'Renegade Soundwave' (sometimes shortened to 'RSW') was an
electronic music group.
Formed in
London in
1986, the group originally consisted of
Danny Briottet,
Gary Asquith and
Carl Bonnie.
History
Debuting on the
Rhythm King label with the "Kray Twins" single, their early records mixed together the sound of the then embryonic
dance scene, east-end
hip-hop,
dub and electro-industrial
noise. Later singles such as "Biting my Nails" and "The Phantom" became early dance-floor classics, with "Probably a Robbery" eventually reaching number 38 in the UK singles chart in
1990.
A switch to
Mute Records brought the release of the debut long-player ''Soundclash'' in 1989, swiftly followed by ''In Dub''. At this point, Bonnie exited to pursue a solo career (citing musical differences), leaving Briottet & Asquith to continue as a duo. After two more albums, the group formally disbanded in
1995, leaving behind a legacy of four long playing albums and twelve singles.
Equally well known for their skill as
producers and
remixers as recording artists in their own right, the RSW influence was felt throughout dance music in the 1990s. Genres such as
big beat and
drum and bass, whose sounds were not defined until well after the release of the first RSW records, all owe a debt to Renegade Soundwave, while
The Chemical Brothers have cited RSW as one of the biggest influences in their sound.
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" said to be remixed by the band themselves.
As of 2007, Danny Briottet is producing and recording/remixing under the name of Red Star and Gary Asquith is in a band called Lavender Pill Mob (
[1]) with Kevin Mooney, formerly of
Adam & The Ants.
Discography
Albums
★ ''Soundclash'' (
Mute, 1989)
★ ''In Dub'' (
Mute, 1990)
★ ''Howyoudoin?'' (
Mute, 1994)
★ ''The Next Chapter of Dub'' (
Mute, 1995)
Compilations
★ ''RSW 1987-1995'' (
Mute, 1996)
★ ''Music for All Persuasions'' (DJ mix album, Ark21, 2001)
Singles
★ ''Kray Twins'' (1986)
★ ''Cocaine Sex'' (1987)
★ ''Biting My Nails'' (1988)
★ ''Probably a Robbery'' (1989)
★ ''Space Gladiator/The Phantom'' (1989)
★ ''Thunder II'' (1990)
★ ''Women Respond to Bass'' (1992)
★ ''Renegade Soundwave'' (1994)
★ ''Blastik 1'' (1995)
★ ''Brixton'' (1995)
★ ''Positive ID'' (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 - ''Touched By The Hand Of Cicciolina (The Renegade Soundwave Mix (Smoothneck))'' (1990)
★
Nitzer Ebb - ''Lightning Man (Renegade Soundwave Mix)'' (1990)
★
Bassomatic - ''Fascinating Rhythm (Claudio Caniggia Mix)'' (1991)
★
Gary Numan - ''Are 'Friends' Electric? (The Renegade Soundwave 1991 Mix)'' (1991)
★
The Shamen - ''Light>Span (Soundwave)'' (1991)
★
Depeche Mode - ''I Feel You (Renegade Soundwave Afghan Surgery Mix)'' (1993)
Danny Briottet's Remixes Include
Moby 'Why Does My Heart'
Cypress Hill 'Freak Dat Funk'
Depeche Mode 'Only WhenI Lose Myself'
Barry Adamson 'What Its Worth'
Radiohead 'Planet Telex'
Tappa Zukie 'MPLA'
External links
★
RSW Discography
★
BBC Radio Peel Session