Goldie

Today, there are few more influential and charismatic figures on the hardcore and jungle scenes than Goldie. Initially making his mark as a graffiti writer in his Midlands, UK hometown of Walsall, Goldie got rather good and started getting commissions. “I’d paint my estate because I couldn t be a thief”, he remembers. “At night I’d go out, but I’d come home in the morning and change straight into my painting clothes. Suddenly, it all took off; I’d be doing paintings for the community, for the council. I was even on Pebble Mill!”. Alongside 3D from Bristol’s Wild Bunch Crew, Goldie emerged as one of Britain s leading graffers. He began moving back and forth from New York, living the hip-hop lifestyle. He even starred alongside Afrika Bambaata in 1986’s film “Bombing”.

After a 12-year jet-setting period, Goldie returned to London and the inspiration begun to run dry. “Hip-Hop wasn’t happening for me over here anymore because I’d been away living it”, he recalls. “It was like I just had to do something”. London’s hardcore scene proved to be Goldie’s salvation. Initially, he just listened and learned from the sidelines, helping out on the artwork for the label Reinforced. By late 1992 a new darker edge creeps into the music, usurping the speeded-up vocals and cheesy samples that characterized Happy Hardcore. It was here, in this bleaker domain, that Goldie came in to his own.

His first entrance into the world of recording had been “Killermuffin” – a semi-successful EP for Reinforced. But more significantly, under the pseudonym “Metalheadz”, Goldie would later release “Terminator” on Synthetic.

Although these classic “dark tunes” had pioneered the emergence of what became jungle, Goldie is surprisingly disparaging. “Dark to me was just a representation of the way people were feeling at the time”, he says, “there was a recession, winter and the country was in decline. Dark was like blues music”. As subsequent releases were to prove, Goldie would stay one step ahead of the rash imitators trying to cash in on the growing popularity of jungle. By late 1993, “Angel”, again released on the Synthetic label, fused Urban Cookie Collective Dianne Charlemagne’s jazzy vocal with synth lines.

“Timeless”, Goldie s first release for Pete Tong s label London Records, no doubt shocked and surprised many upon its release later in 1994. 22 minutes long, it plays on the very concept of time, dealing with the inner-city struggle for survival, whilst fooling the listener into believing the track is much shorter than its actual running time.  I don t even know if I’d call that record jungle”, reasons Goldie, fully aware that most jungle had become little more than reggae samples overlaid on Breakbeat. “I’d prefer to call this inner-city ghetto music, because I’m not just going to come up with stuff to match people s perceptions of jungle. I make my music to have integrity. If you can still play it at six in the morning in a club, then that s bona fide!”.

Following a major international tour, supporting Bjork and performing independent gigs, Goldie climbed higher into pop culture. His efforts were rewarded throughout 1996 & 1997, winning awards for his debut album, his DJing, the Metalheadz label and his compilation album “Platinum Breakz”. Then, in 1997, Goldie spent his time running not only his Sunday nights at the Blue Note but also the Metalheadz night at London’s Hanover Grand on the first Friday of every month. He also worked hard on his follow up album to “Timeless”.

His sparkle is limitless. “I sleep three hours a night! I just have this abyss of energy”, he explained to a journalist recently. This partly explains the second album s title. “Saturnz Return” is taken from the rotation of the seven-year astrological cycle. The stars are now in his favor. “Saturn Returns” makes evident, that Goldie has always remained one step ahead of the rash imitators trying to jump on the jungle bandwagon.

Goldie s latest effort, “goldie.co.uk” is a complete Drum  n Bass mix that is poised to set the world on fire. Simultaneously being release in both North America and in Europe to coincide with the launch of Goldie’s very own website of the same name, Goldie.co.uk the disc, features tracks by Future Cut, Rufige Kru and Digital. The website will feature the artist’s distinct style of information, touring schedule and unique look.

Goldie’s award winning double album “Timeless,” his Metalheadz record label and club nights at the Blue Note and Hanover Grand, Goldie secured his place on dance music’s A-list throughout the 1990s. With the release of “Goldie.co.uk,” Goldie has his sights set on mass appeal in the global marketplace inside the new millennium. Mass appeal indeed.