Photek

小簡介
當Goldie，Roni Size，4 Hero等人將drum n bass逐漸帶出hardcore/jungle時期的黑暗與高壓而走入充滿人性色彩的明亮世界而為主流音樂所包容時，令一廂依然有一派jungle音樂家執(zhí)著的致力于黑暗drum n bass之音的實驗，Photek便可謂其中領軍人物之一。
Photek的音樂出身是hardstep街頭音樂，隨后逐漸轉入一種脫離了舞池的黑暗drum n bass王國之中。不似其他jungle制作人，Photek從不是一名DJ，也很少去俱樂部。他總是如同偏執(zhí)狂一般把自己關在工作室里用幾個星期去編排一首歌的節(jié)奏，正是這超人的毅力造就了photek商標般的無人可及的超級復雜節(jié)奏，于黑暗派drum n bass制作人中脫穎而出。
Photek的本名是Rupert Parkes，少年時的他喜歡的音樂是electro，techno，hip-hop和自由爵士/fusion?；?000英鎊買了一臺采樣器之后，他開始了自己的音樂創(chuàng)作。Parkes首先以Studio Pressure的筆名在Certificate 18公司發(fā)表單曲，他隨后使用過的代號還包括Sentinel和the Truper，直到成立了自己的廠牌Photek之后，才開始專心使用Photek這個名字。Photek Records通過Goldie的廠牌Metalheadz和LTJ Bukem的廠牌Good Looking發(fā)表唱片，早期的作品包括一系列黑膠單曲和為Therapy?的一首《Loose》制作的remix。
在發(fā)行了80多張drum n bass黑膠單曲之后，終于有主流唱片公司Virgin前來拜訪，將Photek收歸其附屬廠牌Science旗下。合約不僅包括5張唱片，還允許Parks以其他化名于其他獨立唱片廠牌發(fā)表作品。很快，單曲《The Hidden Camera》發(fā)表，陰冷的氛圍下幻化而致密的節(jié)奏已經將Photek的實力展露無疑。之后的第二張單曲《Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu》更是被收錄到眾星云集的電子樂合輯《MTV's AMP》之中，同化學兄弟，Underworld等的作品并列。這兩張單曲隨后被集結在迷你專輯《Risc Vs. Reward》之中。
by John Bush
Though Goldie became the first superstar of jungle, the recordings of Rupert Parkes — as Code of Practice, Aquarius, Studio Pressure, the Truper and Sentinel, but most famously as Photek — made him an easy pick for the styles most artistic and intelligent producer. Working his way through street-level hardstep (on early productions for Certificate 18 and Street Beats) and airy, sub-aquatic dolphin tunes for L.T.J Bukems Good Looking label, Parkes finally arrived at a sound that pushed the bounds of drumnbass from the dancefloor into the realm of breakbeat headspace; unlike most jungle producers, Parkes has never DJed and rarely goes to clubs. His incredibly intricate rhythm programming — often requiring weeks of computer preparation — and the unmissable aura of paranoid menace on recordings such as The Hidden Camera and UFO exerted quite an influence on the return of dark-style drumnbass during the late 90s.
As a teenager, Parkes listened to electro, techno and hip-hop as well as the more free-form side of jazz and fusion. Thanks to a sampler bought with a ￡2000 loan from the Trust of the Prince of Wales, he began producing tracks and first appeared on Paul Solomons Certificate 18 Records with singles as Studio Pressure. He also recorded for Basement (as Sentinel) and Street Beats (the Truper) before initiating a series of 12-inch singles for his own Photek Records, which gave him credentials and led to releases on Goldies Metalheadz label and L.T.J. Bukems Good Looking, as well as a remix of the Therapy? single Loose.
After Parkes had released more than 80 tracks of drumnbass on half a dozen labels, he was approached by Virgin and signed to a five-album deal with the labels Science imprint (provided he was allowed to continue recording for other independent labels as well). Parkes first release on Science was The Hidden Camera EP, which appeared in May 1996. The second Science single Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu displayed an increasing interest in applying the lessons of martial arts to his programming (the title is Japanese for two swords, one technique). Virgin compiled the latter two releases on 1997s Risc Vs. Reward, then released the debut Photek album Modus Operandi in September 1997. Much-hyped though little-praised, the album was followed by 1998s Form & Function, a compilation including several original Photek Records tracks plus remixes and new tracks. During the next two years, Parkes focused on his new Photek Productions label, and finally released a second LP, Solaris, in 2000.