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Binary Star is a production collective
combining the talents of Jake Smith, Ben Burns & Jim Attrell
based at Third Degree Studio, Brighton. Their bootleg release
on the medcab label "Left Eye" first brought their
sharp funky sound to our attention though they have already
achieved wide acclaim under different guises, such as "Subtropic
and Burns" on 2Wars.
Jake Smith cut his teeth as a DJ/producer
on the underground party scene in San Francisco in the early
90’s where he was living as part of a free party sound system
in a downtown warehouse. He has released solo albums on influential
San Francisco label Reflective & seminal breaks label Fused
& Bruised (as Subtropic) to widespread critical
acclaim (dance luminaries as varied as Ritchie Hawtin, Sven
Vath & Adam Freeland). Add to this a string of successful
12” releases & remixes on various labels around the world,
music for art installations & sound tracks for TV documentaries.
Jake is a globe trotting DJ & runs the Sonic Tonic
imprint.
[Visit Jake's Subtropic website]
Ben Burns is the chief engineer & producer
behind Brighton’s Stompaphunk label scoring
props from the great & good in the house scene (Laurent Garnier,
Ralph Lawson, FC Kahuna). He has just completed an album for
Southern Fried with Tom Gandi as Caged Baby
& has a string of successful remixes under his belt on labels
such as Loaded, Ministry, Kingsize & Nukleus for people like
Bucci Bag, A man called Adam, Benny Benassi and Armand van Helden.
Ben has worked as a lecturer in music technology & produces
music for TV as a sound designer.
Jim Attrell is a distinction graduate from
Northbrook College of sound engineering & was drafted into
Third Degree Studios as in-house engineer. Jim is shaping
up to be a quality producer in his own right.
We ask Ben...
Q : How do you define your style?
A : Seriously slick interesting electronica, humorous without being slapstick, emotional without being obvious, tough without being tedious
Q : What are you trying to achieve with your sound?
A : Music that is instantly accessible whilst still containing enough gems to be listened to over and over and rediscovered time and time again in the way of all great music
Q What's your favourite joke?
How do you turn a duck into a soul singer?
Stick it in the oven until it's bill withers
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(download
print quality image)
| Ben on
Jake: Jake is a man who; introduced me to chili
chocolate, laughs like scooby doo, writes killer beats
and bass, gets upset about bad flapjack, played most of
the breakbeat records worth listening to to his son before
he was even one years old, calms down my more manic ideas
/ thoughts / behaviors, introduced me to Radiohead.
Ben on Jim: Jim is a man who; used to have
me as a teacher whilst I was lecturing in a music college
on the south coast (which will remain nameless), makes
the most lush noises I have ever heard, got me seriously
into guinness, stopped me from covering the studio in
fluffy purple fabric, inspires me with his enthusiasm
for music.
Jake on Ben: Ben or Mr.Burns is probably the nicest man in
dance music today who has the vibe of a medieval marauder
on an unstoppable path for mead, wenches & general debauchery.
He has the ability to reign in my quirky musical excesses
& make 'em sound phat & fluid. His thirst for coffee is
unmentionable as is his dubious taste for early Genesis
: ) ! If you want your music to groove & roll call Mr.Burns...
but load the cafetierre & the bong first |
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BONUS
MP3 DOWNLOAD! Download an
exclusive 3:45 minute long promotional edit of "Diamond
Cut" here!
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Binary Star's first release
on Heavy Disco, "Diamond Cut
/ Electrolux", comes out in September 2004.
Jake 'Subtropic' Smith Discography:
Throb EP, Reflective / Wildcard EP, “ / Homebrew LP, “ / Lifetime
Mission EP, Fused & Bruised / Public Service Anouncement EP,
“ / Compression Point LP , “ / Never Drink Again EP, “ / Evoll,
Super G vol 1 , Slalom records / Up all nite (with Ben Burns),
Primary ep, Sonic Tonic / Eve/Dark Matter (with Ben Burns),
Sonic Tonic / Suburban Picnic (with Ben Burns), Freakaboom /
Black Velvet ep (with Ben Burns), 2 Wars / As Skuff:
4amE5, on Reflective compilation Synoptics / Sound of Skuff
EP, Surreal Sound / As T.B.Spookunit: Skabot
on Garage Dubs, Free Radical Sounds / Origami on Primary ep,
Sonic Tonic / As Unseen Force: 2 be your 1,
Sonic Tonic / Remixes: Bad head day, Lida Husik
/ Kairo , Space Time Continuum / Wanda & Zen , Turbocat / Dos
Gringos , Oktafish / Denshi , Hofuku Sochi / Lifeforms , The
Nomad / Dream , Galaxians / Other Appearances:
The Choker, Infused, Hydrogen Dukebox / The MHT, Morning After,
Virgin / Tanje, Chinese Whispers, Sprawl Imprint /
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