Gridlok
Encyclopedia
Ryan Powell, also known as Gridlok, is an American drum and bass
producer and DJ
.
area of Florida
and trained as a classical violinist. He soon found himself edging away from the constraints of a traditional musical education. He began picking up other instruments, familiarizing himself with methods and techniques outside of the cloistered world of classical music. In his early teens, he began his first experiments with primitive recording gear, using a four track tape recorder, a drum machine and a Radio Shack
microphone. Taken in by the possibility of being able to theoretically translate any musical idea into a recording, he found himself drifting further away from traditional music and further into the seemingly limitless possibilities of electronic music production.
Influenced by electronic rock, Gridlok was drawn toward the style of dance music known as Drum & Bass. He helped to establish the record label Technorganic Recordings that would host his first twelve inch releases, and became involved with artists DJ Dread, Mr. Mendez,and DJ Redcoat. Gridlok and DJ Redcoat were the original members of a group called Project 51. After a string of singles on his own imprint, other labels including Zero-G, Audio Blueprint, and Sudden Def began to feature his music. It was during this first creative push that he founded his new label, Project Fifty-One, that would go on to play a major role in his future.
One of Gridlok's earliest notable tracks was "Heatwave" on Violence Recordings. This single was the first of a string of critically acclaimed commercial releases with respected labels. Remixing artists such as Josh Wink
for Dieselboy
's Project Human release and the Usual Suspects for Renegade Hardware
focused his skills for what would be his most important project to date, reworking Ed Rush
& Optical
's Compound. This remix was well received in the Drum & Bass community, and Gridlok remains the only US artist to be involved with Virus Recordings
.
In 2005, Gridlok released his first album with Hive
, Keaton and Echo, Welcome To Violence. After this well-publicized release, Gridlok began work on his first double pack release on P51, The 5 On 1 EP, which included his second collaboration with Dom & Roland
that year, and work with Silver, Optiv
, Ryme Tyme, and Echo. Around this time, Gridlok released a single on Hive's Violence Recordings, "Hard As Fuck/5th Dimension," remixed Mampi Swift's "Trippin" for charge recordings, and teamed up with Hive to rework Calyx Are You Ready for Moving Shadow.
In September 2006, Gridlok released his first artist album, entitled "Break The System". This effort was released via 3 piece vinyl and double CD on his own Project Fifty-One label, and features original music spanning the breadth of his vision for Drum & Bass.
He is currently living in San Francisco, California
.
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...
producer and 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...
.
Music career
Gridlok was raised in the Tampa BayTampa Bay
Tampa Bay is a large natural harbor and estuary along the Gulf of Mexico on the west central coast of Florida, comprising Hillsborough Bay, Old Tampa Bay, Middle Tampa Bay, and Lower Tampa Bay."Tampa Bay" is not the name of any municipality...
area of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and trained as a classical violinist. He soon found himself edging away from the constraints of a traditional musical education. He began picking up other instruments, familiarizing himself with methods and techniques outside of the cloistered world of classical music. In his early teens, he began his first experiments with primitive recording gear, using a four track tape recorder, a drum machine and a Radio Shack
Radio shack
Radio shack is a slang term for a room or structure for housing radio equipment.-History:In the early days of radio, equipment was experimental and home-built. The first radio transmitters used a noisy spark to generate radio waves and were often housed in a garage or shed. When radio was first...
microphone. Taken in by the possibility of being able to theoretically translate any musical idea into a recording, he found himself drifting further away from traditional music and further into the seemingly limitless possibilities of electronic music production.
Influenced by electronic rock, Gridlok was drawn toward the style of dance music known as Drum & Bass. He helped to establish the record label Technorganic Recordings that would host his first twelve inch releases, and became involved with artists DJ Dread, Mr. Mendez,and DJ Redcoat. Gridlok and DJ Redcoat were the original members of a group called Project 51. After a string of singles on his own imprint, other labels including Zero-G, Audio Blueprint, and Sudden Def began to feature his music. It was during this first creative push that he founded his new label, Project Fifty-One, that would go on to play a major role in his future.
One of Gridlok's earliest notable tracks was "Heatwave" on Violence Recordings. This single was the first of a string of critically acclaimed commercial releases with respected labels. Remixing artists such as Josh Wink
Josh Wink
Josh Wink is an electronic music DJ, label owner, producer, remixer, and artist. He is a native of Philadelphia, United States. A pioneering DJ in the American rave scene during the early 1990s, Wink was the most prominent exponent of the tribal forms of techno and house in the U.S...
for Dieselboy
Dieselboy
Dieselboy is the stage name of Damian Higgins, an American drum and bass DJ, producer, remixer, founder of the Human Imprint music label, and co-founder of its sublabel SubHuman : Human Imprint which launched in September 2010...
's Project Human release and the Usual Suspects for Renegade Hardware
Renegade Hardware
Renegade Hardware is one of the major record labels in the drum and bass music industry.-History:Creatively born in 1995 Renegade Hardware has without question cemented itself as one of the most pioneering Drum & Bass labels in the world....
focused his skills for what would be his most important project to date, reworking Ed Rush
Ed Rush
Ed Rush is the recording name of Ben Settle; a prominent jungle/techstep/neurofunk DJ, who often produces tracks in collaboration with Optical. Hailing from west London, he came to prominence with the release of the track Bludclot Artattack in 1993...
& Optical
Optical (artist)
Matt Quinn, better known as Optical, is a drum and bass producer and DJ from England.He is best known for his work with Ed Rush, fellow head of the Virus Recordings label, and as a pioneer of the techstep and neurofunk sound...
's Compound. This remix was well received in the Drum & Bass community, and Gridlok remains the only US artist to be involved with Virus Recordings
Virus Recordings
Virus Recordings is an influential UK-based drum and bass record label, specialising in the techstep and neurofunk sub-genres. Founded by Ed Rush and Optical in 1998, the label is known as the main home of the duo as well as Fierce, Matrix, and MC Ryme Tyme...
.
In 2005, Gridlok released his first album with Hive
Hive (record producer)
Hive is the stage name of Michael Petrie , a San Francisco-based DJ, producer, and record label owner who has contributed to dozens of recordings in the drum and bass musical genre...
, Keaton and Echo, Welcome To Violence. After this well-publicized release, Gridlok began work on his first double pack release on P51, The 5 On 1 EP, which included his second collaboration with Dom & Roland
Dom & Roland
Dom & Roland is the alias of British drum and bass producer Dominic Angus. The addition of "Roland" in the artist name refers to his Roland sampler. In 1996 he was signed to Moving Shadow recordings, and his tracks were oriented towards the dark hardstep genre. He has released records on other...
that year, and work with Silver, Optiv
Cause 4 Concern
Cause 4 Concern is a drum and bass recording and production group, consisting of Ed Holmes , Mark Clements , Stuart Perkins , and Tobie Burrows. Founded in 1999, the group initially signed with Moving Shadow label under the alias nCode...
, Ryme Tyme, and Echo. Around this time, Gridlok released a single on Hive's Violence Recordings, "Hard As Fuck/5th Dimension," remixed Mampi Swift's "Trippin" for charge recordings, and teamed up with Hive to rework Calyx Are You Ready for Moving Shadow.
Present and Future
In 2006, for Dieselboy's latest CD project, "The Human Resource", Gridlok was enlisted to rework Tech Itch & DSL's "Atlantic State" and the massive "Fundamental" by electronic music pioneer DJ Sasha. Also making a monumental impact was Gridlok's collaboration with Hive, D-Bridge, Break, and Silent Witness on Violence Recordings. "Standing Room Only" is featured on Andy C's latest mix CD, "Nightlife 3", and continues to be one of the most popular songs of the year. Other successful projects including a remix of the anthem "Squash" by Total Science and his music being licensed to Konami's smash hit video game "Dance Dance Revolution" have paved the way for his future projects.In September 2006, Gridlok released his first artist album, entitled "Break The System". This effort was released via 3 piece vinyl and double CD on his own Project Fifty-One label, and features original music spanning the breadth of his vision for Drum & Bass.
He is currently living in San Francisco, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.