Kode9 | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Birth name | Steve Goodman |
Born | 1973 (age 50–51) Glasgow, Scotland |
Genres | Electronic, dubstep, future garage, UK bass |
Occupation(s) | Musician, record label owner, remixer, DJ |
Instrument(s) | Synthesizer, sampler, mixing desk, turntables, bass guitar |
Years active | 1991–present |
Labels | Hyperdub |
Website | http://www.hyperdub.com |
Steve Goodman, known as Kode9 (born 1973) is a Scottish electronic music artist, DJ, and founder of the Hyperdub record label. [1] He was one of the founding members of the early dubstep scene with his late collaborator The Spaceape. He has released four full-length albums: 2006's Memories of the Future and 2011's Black Sun (both with The Spaceape), Nothing (2015), Escapology and Astro-Darien (2022).
As owner of Hyperdub, Goodman has signed artists such as Burial, DJ Rashad, Zomby, and Fatima Al Qadiri. Goodman has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Warwick and has published a book, Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, in 2009.
Initially inspired by what he calls the " hardcore continuum" of British dance music, Kode9 was formatively influenced by styles such as jungle, drum and bass and 2-step garage; he has mentioned his first encounter with jungle, in Edinburgh, as being "the most important musical event of my life". [2] Other genres that are common influences in his work include dub, dancehall (such as toasting), and Indian music. A move to Warwick and collaboration with the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit at University of Warwick studying rave culture, cybernetics, postmodernism and afrofuturism later led to a memetic philosophy regarding music, which he has spoken about at length in interviews. [3] In the late nineties, Kode9 moved to London, and established a name as a disc jockey at clubnights such as FWD>>.[ citation needed]
In 2004, Kode9 appeared on the second grime compilation on Rephlex records. [4] That same year, Kode9 founded Hyperdub records; the first release was Sine of the Dub, a collaboration between Kode9 and Daddy Gee, which was a minimal, loose cover version of Prince's " Sign "O" the Times". Kode9 treated the vocals to fit his idea of their delivery by "a man on his deathbed". [5] Subsequent releases established the label as an important and influential label within the dubstep genre. Hyperdub have since released records such as Burial's self-titled debut album, which The Wire magazine named their number one album of 2006. [6]
Goodman has a PhD in philosophy [7] from the University of Warwick and has also worked in academia. [8] As of 2006 he was working at the University of East London as a lecturer in media production, and course tutor for a master's program in sonic culture [8] [9] [10] In December 2009, his Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, a book exploring the uses of acoustic force and how it affects whole populations was published by MIT Press. [11] The book also explores how sound can be deployed to set moods of dread and fear, how sound can be used as torture, as a weapon and as a threat.