Total Science — Cassette

Intro

Total Science creates music that feels like a precision-engineered engine running at redline. It is the quintessential sound of the UK drum and bass movement, characterized by 'rolling' beats that never seem to lose momentum. Their tracks often balance a gritty, industrial edge with surprising moments of warmth, utilizing soulful vocal samples and lush, cinematic pads that provide a human heart to the mechanical intensity of the rhythm section.

What truly sets them apart is their mastery of the breakbeat. While many producers rely on static loops, Total Science treats percussion as a living thing, constantly shifting and evolving. They bridge the gap between the dark, aggressive 'techstep' of the late 90s and the more melodic 'liquid' sound that followed, creating a hybrid that feels both dangerous and inviting. Their use of sub-bass is physical, designed to be felt in the chest as much as heard in the ears.

For those new to the duo, the album 'Advance' is the definitive entry point. It showcases their ability to move from floor-filling anthems to atmospheric downtempo experiments without losing their sonic identity. It is music for movement, for focus, and for the deep hours of the night when the rest of the world has gone quiet.

Total Science is the stage name of drum and bass producers Jason Greenhalgh and Paul Smith. The pair first met in 1987, both living on Blackbird Leys estate in Oxford, England and brought together through a mutual love of hip hop. Distracted by the arrival of hardcore in the early nineties, the pair's record collecting was quickly followed by DJing, and eventually production. Greenhalgh launched his career under the moniker Q Project with "Freestyle Fanatic" in 1991. In 1994, the pair started recording together under the name Funky Technicians, with "You Gotta Believe" the first in a series of records which pushed the label away from the darkside movement and toward labels like Lucky Spin, Basement, and Good Looking. After six years of recording singles for others, the pair established the CIA label in the closing months of 1997 with the help of Brillo from Timeless Recordings. The release of their Silent Reign EP for Goldie's Metalheadz was another important release for the project, coming before a Bad Company remix of "Champion Sound" for their own label. Their debut album, Advance, was released in 2000, and featured downtempo experiments logged as a series of "Breaks" on the majority of their early EPs.

From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA →

Our Catalog3 Albums · 2000 · 2006