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kode9
  • Born: in Glasgow, Scotland
  • Years Active: 2000s-present
  • Genre: Dance & Electronic

Kode9 is a leading dubstep DJ/producer from London who is also the owner of the influential label Hyperdub. Born Steve Goodman in Glasgow, Scotland, he began DJing in 1990 at age 16 and cites his first encounter with drum'n'bass as a key influence on his future career path. In 1997 he moved to London and continued performing as a DJ, spinning a fusion of breaks- and bass-heavy styles. In 2002 he made his production debut as Kode9 on the Tempa label and proceeded to found his own label, Hyperdub, soon afterward. The debut Hyperdub release, Sine of the Dub (2004), is a dubstep reworking of Prince's "Sign o' the Times" billed to Kode9 and vocalist Daddi Gee, aka the Space Ape, a collaboration that would continue in subsequent years. In 2005 Hyperdub released South London Boroughs, a seminal EP that marked the recording debut of Burial, whose full-length albums Burial (2006) and Untrue (2007) were critically acclaimed and did much to popularize dubstep internationally. Meanwhile, in addition to running his increasingly popular label, Kode9 continued releasing his own production work on Hyperdub, most notably his full-length album debut, Memories of the Future (2006). He released his official mix album debut, Dubstep Allstars, Vol. 3 (2006), on Tempa, and followed it four years later with an installment in the !K7 label's long-running DJ-Kicks series. Also an author, he wrote Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear (published in 2009). The anxiety-ridden Black Sun (2011) was Kode9's second album with the Space Ape. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi

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