Forgemasters was a British

electronic music Electronic music broadly is a group of music genres that employ electronic musical instruments, circuitry-based music technology and software, or general-purpose electronics (such as personal computers) in its creation. It includes both music ...

act composed of Robert Gordon, Winston Hazel and Sean Maher. Their 1989 single "Track with No Name" was the first release by

Warp Records Warp Records is a British independent record label that specialises in Electronic music, electronic, indie rock and experimental music. It was founded in Sheffield in 1989 by Steve Beckett, Robert Mitchell and Robert Gordon. It has released recor ...

and helped define the sound of Warp and

bleep techno Bleep techno (or simply bleep) is a regional subgenre of techno which developed in the late 1980s in Northern England, particularly Yorkshire. Named after its minimalistic synthesizer sounds, bleep techno combined influences from American ...

History

Robert Gordon, Sean Maher and Winston Hazel were colleagues in the FON record shop and studio in Sheffield. Gordon was an engineer at FON Studio and co-founder of

. The name Forgemasters was taken from a local heavy engineering firm,

Sheffield Forgemasters Sheffield Forgemasters is a British heavy engineering firm that is based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The state-owned company specialises in the production of large bespoke steel castings and forgings, as well as standard rolls, ing ...

. Their single "Track with No Name" was the first release by Warp Records. It was of a

techno Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempos being in the range from 120 to 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time ( ) and often ...

subgenre, the primarily Sheffield-based bleep techno, and written in four hours one evening at Gordon's home studio. Dave Simpson, writing in ''

Fact A fact is a truth, true data, datum about one or more aspects of a circumstance. Standard reference works are often used to Fact-checking, check facts. Science, Scientific facts are verified by repeatable careful observation or measurement by ...

'' in 2012, described it as "driven by an eerie pulse, a sound which would soon be called a 'bleep' and become the distinctive signature of hardcore northern techno and, for its first two years, the sound of Warp." Matt Anniss, writing for ''

Resident Advisor ''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform established in 2001 and dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. Its editorial team provides news, music and ev ...

'' in 2014, called it "one of the defining records of the era".

Discography

Singles and EPs

* "Track with No Name" (

Warp Warp, warped or warping may refer to: Arts and entertainment Books and comics * WaRP Graphics, an alternative comics publisher * ''Warp'' (First Comics), comic book series published by First Comics based on the play ''Warp!'' * Warp (comics), a D ...

, 1989) – released in association with Outer Rhythm * ''The Black Steel E.P.'' (

Network Network, networking and networked may refer to: Science and technology * Network theory, the study of graphs as a representation of relations between discrete objects * Network science, an academic field that studies complex networks Mathematics ...

, 1991) * ''Quabala EP'' (Hubba Hubba, 1992)

Singles with contributions by Forgemasters

* "Network Retro #8: Back 2 Back Classics" (Network, 1993) – "Somebody New" by MK* / "Track with No Name (Communique Mix)" by Forgemasters

Compilation album appearances

* ''Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove'' (Warp, 1991) – includes "Track with No Name". * '' Warp 10: Influences, Classics, Remixes – Warp 10+2: Classics 89–92'' (Warp, 1999) – includes "Track with No Name" * ''Rob Gordon Projects'' by Rob Gordon (Source, 1996) – includes "Clap Your Hands", "" icand "Presence"

Remixes

* "Man Machine (Cyber - Subsonik) mix", Man Machine (Outer Rhythm, 1989) – "Man Machine (Cyber - Subsonik)" and "Man Machine (Elektro - Genetik)" mixed by Forgemasters * "15 Inches+" (Rebuilt by Forgemasters) – The Wad (Earth, 1997). Included on ''7 Hills Clash – Rebuilt EP'' * "Commercial Rain (Rub-A-Dub Mix)" –

Inspiral Carpets Inspiral Carpets are an English rock band, part of the late-1980s/early-1990s Madchester movement. Formed in Oldham in 1983, the band's most successful lineup featured frontman Tom Hingley, drummer Craig Gill, guitarist Graham Lambert, bassist ...

( Mute, 1990). Included on "Commercial Rain"/"She Comes in the Fall (Remixes)"

References

External links

* {{Authority control English electronic music groups English techno music groups Musical groups from Sheffield English musical trios Warp (record label) artists Rhythm King artists