Solid Doctor

by Sean CooperSolid Doctors Steve Cobby is the dominant creative force behind popular Hull-based trip-hop label Pork Recordings, for whom hes recorded a number of full-length albums under a variety of names (including Fila Brazillia and Heights of Abraham). Pork was formed in 1991 by Cobby and fellow Hullster/flatmate Dave Pork in order to release the first single by Cobbys then-side project, Fila Brazillia (Fila has since become his focus), following which he began releasing solo material under the Solid Doctor name. He released two full-lengths within a year (one of them, How About Some Ether?, a double-disc compilation of singles) and helped attract critical attention to Pork with a blend of instrumental hip-hop, dub, funk, and house that would soon propel labels such as MoWax and Cup of Tea into the spotlight. Like previous musical endeavors (including Big Life! pop/dance group Ashley & Jackson, which dissolved around 1990), Cobbys Solid Doctor material carves out a space between the dancefloor and the hi-fi, aiming for a middle ground of groove with songwriting and musicianship given equal weight with the more practical consideration of moving a crowd.