Inigo Kennedy reviews, music, news

Since releasing his first record as a university student in Manchester, Kennedy has been a constant presence on the UK techno map. He's part of the scene's old guard, starting around the same time as many of the acts who shaped UK techno's formative years. He hasn't reached the level of acclaim of artists like like Regis, Surgeon, Ben Sims and James Ruskin, but he can still be counted among Europe's most prolific and consistent techno artists. Kennedy has always remained in full-time employment. As such, independence has been a running theme in his career. This has allowed him to circumvent ...read more

Since releasing his first record as a university student in Manchester, Kennedy has been a constant presence on the UK techno map. He's part of the scene's old guard, starting around the same time as many of the acts who shaped UK techno's formative years. He hasn't reached the level of acclaim of artists like like Regis, Surgeon, Ben Sims and James Ruskin, but he can still be counted among Europe's most prolific and consistent techno artists. Kennedy has always remained in full-time employment. As such, independence has been a running theme in his career. This has allowed him to circumvent the financial perils of life as a DJ, giving him extra security and, most importantly, artistic freedom. Considering Kennedy's full-time work commitments, the amount of music he's released is remarkable. He's dropped over 100 singles, beginning with 1996's Bond EP. The following year saw him sign to ZET, a label founded by a then 20-something-year-old Karl O'Connor. A string of punishing, industrial-tinged singles followed, and Kennedy's reputation around Europe steadily grew. His first gig abroad was in Slovenia, thanks to a friendship with Umek, who was also on the ZET roster. Kennedy spent the next few years building his profile, regularly returning to Eastern Europe for DJ appearances. The sounds used on Kennedy's tracks today are completely unrecognisable. While most cuts are tough, the focus is always on the intricacies happening on top of the beat. The result is often hypnotic, a characteristic not always attributed to UK techno. Since the beginning, rough, pummelling drums have been one of the defining features of British producers, thanks to the sound championed by institutions like Downwards, Peacefrog and Blueprint. For the most part, Kennedy's output has been distinct. In the early days, he dished out gritty tracks that banged as hard as anyone's, but there was always something extra going on, whether it was the repetition of a catchy bleep or a strange glitch. More recently, as BPMs have dropped, the Inigo Kennedy aesthetic has become glossier, and undoubtedly more individual. « hide

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