-down style, trading in outright aggression and menace for dark, subtle moods created by carefully muffled drum sounds.