Category: Left-Field

“Tipper is the professional moniker for Dave Tipper, a British electronic artist/DJ/producer associated with styles including nu breaks, glitch hop, and downtempo. Originally part of the late-’90s drum’n’bass subgenre nu breaks, Tipper became entranced by the scene at age 16, when his older brother turned him on to the whole rave culture.

“Eventually growing bored with the fast tempos and repetitiveness of drum’n’bass, Tipper began to experiment with tempos — leading to his debut album, The Critical Path, in 2000 on the Higher Ground/Sony label. During the making of the album, Tipper began to suffer from hearing damage due to the elaborate and booming stereo systems inside his cars. With the problem sorted out, Tipper returned early the next year with his sophomore effort, Holding Pattern, which led to tours of both Europe and America. The DJ mix Tipper Presents Sound Off appeared later in 2001 via the Fuel label. Surrounded followed on Myutopia Recordings in 2003 and was one of the first electronic music albums to be recorded in 5.1 Surround Sound.

“With distribution by Kudos Records, Tip Hop marked the debut of his own Tippermusic label in 2005. Incorporating elements of hip-hop production, it helped lay the groundwork for glitch hop. His imprint also issued 2006’s The Seamless Unspeakable Something and Relish the Trough, 2008’s Wobble Factor and Tertiary Noise, and 2010’s Broken Soul Jamboree. The latter saw him embrace a downtempo, more ambient sound.

“After a series of EPs, Tipper announced in 2013 that health concerns would limit his festival appearances, and he released Dusty Bubble Box: EP Remixes to help raise funds for medical bills that included cardiac surgery the same year. After time off to recover, he returned with 2014’s Forward Escape, which hit the Top 20 of Billboard’s electronic albums chart. By that time, Tipper was making festival appearances with dedicated so-called uptempo or downtempo sets.

“In 2015, he released two EPs, Fathoms EP and It’s Like…, and in 2017, he returned with Flunked EP. It became his highest-charting release to date, reaching number 15 on the Billboard Top Dance/Electronic Albums chart.” ~ Marcy Donelson & Greg Prato, Rovi

“Autechre have remained one of electronic music’s most groundbreaking and influential duos since they began releasing material in the early ’90s. Rooted in vintage American electro as well as ambient and musique concrète, their sound has constantly evolved from melodic, intricately programmed techno to vast, algorithmically generated sprawls that challenge the conventions of rhythm and structure. As demanding as their work can be, they’ve frequently received praise from critics, and their influence is inescapable — legions of electronic artists have emulated their style, from their inscrutable track titles to their fluid yet metallic sound design. After helping to establish the template for what the press would soon dub IDM with their 1993 debut, Incunabula, Autechre continued releasing classic full-lengths such as 1995’s Tri Repetae and 1998’s LP5, in addition to equally vital EPs including 1994’s Anti and 1999’s album-length EP7. Their sound gradually became glitchier and less melodic throughout the decade, culminating in 2001’s polarizing Confield. After making a slight return to their more accessible side with 2008’s Quaristice, they began releasing some of the most ambitious works of their career starting with 2013’s two-hour Exai, and continuing through the eight-hour NTS Sessions in 2018. The relatively compact SIGN, released in 2020, was a bit closer to their ambient-leaning material, while its companion PLUS was heavier on beats but still highly abstract.”