One of the originators of the dubstep sound and revered as a DJ from Berlin to Bristol, Pinch is among bass-driven music’s most important figures. With the Tectonic boss’s ‘Missing In Action’ retrospective having just hit shops, Trap grabbed the chance to discover the ten tracks that helped shape Pinch’s sound...
GOING IN DEEP
Pinch JIMI HENDRIX – 'ALL ALONG THE WATCHTOWER' As a kid of around 12 or 13, I was fully obsessed with Jimi Hendrix. I owned and loved everything ever made by him - I even taught myself guitar (to a fairly basic level) just so I could learn to play some of his tracks (though sadly I never managed to do so with my teeth). I had the songs scribbled down on scraps of notepaper, written out in basic 'guitar tab'. I still can't read sheet music properly... This cover of Bob Dylan's classic is one of many, many favourites! COLOURBOX – 'LOOKS LIKE WE'RE SHY ONE HORSE' From all my childhood tapes of vinyls that my older brother recorded for me, the Colourbox album that this track is taken from struck an oddly strong chord with me throughout my life. I lost the tape in the mid 90s and spent a couple of years trying to find the album again. I was reunited a few years back thanks to the power of the internet! Strange, soundscapey, dub-wise, electro-licked tracks underpinned by a good sense of humour.
J MAJIK – 'YOUR SOUND RMX' Quite simply, my favourite ever jungle track! So many close calls, but this is a cold, cold classic with heart-racing amen cuts and chilling pads. All-round freezing cold beats! Early Dillinja, Metalheadz, Die and Full Cycle all featured very heavily in my favourites too... I could easily have done a whole top 10 just for jungle! I love the false start 'rewind' in this track too. Sick!
TECHNOTRONIC – 'PUMP UP THE JAM' Guaranteed to go off anywhere, anytime. I have to restrict myself to not playing this more than once, maybe twice a year max - special occasions only really. Who could resist its power? Who'd have thought the Belgians would have created one of the biggest house anthems ever? A (slightly) guilty pleasure.
BASIC CHANNEL – 'PHYLIPS TRAK 2' Basic Channel on tip-top form with this 100% perfect track. 20 years on, it sounds fresher than any new release dub-techno hitting shops these days. These guys were kings of their sound and able to make music that could transport you to a parallel universe in a hallucinogenic fashion. Seriously good music that will make you trip out with or without 'anything' to help you along your way.
SQUAREPUSHER – 'IAMBIC 5 POETRY' This could have been one of many Squarepusher tracks included here, as I've been into his music (the earlier stuff particularly) in a big way for a long time. This is him on a gentler note than his more usual psychotic-sonic-assault approach to things - making for an almost lullaby type experience, stunningly executed.
ANOTHER ENDLESS GROOVE – 'STONE COLD' My favourite garage track of all time! I used to have a Heartless Crew recording taken from a 1997 Mission FM pirate radio session and that's where I first heard this. It's one of the few garage tracks I bought on vinyl at the time, as I'd mainly committed myself to jungle/D&B purchases due to lack of funds. Faultless!
RHYTHM & SOUND FT CORNELL CAMPBELL – 'KING IN MY EMPIRE' This track actually got me out of my routine of buying just jungle/D&B in the record shops when I found it in early 2002. All of a sudden I stopped buying D&B and opened my ears to what else was going on in the record shop - which led me to mix techno with garage and grime and ultimately start my path to dubstep! A beautiful track with such a soulful vocal - it's impossible not to love it. Meditation.
PETER GABRIEL – 'WE DO WHAT WE'RE TOLD (MILGRAM'S 37)' I love the 'So' album a bit too much... I don't have anything else by Peter Gabriel in my collection, but must confess to having a soft (very emo) spot for that album! Also, the production is awesome - there’s such a great sound to it all. My girlfriend claims to hate Peter Gabriel, but when I played her this one without saying who it was, she said she loved it! Small victories...