Blame (music producer)

Conrad Shafie, better known as Blame,[1] is an English DJ, musician, music producer, and songwriter.[2] He is considered one of the pioneers of the drum and bass genre.[3][4] Some of Blame's singles appeared on the UK Singles Chart between 1992 and 2004.[5]

Blame
Blame DJing in Helsinki
Background information
OriginEngland
GenresDrum and bass
Breakbeat
Breakbeat hardcore
Jungle music
Jazz
InstrumentsKeyboard, Synthesizer
Years active1991 - present
LabelsMoving Shadow, Metalheadz, Hospital Records, Charge Recordings, New State Music, Good Looking Records, 720 Degrees, V Recordings

Career

Blame grew up listening to electro and hip hop music.[6] While studying at college, Blame was exposed to house music from Europe and the United States and was inspired to combine hip hop breakbeats with these new House music sounds.[7] He then hired a community recording studio in Luton called the 33 Arts Centre to work on his own music and the resulting track was "Music Takes You", which ended up getting signed to the Moving Shadow record label in 1991[8] while he was still a teenager.[9] Moving Shadow also released Blame's singles "Feel The Energy", "Are You Dreaming", and "Neptune".

Several of Blame's releases, including "Neptune", were heard at Fabio (DJ)'s Speed nightclub in London. Good Looking Records then offered Blame a record contract. Blame went on to mix the Logical Progression 2 and Progression Sessions 2 albums for Good Looking Records,[10] while embarking on a worldwide DJ tour with LTJ Bukem.[11] Singles from his time on Good Looking Records include "Visions Of Mars", "360 Clic", "Alpha:7", "Revival", "J-Walkin’" and "Centuries".[12]

In 1997, Blame launched 720 Degrees, a Drum and Bass label that fused atmospheric and futuristic sci-fi sounds with Techno inspired effects and synth sounds. Two Revolutions was his first DJ mix compilation album released on the label.[13]

In 2000 or so, Blame left Good Looking Records to release work on other labels in the Drum and Bass genre including Metalheadz, Charge Recordings,[1] and Hospital Records, along with 720 Degrees.

In 2008, Blame released "Stay Forever",[14] which aired on BBC Radio 1 and was on the daytime playlist of BBC Radio 1Xtra. His follow up single, "Because of You", was released, featuring a vocal performance by Selah. It became the BBC Radio 1 Single Of The Week on 2 February 2009,[15] Zane Lowe’s Hottest Record In The World, as well as being aired on daytime Radio 1.

Blame entered into a recording contract with Newstate Music in 2010, which resulted in the release of The Music, an album which featured vocal collaborations with Selah, Tinchy Stryder,[16] Fuda Guy, Jocelyn Brown, Dynamite MC, Rodney P, DRS, Jenna G, Alex Mills, JT Fitz, Camilla Marie and Tom Sears. He then went on to remix the David Guetta and Kelly Rowland single "When Love Takes Over",[17] the Robin S dance classic "Show Me Love", Raze's iconic "Break 4 Love", Sway's - "Level Up", Skepta's - "Make Peace Not War", and Michael Jackson's "I Want You Back".

In 2018, Blame formed a group called the Social Misfits alongside DJ Concrete. V Recordings signed the project. Annie Mac, DJ Target, and Rene LaVice played songs from the release on BBC Radio 1 and BBC Radio 1Xtra.

In May 2020, Blame's remix of “Step Tune” by T.R.A.C featuring Random Movement and Adrienne Richards was released on V Recordings.

Selected discography

Albums
  • Into The Void (Good Looking Records, 2002)
  • The Turning Point (720 Degrees, 2006)
  • The Music (New State Music, 2010)

EPs and singles
  • "Music Takes You" (Moving Shadow, 1991) – #48 in UK, 1992[lower-alpha 1][5]
    • "Music Takes You" (2 Bad Mice, John B remixes) (Moving Shadow, 2002) – #79 in UK[5]
  • "Feel The Energy" (Moving Shadow, 1993)
  • "Between Worlds" (EP) (Good Looking Records, 1998) (Wax Magazine's "Single Of The Month" for September 1998)[18]
  • "Sleepwalker / Reptile" (with Mampi Swift) (Charge, 2004) – #82 in UK[5]

Mixes as DJ
  • Blame - Live @ Turnmills for Wax Magazine (DJ set), 1997
  • Blame - Logical Progression Level 2 (DJ mix), GLR, 1997
  • Blame Featuring DRS - Progression Sessions Two, GLR, 1998
  • Blame's Two Revolutions (compilation, DJ mix, double CD), 720 Degrees, 1999
  • Blame - KMag Presents... The 100th Issue Selection (CD, compilation, DJ mix) for Knowledge Magazine

Notes
  1. On UK Singles Chart, this was mis-labeled as "Music Moves You"

References
  1. Matthew Duffield for Knowledge magazine (also known as Kmag) (Issue 46), Untied Kingdom (April 2004), "A Question Of Blame", p. 30,31
  2. Tim Cant for Knowledge magazine (also known as Kmag), Untied Kingdom (December 1999), "Blame", p. 38
  3. Tom "Careless" for GLO.2 Magazine (Issue 2), London (January 2001), "Blame : Feature", p. 20
  4. "DnB pioneer Blame talks Spectrasonics and Synthogy". Time+Space. 8 October 2010. Retrieved 2020-05-23.
  5. "BLAME | full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  6. ""DJ's Bible Talks To Blame"". Thedjsbible.com (Interview). 19 September 2019.
  7. ""Blame video interview for TJL (The Jungle List)"", M.facebook.com, 29 November 2019
  8. ""Blame discusses history of being signed to Moving Shadow"". Thedjsbible.com (Interview). 19 September 2019.
  9. ""Blame On BBC Radio 1"", M.mixcloud.com, December 2001
  10. Jon Russell for Future Music (magazine), United Kingdom, Issue 59 (August 1997), "Tasty Bass"CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. "Blame interview", M.facebook.com, 29 November 2019
  12. ""Vital Release" (review of Centuries, Visions Of Mars)" (PDF), Muzikmagazine.co.uk, April 1998
  13. Future Music (magazine), United Kingdom (January 2000), "Taking the Blame", p. 70
  14. Knowledge magazine (also known as Kmag) (Issue 100), Untied Kingdom (July 2008), "Blame", p. 30
  15. "Radio 1 - Listen Live - BBC Sounds". Bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 13 August 2020.
  16. SBTV, "Producer's House (Season 1, Episode 2)"
  17. Music Tech Magazine (hardcopy) (November 2010), "It’s All About Jamming, Having Fun, And Waiting For That Sound/Riff To Pop Out That Gives You Goose Bumps", p. 42,43
  18. Wax Magazine (September 1998). "Single Of The Month". p. 10. Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.