Nick Muir
Encyclopedia
Nick Muir is a musician, composer and electronic music
producer. He is best known as one half of the production team Bedrock
, which consists of himself and DJ John Digweed
, although he has enjoyed considerable success as an artist in his own right.
His career can be roughly divided into two parts. During the 80's he was a session musician, playing piano/keyboards with various artists including Take That
, Fire Next Time, The Men They Couldn't Hang
and the since discredited glam rock singer Gary Glitter
. He also worked in France with rock and roll singer Johnny Hallyday
and crooner Herbert Leonard.
During his time with punk-folk outfit The Men They Couldn't Hang he met producer Pat Collier
(Wonderstuff, Primal Scream
) who offered him a space to work in at his own Greenhouse studio. He set up a programming room there and became involved in the nascent rave
scene that was burgeoning in the UK in the late 80's and early 90's. He released several solo singles/EPs under various names before coming to the attention of John Digweed who at the time was a young upcoming DJ just beginning to break through.
Together they started writing and remixing club tracks under the name Bedrock. It was not long into their association that they wrote and recorded the track 'For What You Dream Of', which featured on the seminal ground breaking compilation 'Renaissance
- The Mix Collection' put together by John in conjunction with Sasha
, a DJ who had achieved cult status and a sizeable following through his work at Manchester's famous Haçienda
nightclub. The track was also used in the club scene of the film Trainspotting
and included in the hugely successful soundtrack album of the film. It is widely regarded as a classic club anthem and helped to define the genre that would become known as progressive house.
During the 90's Muir was involved mostly in writing and remixing club tracks both on his own, with John Digweed as Bedrock and other collaborators. His single 'Rok Star' under the name Marshall Stax charted in the UK and was used as the theme music for The Brit Awards for that year. Bedrock made several singles which got into the UK charts including "Heaven Scent" and "Voices": their music was extensively used on film and TV and they wrote and recorded several scores for film including Stark Raving Mad
and Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
the latter of which won a Dancestar award in the U.S. for 'Best use of music in a TV show' in 2004.
Muir is now an extremely active and in demand writer and producer of both club mixes and soundtracks.
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
producer. He is best known as one half of the production team Bedrock
Bedrock (producers)
Bedrock is a British trance and house production duo, featuring John Digweed and Nick Muir. They produced the singles "For What You Dream Of" , "Set In Stone" / "Forbidden Zone" , "Heaven Scent" and "Voices" , all of which reached the UK Singles Chart...
, which consists of himself and DJ John Digweed
John Digweed
John Digweed is an English DJ, record producer and acclaimed actor.-Biography:John Digweed began DJing around age 4...
, although he has enjoyed considerable success as an artist in his own right.
His career can be roughly divided into two parts. During the 80's he was a session musician, playing piano/keyboards with various artists including Take That
Take That
Take That are a British five-piece vocal pop group comprising Gary Barlow, Howard Donald, Jason Orange, Mark Owen and Robbie Williams. Barlow acts as the lead singer and primary songwriter...
, Fire Next Time, The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang
The Men They Couldn't Hang are a British folk punk group. The original group consisted of Stefan Cush , Paul Simmonds , Philip "Swill" Odgers , Jon Odgers and Shanne Bradley .- Controversy and success:Their first single, "The Green Fields...
and the since discredited glam rock singer Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter
Gary Glitter is an English former glam rock singer-songwriter and musician.Glitter first came to prominence in the glam rock era of the early 1970s...
. He also worked in France with rock and roll singer Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday
Johnny Hallyday is a French singer and actor. An icon in the French-speaking world since the beginning of his career, he was considered by some to have been the French Elvis Presley. He was married for 15 years to one of the most popular French female singers: Sylvie Vartan...
and crooner Herbert Leonard.
During his time with punk-folk outfit The Men They Couldn't Hang he met producer Pat Collier
Pat Collier
Pat 'Red' Collier played Gaelic football for the Meath senior football team in the 1960's. He won 1 All-Ireland titles with Meath in 1967. He played club football for Stamullen. He first played for Meath in the Right Full Back position but he is best remered as an attacking and determined Right...
(Wonderstuff, Primal Scream
Primal Scream
Primal Scream are a Scottish alternative rock band originally formed in 1982 in Glasgow by Bobby Gillespie and Jim Beattie and now based in London. The current lineup consists of Gillespie, Andrew Innes , Martin Duffy , and Darrin Mooney...
) who offered him a space to work in at his own Greenhouse studio. He set up a programming room there and became involved in the nascent rave
Rave
Rave, rave dance, and rave party are parties that originated mostly from acid house parties, which featured fast-paced electronic music and light shows. At these parties people dance and socialize to dance music played by disc jockeys and occasionally live performers...
scene that was burgeoning in the UK in the late 80's and early 90's. He released several solo singles/EPs under various names before coming to the attention of John Digweed who at the time was a young upcoming DJ just beginning to break through.
Together they started writing and remixing club tracks under the name Bedrock. It was not long into their association that they wrote and recorded the track 'For What You Dream Of', which featured on the seminal ground breaking compilation 'Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
- The Mix Collection' put together by John in conjunction with Sasha
Sasha (DJ)
Sasha is a Welsh DJ and record producer. Sasha began his career playing acid house dance music in the late 1980s...
, a DJ who had achieved cult status and a sizeable following through his work at Manchester's famous Haçienda
The Haçienda
Fac 51 Haçienda was a nightclub and music venue in Manchester, England. It became most famous during the "Madchester" years of the late 1980s and early 1990s, during the 1990s it was labelled the most famous club in the world by Newsweek magazine...
nightclub. The track was also used in the club scene of the film Trainspotting
Trainspotting (film)
Trainspotting is a 1996 British satirical/drama film directed by Danny Boyle based on the novel of the same name by Irvine Welsh. The movie follows a group of heroin addicts in a late 1980s economically depressed area of Edinburgh and their passage through life...
and included in the hugely successful soundtrack album of the film. It is widely regarded as a classic club anthem and helped to define the genre that would become known as progressive house.
During the 90's Muir was involved mostly in writing and remixing club tracks both on his own, with John Digweed as Bedrock and other collaborators. His single 'Rok Star' under the name Marshall Stax charted in the UK and was used as the theme music for The Brit Awards for that year. Bedrock made several singles which got into the UK charts including "Heaven Scent" and "Voices": their music was extensively used on film and TV and they wrote and recorded several scores for film including Stark Raving Mad
Stark Raving Mad
Stark Raving Mad can refer to:*Stark Raving Mad, a 1983 film depicting a fictional account of the Charles Starkweather/Carol Fugate killings*Stark Raving Mad, a 1999 television series*Stark Raving Mad, a 2002 film...
and Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series
Spider-Man: The New Animated Series is an animated series featuring the Marvel comic book superhero Spider-Man, which ran for one season, 13 episodes, starting on July 11, 2003...
the latter of which won a Dancestar award in the U.S. for 'Best use of music in a TV show' in 2004.
Muir is now an extremely active and in demand writer and producer of both club mixes and soundtracks.
External links
- www.nickmuir.com
- Nick Muir 2009 interview Laptoprockers
- 2002 Interview with Progressive-SoundsProgressive-SoundsProgressive-Sounds is an electronic music review and news website.Founded by Chad Harnish and Simon "Progsounds" Jones, the site has featured hundreds of single and album reviews, including occasional guest reviews by artists and DJs such as Bill Hamel and Jonathan Lisle...
- 2004 Interview with Progressive-Sounds