Optical (musician)
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Optical | |
---|---|
Born | Matthew Quinn |
Nationality | British |
Other names | Teknarchi, Morpheus, Matt Quinn, Arteq, Fly By Wire |
Occupation(s) | Musician, DJ, Producer |
Years active | 1993–present |
Musical career | |
Genres | |
Instrument(s) | Sampler, turntable, drum machine, synthesizer |
Labels |
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Matthew Quinn, known by his stage name Optical, is a British musician, producer and DJ. He is best known as one half of drum and bass duo Ed Rush and Optical (with his long-time musical partner Ed Rush), whose debut album Wormhole has been described as one of the most significant LPs of the drum and bass genre.[1] He is also the brother of another successful dance musician Jamie Quinn aka Matrix.
Early years
Quinn started making music as teenager, and had his first releases under his short-lived hardcore jungle alias Teknarchi[2] in 1993, and later a limited success as techno producer (under various monikers such as Fly By Wire and Morpheus[3][4]). His breakthrough successes as Optical has been "To Shape The Future" 12" published 1997 on Metalheadz[5] and the track "Grey Odyssey" featured on Grooverider's successful mix album "The Prototype Years". Along with his drum and bass musician and DJ career he started collaborating as programmer and sound engineer with Rob Playford and his label Moving Shadow (for which he was credited on Goldie's "Saturnz Return"[6]) and Grooverider on whose album "Mysteries on Funk" he was credited as co-producer.
Ed Rush & Optical
In 1995 he has first met his main future musical collaborator, another upcoming drum and bass artist Ed Rush[7] with whom he will form the musical partnership that they are both most renown for. Shortly after, Rob Playford gave the duo small space in his Soho office building to use as their own studio, and in this studio the duo recorded and released first of several 12" singles both as Ed Rush & Optical and in collaborations with other artists. Having recorded a dozen or so joint recordings in that studio, the duo considered that a lot of their material produced at the time was unfit for labels like Metalheadz, Prototype and other labels they were associated with at the time[8] but that they would still like to publish it, as the music has been played by the two in clubs with great reception. so they decided to start their own imprint Virus Records in 1998. One of their first releases on the imprint was their renowned long-play "Wormhole", released the same year, the album that is generally considered one of the defining points in the evolution of drum and bass genre. The album is recognized as the recording that has introduced the sub-genre of drum and bass known today as neurofunk and Optical, as the more technical musician in the duo, is considered by the wider music production community to be one of the genre's original sonic architects.[9]
Although the Virus imprint was initially intended for self-publishing their own material (a practice that is common in indie and dance music), Virus' subsequent releases featured many notable drum and bass artists like Fierce, Matrix, Cause 4 Concern,[10] Noisia[11] and others.
The duo released numerous singles and five more full-length albums, winning them numerous accolades such as Knowledge DnB awards best album and best producers[12] and being described as one of the most influential artists in drum and bass by Ministry of Sound [13]
Discography
Early Works
- Singles/EPs
- "Morpheus - Aftermath" Blame Technology (1994)
- "Morpheus - Transistor" Blame Technology (1994)
- "Fly By Wire - Terminus" Blame Technology (1996)
As Optical
- Singles/EPs
- "No Time / T.H.X." Celluloid Records (1996)
- "Cut Throat Flow / Lazy Gun" Bear Necessities (1996)
- "To Shape The Future" Metalheadz (1997)
- "Dom* & Optical - Quadrant Six / Concrete Shoes" Moving Shadow (1997)
- "Ed Rush, Optical & Fierce - Cutslo (Lokuste Mix) / Alien Girl" Prototype Recordings (1998)
- "Optical Vs Matrix - Data Life / Crossfire" Ad Hoc Recordings (1998)
- "Optical & Ryme Tyme / Bad Company" Virus Recordings (1999)
As Ed Rush & Optical
- Albums
- Wormhole Virus Recordings (1998)
- The Creeps (Invisible And Deadly!) Virus Recordings (2000)
- The Original Doctor Shade Virus Recordings (2003)
- Chameleon Virus Recordings (2006)
- Travel the Galaxy Virus Recordings (2009)
- No Cure Virus Recordings (2015)
- Singles
- Funktion / Naked Lunch V Recordings (1997)
- Lifespan / Crisis Virus Recordings (1998)
- Medicine / Life Crisis Virus Recordings (1998)
- The Medicine / Punchbag Virus Recordings (1998)
- Wormhole Album Sampler Virus Recordings (1998)
- Zardoz / Satellites Virus Recordings (1998)
- Bacteria / Gasmask Virus Recordings (1999)
- Watermelon / Sick Note Virus Recordings (1999)
- Socom EP Virus Recordings (2000)
- KerbKrawler / Capsule Virus Recordings (2001)
- Pod Virus Recordings in (2001)
- Pacman (Ram Trilogy Remix) / Vessel Virus Recordings (2002)
- Innocence / Rehab Quarantine Recordings (2002)
- Remixes Vol. 1 Virus Recordings (2004) (UK #77)[14]
- The Remixes Vol. 2 Virus Recordings (2004)
- Reece / Sick Note (Illskills Remix) Virus Recordings (2005)
- Reece / Taxi Driver Virus Recordings (2005)
- Crack Ball / Ride The Beast RUN DNB (2010)
- Brain Bucket / Falling Through Vision Recordings (2010)
References
- ^ "Fabriclive 82: Ed Rush & Optical". Fabric (club). 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
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(help) - ^ "Teknarchi on Discogs". Discogs.
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(help) - ^ "Fly By Wire". Discogs.
- ^ "Morpheus". Discogs.
- ^ "Optical: D-N-B Legend". djtimes.com. 2016-09-07. Retrieved 2018-06-14.
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(help) - ^ "Saturnz Return - Goldie | Credits". AllMusic. 1998-01-27. Retrieved 2015-11-23.
- ^ "Interview with Ed Rush & Optical". dnbportal.com. 2014-06-10. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
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(help) - ^ "Ed Rush & Optical: History of Virus Records Interview". YouTube. 2007-12-03. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
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(help) - ^ "DOA discussion of "Wormhole"". dogsonacid.com. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
- ^ "Matrix/Fierce / Cause 4 Concern – Life History Vol. 1". Discogs.
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(help) - ^ "Noisia - End Game / Unveil". Discogs.
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(help) - ^ "5 Steps With Ed Rush & Optical". datatransmission.co.uk. 2018-04-10. Retrieved 2018-04-10.
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(help) - ^ "These are the masters of Drum & Bass". Ministry of Sound. Retrieved 1 October 2016.
- ^ "Ed Rush & Optical:full official chart history". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 1 October 2016.