Edinburgh Napier University

  My paper will examine the role of New Jersey producer within the development of UK garage by focusing on his unique style of sampling which critic Simon Reynolds describes as a ‘technique of cross-hatching brief snatches of vocals into a melodic-percussive honeycomb of blissful hiccups, so burstingly rapturous it’s almost painful to the ear.’ Such journalistic metaphors are linguistically attractive but how useful are these types of descriptions in shaping our understanding of the sounds and mechanics of micro-rhythm? Reynolds and other post-structuralist critics are keen to draw on the ideas of Deleuze and Derrida to celebrate the way in which Edwards uses the sampler to re-arrange the voice and disconnect it from a human body but is this type of theorization helpful and is it supported by the kind of empirical evidence which Andrew Goodwin calls for in his classic article ‘Sample & Hold: Pop Music in the Age of Digital Reproduction’? Has sampling been ignored as a musical practice in favour of theories which have contributed to a limited understanding of key figures in the history of popular music? Edwards appears to have been neglected in the handbooks and histories of dance music as well as academic work but is deified by fanatical followers in the UK garage scene. It may be more interesting to look at how he embeds subtle spiritual messages into his music and whether these contrast with the more hedonistic contexts in which his music was enjoyed by London ravers and pirate radio listeners.