B:pressure pres. 30 Years of Metalheadz w. Goldie, gyrofield, Medic MC

GOLDIE (UK)

The first superstar produced by the breakbeat jungle movement, Goldie popularized drum’n’bass as a form of musical expression just as relevant for living-room contemplation as techno had become by the early ’90s. Goldie became one of the first personalities in British dance music, his gold teeth and b-boy attitude placing him leagues away from the faceless bedroom boffins who had become the norm in intelligent dance music. For the first time, England had a beat maestro and tough-guy head who could match the scores of larger-than-life hip-hop stars America had produced, and the high profile of drum and bass as the first indigenously British dance music made Goldie a figure of prime importance. After spending several years working on his production skills at Reinforced Records, he founded Metalheadz Records. In 1995, Goldie released Timeless, one of jungle’s first and best full-length works of art. The album put him squarely at the top of the drum and bass heap — at least in the minds of critics and mainstream listeners.

The beginning of the millennium ushered in a new era for Goldie’s musical production. He produced several releases during this period, the likes of which further established the rough yet similarly emotive sound with which he and Metalheadz were best known. Examples include Say You Love Me, Malice In Wonderland and Breakin’ Glass, each of which were instrumental in the development of Goldie’s own personal style. So too was the output of Metalheadz during this period: the label amassed just shy of sixty releases throughout the decade, nurturing the likes of now-globally known drum and bass artists such as Alix Perez, Noisia and S.P.Y to name a few.

At the turn of the decade, he received two honorary academic achievements, courtesy of Brunel University (in Social Sciences) and the University of Wolverhampton, where he became an honorary Doctor of Design. He was knighted as a Member of the British Empire (MBE) not long after, for services to music and young people. With it, he became one of few electronic musicians to ever achieve such an award.

GYROFIELD (HK)

Hailing from Hong Kong and now living in Bristol, gyrofield is a young non binary musician discovering her own sound in songwriting and creating electronic music.
Four years of relentless exploration in various production styles, subgenres and forms have resulted in a dynamic yet cohesive versatility in her musical output – with different styles highlighted in each release. 2023 sees gyrofield traversing the diverse camps of 130-140 bpm music with a more analog-informed sound.
Having received support from acts as diverse as Goldie, Noisia & Fracture, those in electronic circles are surely taking note of the burgeoning artist.

MEDIC MC (UK)

Medic is a versatile, London-raised, Bristol-based lyricist/host and is emerging as an exciting talent among the next generation of MCs. Heavy influence is drawn from earlier days immersed in hip hop, grime, drum and bass, and South London sound system culture, underpinning a broad foundation for his lyrical content. Medic began proving himself in Bristol as a core resident of Alternate and other brands across the South West. He is regularly booked to host a high calibre of artists with a trademark stage presence, flow, lyrics, and adaptability making him a requested MC by many. Medic has releases on Fokuz, Vandal and Mac 2 with forthcoming releases on Dispatch and a new alias with one of drum and bass’ stalwart MCs soon to be unveiled. Now recognised for his talent and potential alongside a vast array of incoming releases, Medic is one to watch closely.