Goldie (pictured) has been cited as one of the most important artists of the early- and mid-'90s British drum & bass movement. His early singles, including the menacing scattershot rhythm of "Terminator," established him on the nascent London scene in '93 and helped clarify the sound of drum & bass (a style you can now hear during pretty much every car commercial). By the time he started his Metalheadz imprint in '94, he was the face of the movement, gold teeth, wicked grin, monstrous ego and all. In fact, history will probably remember him as much for his amazing roster -- Doc Scott, Peshay, Source Direct, Alex Reece and Optical, among them -- as for his own creations. His pinnacle as an artist thus far is his stunning 1995 full-length declaration, Timeless, which propelled drum & bass into worldwide consciousness. Also check the chock-full-of-classics double mix set he released a few years back called INCredible: The Sound of Drum 'n' Bass Mixed by Goldie.
Gene Farris is part of the second wave of house producers that sprang from the music's birthplace, Chicago. Along with Cajmere, Felix da Housecat, Derrick Carter, DJ Sneak and Paul Johnson, Farris started making tracks in the mid-'90s, when Chicago was the acknowledged home of house but had been relatively quiet on the production front. These artists started up labels and pushed the music further; Farris, in his work on Cajmere's Cajual imprint, the German Force Inc. label and, currently, Soma Records, has been one of the most active.
Anyone down with straight-ahead party house music, the kind that sounds so heavenly in a club, is advised to get a good spot for dancing, because this may be one of the most inspiring spins of the spring. Farris appreciates voice but, thank God, doesn't do the diva thing, so there's little threat of tedium. Instead, expect a mixture of French, German and American house, a four-on-the-floor stomp-fest. For a taste, check his great mix in the archives of www.groovetech.com. It's a peach.
