DJ Zinc
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Pettit, better known by his stage name DJ Zinc, is a drum and bass
/ breakstep
DJ
from the United Kingdom
. Zinc is well known for 1995's "Super Sharp Shooter", a hip hop
/ jungle
fusion.
, stretches the steady evolution of hardcore
from its house
and rave
roots through ragga
and hip hop
styled hardstep
and beyond.
He continued to DJ on a regular basis, and was one of the first drum and bass producers to score with the R&B
slanted two step market courtesy of his 1999 single, "138 Trek".
His productions have been relatively popular outside the drum and bass scene, most notably in the breaks genre under the pseudonym
Jammin. He reached 27th in the UK chart with "138 Trek" in Nov 2000.
Zinc produces and DJs as part of the Ganja Kru and True Playaz
collectives, often in association with friend and mentor DJ Hype
. He runs the Bingo Beats record label
, which releases both drum and bass and breaks records. He has been known to release many records under the alias of Dope Skillz.
In 2001, Zinc released a remix
compilation album
of his own productions called Beats By Design. By August 2004, he released his second album, Faster a concept album
of sorts. The album, as the name suggests, ups the tempo
little-by-little for each song
. The title track and album opener, epitomises this and is a grimey crawl through bass and beat that speeds up from 40bpm
into the early 100's by its end.
Zinc turned his back on drum and bass in 2007. Disenchanted by the lack of originality, DJ Zinc told his agent to stop taking bookings for drum and bass nights and abandoned the sound he once lived for. He took most of 2008 off to spend time with his young son and figure out how he wanted to move forward in his career, before returning in 2008 to play a hybrid of house sounds. From deep house to funky house to fidget house, he ended up producing something that did not fit into any of these sub-genres. He later named his new sound "crack house".
In October 2009, DJ Zinc released "Crack House EP" encompassing his new sound of the Crack House genre. A follow up to this EP, "Crack House Vol. 2" was released in July 2010. In November 2009, DJ Zinc created a 2-hour mix for broadcasting on BBC Radio 1
's Essential Mix
.
† - credited as 'DJ Zinc / DJ Hype
'
‡ - credited as 'DJ Zinc featuring Eksman'
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
/ breakstep
Breakstep
Breakstep, or breakbeat garage, is a type of music that evolved from the UK garage scene music and influenced the emergence of dubstep.Breakstep evolved from the 2-step garage sound. Moving away from the more soulful elements of garage, it incorporated downtempo drum & bass style basslines, trading...
DJ
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
from the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Zinc is well known for 1995's "Super Sharp Shooter", a hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
/ jungle
Oldschool jungle
Jungle is a genre of electronic music that incorporates influences from genres including breakbeat hardcore, and reggae/dub/dancehall. There is debate as to whether jungle is a separate genre from drum and bass as many use the terms interchangeably...
fusion.
Biography
Zinc's career as a DJ and producerRecord producer
A record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
, stretches the steady evolution of hardcore
Hardcore techno
Hardcore techno is a type of electronic music typified by the rhythmic use of distorted and atonal industrial-like beats and samples...
from its house
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
and rave
Rave music
Rave music may either refer the late 1980s genre or any genre of electronic dance music that may be played at an electronic dance party such as a rave. Very rarely, the term is used to refer to less electronic related genres glam, powerpop, psychedelic rock and dub music parties...
roots through ragga
Ragga
-Origins:Ragga originated in Jamaica during the 1980s, at the same time that electronic dance music's popularity was increasing globally. One of the reasons for ragga's swift propagation is that it is generally easier and less expensive to produce than reggae performed on traditional musical...
and hip hop
Hip hop
Hip hop is a form of musical expression and artistic culture that originated in African-American and Latino communities during the 1970s in New York City, specifically the Bronx. DJ Afrika Bambaataa outlined the four pillars of hip hop culture: MCing, DJing, breaking and graffiti writing...
styled hardstep
Hardstep
Hardstep is a subgenre of darkcore which emerged in 1994. It is characterised by a gritty production style, that has an inner-city feel to it. The breaks are less cut-up sounding than oldschool jungle, and harder, hence the name hardstep...
and beyond.
He continued to DJ on a regular basis, and was one of the first drum and bass producers to score with the R&B
Contemporary R&B
Contemporary R&B is a music genre that combines elements of hip hop, soul, R&B and funk.Although the abbreviation “R&B” originates from traditional rhythm and blues music, today the term R&B is most often used to describe a style of African American music originating after the demise of disco in...
slanted two step market courtesy of his 1999 single, "138 Trek".
His productions have been relatively popular outside the drum and bass scene, most notably in the breaks genre under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Jammin. He reached 27th in the UK chart with "138 Trek" in Nov 2000.
Zinc produces and DJs as part of the Ganja Kru and True Playaz
True Playaz
True Playaz is a drum and bass and Jungle record label, collective and club night run by DJ Hype, DJ Zinc and Pascal.Current artists recording for the label include all of the founding artists, as well as DJ Hazard, Potential Badboy, Phantasy and Swift....
collectives, often in association with friend and mentor DJ Hype
DJ Hype
DJ Hype is a stage name of drum and bass producer and DJ, Kevin Ford. His 1993 track, "Shot in the Dark", appeared in the UK Singles Chart in 1993.-Biography:...
. He runs the Bingo Beats record label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, which releases both drum and bass and breaks records. He has been known to release many records under the alias of Dope Skillz.
In 2001, Zinc released a remix
Remix
A remix is an alternative version of a recorded song, made from an original version. This term is also used for any alterations of media other than song ....
compilation album
Compilation album
A compilation album is an album featuring tracks from one or more performers, often culled from a variety of sources The tracks are usually collected according to a common characteristic, such as popularity, genre, source or subject matter...
of his own productions called Beats By Design. By August 2004, he released his second album, Faster a concept album
Concept album
In music, a concept album is an album that is "unified by a theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, narrative, or lyrical." Commonly, concept albums tend to incorporate preconceived musical or lyrical ideas rather than being improvised or composed in the studio, with all songs contributing...
of sorts. The album, as the name suggests, ups the tempo
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
little-by-little for each song
Song
In music, a song is a composition for voice or voices, performed by singing.A song may be accompanied by musical instruments, or it may be unaccompanied, as in the case of a cappella songs...
. The title track and album opener, epitomises this and is a grimey crawl through bass and beat that speeds up from 40bpm
Tempo
In musical terminology, tempo is the speed or pace of a given piece. Tempo is a crucial element of any musical composition, as it can affect the mood and difficulty of a piece.-Measuring tempo:...
into the early 100's by its end.
Zinc turned his back on drum and bass in 2007. Disenchanted by the lack of originality, DJ Zinc told his agent to stop taking bookings for drum and bass nights and abandoned the sound he once lived for. He took most of 2008 off to spend time with his young son and figure out how he wanted to move forward in his career, before returning in 2008 to play a hybrid of house sounds. From deep house to funky house to fidget house, he ended up producing something that did not fit into any of these sub-genres. He later named his new sound "crack house".
In October 2009, DJ Zinc released "Crack House EP" encompassing his new sound of the Crack House genre. A follow up to this EP, "Crack House Vol. 2" was released in July 2010. In November 2009, DJ Zinc created a 2-hour mix for broadcasting on BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
's Essential Mix
Essential Mix
The Essential Mix is a weekly radio show on BBC Radio 1 currently broadcast between 03:00 and 05:00 Saturday morning. Originally broadcast on 30 October 1993, The Essential Mix features contemporary DJs and music producers of electronic dance music....
.
Singles
- "138 Trek" (2000) - UKUK Singles ChartThe UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
#27 - "Casino Royale" / "Dead A's" (DJ Zinc & DJ HypeDJ HypeDJ Hype is a stage name of drum and bass producer and DJ, Kevin Ford. His 1993 track, "Shot in the Dark", appeared in the UK Singles Chart in 1993.-Biography:...
) (2001) - UK #58 † - "Reachout" (2002) - UK #73
- "Fair Fight" / "As We Do" (2002) - UK #72
- "Ska" (2004) - UK #54
- "Steppin' Sones" / "South Pacific" (DJ Zinc & DJ FrictionDJ Friction (UK)DJ Friction is a Drum and Bass DJ from Brighton, England.-Biography:Brighton-raised Friction is one of only a handful of drum and bass DJs to utilise three decks to mash up his mixes, creating a unique sound...
) (2004) - UK #62 - "Drive By Car" / "Ins" (feat. Eksman) (2005) - UK #66 ‡
- Ready or NotReady Or Not (Fugees song)"Ready or Not" is a song by The Fugees, from their second studio album The Score . The song contains a sample of "Boadicea" by Enya, and its chorus is based on "Ready or Not Here I Come " by The Delfonics. The song spent two weeks atop the UK Singles Chart in September 1996...
- 2009 - "Wile OutWile Out-Chart performance:-Release history:...
" (feat. Ms. DynamiteMs. DynamiteNiomi Arleen McLean-Daley , who performs as Ms. Dynamite, is a double BRIT Award and three time MOBO Awards winning UK garage, R&B and hip hop singer and rapper.-Biography:...
) (2010) - UK #38
† - credited as 'DJ Zinc / DJ Hype
DJ Hype
DJ Hype is a stage name of drum and bass producer and DJ, Kevin Ford. His 1993 track, "Shot in the Dark", appeared in the UK Singles Chart in 1993.-Biography:...
'
‡ - credited as 'DJ Zinc featuring Eksman'
Albums
| Title | Release Year | Label | Catalog # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Beats By Design (EP) | 2000 | True Playaz True Playaz True Playaz is a drum and bass and Jungle record label, collective and club night run by DJ Hype, DJ Zinc and Pascal.Current artists recording for the label include all of the founding artists, as well as DJ Hazard, Potential Badboy, Phantasy and Swift.... |
TPR 12 025 CD |
| Crack House (EP) | 2009 | Bingo Beats | ZINCEP001 |
| Crack House Vol. 2 (EP) | 2010 | Bingo Beats | East002 |
| Sprung (EP) | 2011 | Rinse Rinse Rinse may refer to:*Washing*Mouthwash, also known as mouth rinse*Rinse, an unreleased Vanessa Carlton album*Rinse FM, a former pirate radio station*Rinse , a 2003 album by Minotaur Shock... |
TBA |
Compilation albums
| Title | Release Year | Label | Catalog # |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bingo Beats Volume 2 | 2001 | Bingo Beats | BINGOCD002 |
| Bingo Sessions Volume 1 | 2004 | Bingo Beats | BINGOCD004 |
| Drum & Bass Arena Drum and Bass Arena Drum and Bass Arena is a drum & bass music website and brand, established in 1996. It offers up to date information on the worldwide drum and bass scene, and has an online shop, forum and digital download section... |
2005 | Resist Music | RESISTCD51 |
| Watch the Ride | 2007 | Harmless | HURTCD073 |