Renegade Soundwave (sometimes shortened to RSW) were an
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 ...
group. Formed in
London
London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...
in 1986, the group originally consisted of
Gary Asquith, Carl Bonnie and Danny Briottet.
Their debut LP ''
Soundclash'' was released in 1990 on
Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
. It featured the
UK top 40 hit "Probably a Robbery" and dancefloor favourite "Biting My Nails".
History
Debuting on
Rhythm King
Rhythm King Records Ltd was a British independent record label, founded in the mid-1980s by Martin Heath, Adele Nozedar, DJ Jay Strongman and James Horrocks. It was based in Chiswick, London.
History Beginnings
Starting out as an offshoot of ...
label with the "Kray Twins" single, their early records mixed together the sound of the then embryonic
dance
Dance is an The arts, art form, consisting of sequences of body movements with aesthetic and often Symbol, symbolic value, either improvised or purposefully selected. Dance can be categorized and described by its choreography, by its repertoir ...
scene,
hip-hop
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hi ...
,
dub,
sampling and electro-industrial
noise
Noise is sound, chiefly unwanted, unintentional, or harmful sound considered unpleasant, loud, or disruptive to mental or hearing faculties. From a physics standpoint, there is no distinction between noise and desired sound, as both are vibrat ...
.
Later singles such as "Biting My Nails" (a cover version of a song by
Genevieve Waite, from her 1974 album, ''
Romance Is on the Rise'', produced by her husband,
John Phillips of
The Mamas and the Papas
The Mamas & the Papas were an American folk rock vocal group that recorded and performed from 1965 to 1968, with a brief reunion in 1971. The group was a defining force in the music scene of the counterculture of the 1960s. Formed in New York C ...
) and "The Phantom" became early dancefloor classics, with "Probably a Robbery" eventually reaching number 38 on the
UK Singles Chart in 1990, mostly due to the AA side "Ozone Breakdown"; a popular dance track, which featured a sample from the film, ''The Warriors''.
A switch to
Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller (music producer), Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure (duo), Erasure, Einstürze ...
brought the release of the debut long-player ''
Soundclash'' in 1990, swiftly followed by ''In Dub''.
The Japanese version of ''In Dub'' featured a second disc of the cuts, previously available only on their early 12" singles. At this point, Bonnie exited to pursue a solo career (citing musical differences), leaving Briottet and Asquith to continue as a duo. After two more albums, the group formally disbanded in 1995, leaving behind a legacy of four albums and 12 singles.
In 2003,
Layo and Bushwacka remixed "The Phantom". 2005 saw the appearance of a white label entitled ''Robbery'', which featured remixed versions of RSW tunes such as "Ozone Breakdown".
Danny Briottet went on to forge a successful career as producer, remixer, composer of soundtracks and international DJ. He is producing and recording/remixing under his own name and various guises including Red Star, Rhythm Riders (with
Aswad), 3DB (with collaborator Dan Donovan, formerly of
Big Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite (later known as Big Audio Dynamite II and Big Audio, and often abbreviated BAD) were an English band, formed in London in 1984 by Mick Jones (The Clash guitarist), Mick Jones, former lead guitarist and co-lead vocalist of th ...
and Dreadzone) and Subsonic Legacy. Briottet is also creative director of Musicstate Ltd, the provider of global synchronisation music. Briottet's remix and production credits include
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
,
Grace Jones
Grace Beverly Jones (born 19 May 1948) is a Jamaican singer, songwriter, model and actress. She began her Model (person), modelling career in New York State, then in Paris, working for fashion houses such as Yves Saint Laurent (brand), Yves St ...
,
Orbital,
Moby
Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...
,
Cypress Hill
Cypress Hill is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group formed in South Gate, California in 1988. One of the first Latin groups to gain mainstream recognition in hip hop, they have sold over 20 million albums worldwide, and have obtained multi ...
,
Radiohead
Radiohead are an English rock band formed in Abingdon-on-Thames, Abingdon, Oxfordshire, in 1985. The band members are Thom Yorke (vocals, guitar, piano, keyboards); brothers Jonny Greenwood (guitar, keyboards, other instruments) and Colin Gre ...
,
Dreadzone
Dreadzone are a British electronic music group formed in 1993 in London by ex-Big Audio Dynamite drummer Greg Roberts and musician Tim Bran. They have released nine studio albums, two live albums, and two compilations.
They gained a reputatio ...
and a host of underground dance records and African and Arabic artists. In 2017, Briottet completed work on the soundtrack to the feature film, ''3 Way Week''.
As of 2010, Gary Asquith runs
Le Coq Musique record label alongside
Kevin Mooney formerly of
Adam and the Ants
Adam and the Ants were an English Rock music, rock band that formed in London in 1977. The band existed in two versions, both fronted by Adam Ant, between 1977 and 1982. The first phase began when the band were founded in May 1977 and were call ...
and both are in a band called Lavender Pill Mob. Both Asquith and Mooney have worked alongside electro artist Lee Simeone, including a track written by Asquith titled "Ocean".
Discography
Albums
*''
Soundclash'' (
Mute, 1990) -
UK No. 74
*''In Dub'' (Mute Records, 1990)
*''In Dub (Japan-only 2-CD Version)'' (Mute Records, 1991)
*''Howyoudoin?'' (Mute Records, 1994) -
CMJ
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events, online media company and a distributor of up and coming music CDs, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music ...
Radio Top 150 No. 115
*''The Next Chapter of Dub'' (Mute Records, 1995)
Compilations
*''RSW 1987-1995'' (Mute Records, 1996)
Video collections
*''In Video'' (
Mute Film, 1991, VHS)
Singles
*"Kray Twins" (1986)
*"Cocaine Sex" (1987)
*"Biting My Nails" (1988) - US
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Airplay (formerly known as Modern Rock Tracks between 1988 and 2009, and Alternative Songs between 2009 and 2020) is a music chart published in the American magazine ''Billboard'' since September 10, 1988. It ranks the 40 most-playe ...
No. 11
*"Probably a Robbery" (1989) -
UK No. 38
*"Space Gladiator" / "The Phantom" (1989)
*"Thunder II" (1990)
*"Women Respond to Bass" (1992)
*"Renegade Soundwave" (1994) - UK No. 64
*"Brixton" (1995)
*"Positive ID" (1995)
*"Positive Dub Mixes" (1995)
Remixes
*
Bassomatic - "Ease On By" (Claudia Canniggia Mix) (1990)
*
Double Trouble - "Celebrate" (Renegade Soundwave Mix) (1990)
*
Double Trouble - "Celebrate" (Renegade Soundwave Dub Mix) (1990)
*
Pop Will Eat Itself
Pop Will Eat Itself are an English alternative rock band formed in 1986 in Stourbridge in the West Midlands of England with members from Birmingham, Coventry and the Black Country. Initially known as a grebo act, they changed style to incorpo ...
- "
Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina" (The Renegade Soundwave Mix (Smoothneck)) (1990)
*
Nitzer Ebb
Nitzer Ebb () are an English electronic body music, EBM group formed in 1982 by Essex school friends Bon Harris, Vaughan "Bon" Harris (programming, synthesizers, drums, vocals), Douglas McCarthy (vocals), and David Gooday (drums). The band were ...
- "Lightning Man" (Renegade Soundwave Mix) (1990)
*
Bassomatic - "Fascinating Rhythm" (Claudio Caniggia Mix) (1991)
*
The Shamen
The Shamen ( ) were a Scottish psychedelic band, formed in 1985 in Aberdeen, who became a chart-topping electronic dance music act on the UK Singles Chart by the early 1990s. The founding members were Colin Angus, Derek McKenzie and Keith Mc ...
- "Light Span" (Soundwave) (1991)
*
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music, electronic band formed in Basildon, Essex in 1980. Originally formed with the line-up of Dave Gahan, Martin Gore, Andy Fletcher (musician), Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke, the band currently consists ...
- "I Feel You" (Renegade Soundwave Afghan Surgery Mix) (1993)
*
Gary Numan
Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the New wave music, new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two st ...
- "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (The Renegade Soundwave 1991 Mix) (1991)
*
Soft Ballet - "America" (Remixed by Renegade Soundwave) (1992)
Gary Asquith's remixes include;
*
Gary Numan
Gary Anthony James Webb (born 8 March 1958), known professionally as Gary Numan, is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He entered the music industry as frontman of the New wave music, new wave band Tubeway Army. After releasing two st ...
- "Are 'Friends' Electric?" (The Renegade Soundwave 1991 Mix) (1991)
Danny Briottet's remixes include;
*Moby "Why Does My Heart"
*Cypress Hill "Freak Dat Funk"
*Depeche Mode "Only When I Lose Myself"
*Barry Adamson "What It's Worth"
*Radiohead "Planet Telex"
*Tappa Zukie "MPLA"
*Orbital 'Beelzedub'
*Grace Jones 'Corporate Cannibal'
References
External links
*
*
* at Chaos Control (digizine)
*
*
{{Authority control
English electronic music groups
English techno music groups
English industrial music groups
English musical trios
English remixers
Mute Records artists
Rhythm King artists