Zed Bias

English electronic musician

UK garage
2-step garage
UK funky
broken beat

Occupation(s)Record producer, DJYears activeMid 1990s–presentLabels

Locked On
Sidewinder/Sidestepper
Tru Thoughts
Sick Trumpet

Musical artist

Dave Jones, better known as Zed Bias, is an English electronic musician based in Manchester, who operates within the UK garage/2-step, broken beat and UK funky genres, as a producer and as a DJ. He has also released material under various pseudonyms including Maddslinky and is one half of the duo Phuturistix.^[1]^[2]

Bias is best known for his single "Neighbourhood" which reached No. 25 on the UK charts in July 2000,^[3] having created a large underground response from late 1999 in its original version. Living in Milton Keynes at the time, he collaborated with several other local artists and DJs resulting in a host of well-received tracks and remixes early in his producing career, such as "Standard Hoodlum Issue" with DJ Spatts (The Criminal Minds).^[4] Some of these have been released on his own Sidewinder/Sidestepper and Biasonic labels.^[1]

Bias started to record under the Maddslinky name in 2001, resulting in the album Make Your Peace in 2003 and a second Make a Change in 2010.^[5] Around the same time, he also became one half of the production duo Phuturistix and has been engaged in remixing duties for many well-known artists.

Bias' releases, which explore a more experimental or progressive side of the 2-step garage sound, have been hailed as a crucial element in the establishment of dubstep as a definable sound or genre.^[6]^[7]

Discography

Albums

Make Your Peace (2003, Laws of Motion) – as Maddslinky
Feel It Out (2003, Hospital) – as Phuturistix
Breathe Some Light (2007, Phuture Lounge) – as Phuturistix
Experiments with Biasonics Vol. 1 (2007, Sick Trumpet)
Make a Change (2010, Tru Thoughts) – as Maddslinky
Biasonic Hotsauce: Birth of the Nanocloud (2011, Tru Thoughts)
Sleepin Giantz (2012, Tru Thoughts)
Boss (2013, Swamp81)
Different Response (2017, Exit Records)

DJ mixes

Sound of the Pirates (2000, Locked On)
Bingo Beats Vol. 2 (2001, Bingo Beats)
Mighty Reaction (2003, Nab Records)

Notable singles

"Standard Hoodlum Issue" (1999, Social Circles) - as ES (Environmental Science) Dubs
"Neighbourhood" (1999/2000, Locked On) - UK #25
"Feel It Out" (2003, Hospital) - as Phuturistix
"Somethin' Extra" (2005, Askew) - as Maddslinky
"Time" (2007, Sick Trumpet)
"Special" (2010, Tru Thoughts) - as Maddslinky
"Music Deep Inside" (2011, Swamp81)
"Subway Baby" (2011, Swamp81)
"Hurting Me" (2012, Digital Soundboy)

References

^ ^a ^b Clark, Martin. "Zed Bias biography", May 2002.
^ Halewijck, Yiannis van. "Phuturistix, new Zed Bias project", Plastiks, 24 January 2003.
^ Official Charts Company: "Neighbourhood" by Zed Bias
^ Kodwo Eshun. "Zed Bias: 2step has a Right to Children – Part 1", Riddim.ca, 29 November 2000.
^ "Maddslinky - Biography". Tru Thoughts. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
^ Clark, Martin. "The month in grime/dubstep", Pitchfork Media, 25 January 2006.
^ Mugan, Chris. "Dubstep: Straight outta Croydon", The Independent, 28 July 2006.