Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass

Yorkshire Bleeps and Bass (Yorkshire Techno) was a short-lived (1989-1991) local musical movement in the cities of Sheffield, Leeds and Bradford in the UK.

Characteristics

The sound was characterised by harsh, funky minimalism, speaker-breaking sub-bass and electronic bleeps or other futuristic sounds.

Early History

The first record of the genre was "The Theme" by Bradford's Unique 3 in 1989. LFO's "LFO" was released on Sheffield's Warp Records in 1990. Nightmares on Wax next released "Dextrous" on Warp Records in 1990. The label went on to release the club anthem "Testone" by Sweet Exorcist (DJ Parrot, and Richard H. Kirk of Sheffield avant-garde experimentalists Cabaret Voltaire), a track that went on to define the Yorkshire sound, and also the rather silly "Tricky Disco" by Tricky Disco. These were followed by a string of releases on the short-lived Leeds label Bassic Records, including the "Ital's Anthem" by Ital Rockers, a Chapeltown dub reggae band diversifying into techno, and Juno's "Soul Thunder", an understated track now recognised as a techno classic.

Groups

• Unique 3
• Forgemasters
• LFO
• Sweet Exorcist
• DJ Parrot
• Nightmares on Wax
• Richard H. Kirk
• Ital Rockers
• Juno

Releases

• The Theme
• Track With No Name
• LFO
• Dextrous
• Testone
• Clonk
• Aftermath/I'm for Real
• Tricky Disco
• Ital's Anthem
• Soul Thunder

Demise

The music scene in England changed, as piano house anthems took over northern clubs and the breakbeat hardcore scene grew in London and the West Midlands.

Bassic Records folded in 1991, taking most of their acts with them. Those who survived changed styles, with Ital Rockers going back to dub reggae and LFO shifting to techno.

Aftermath

It influenced London breakbeat acts such as Shut Up And Dance and The Scientist. It also had some later influence on jungle.