James Plotkin

Alongside figures such as Justin Broadrick and Mick Harris, James Plotkin first gained notice during the early-'90s grindcore movement tied to Earache Records, only later shifting toward expansive ambient dub explorations. His earliest recordings appeared with the grindcore outfit Old (Old Lady Drivers). That ensemble's opening release, Old Lady Drivers (1988), ranked among the initial offerings from the British Earache imprint, yet the subsequent effort, Lo Flux Tube (1992), earned notable underground recognition within grindcore circles. Even so, Old never matched the wider reach of other Earache acts including Napalm Death, Carcass, or Entombed, owing in part to its avant-garde and parodic leanings.

By the mid-'90s Plotkin had shifted direction, supplying guitar and guitar-synth parts to Scorn's Evanescence (Earache 1994) while also teaming with K.K. Null for the Aurora album (Sentrax 1994). These projects marked a clear departure from grindcore toward darker ambient terrain. A decisive step arrived through his partnership with Scorn's Mick Harris on the Collapse album (Asphodel 1996), whose ambient dub pieces carried the same brooding weight as the pair's earlier grindcore work (Harris having previously drummed for Napalm Death). Further joint activity followed, notably under the Flux name alongside vocalist Ruth Collins, while Plotkin maintained contributions to additional Scorn releases.

After those Harris collaborations proved fruitful, Plotkin extended his work to further partners. In the late '90s he joined Kipp Johnson and Bill Yurkiewicz for material issued as both Namanax and Solarus. He again enlisted Collins, who supplied lyrics and vocals for his debut solo album, The Joy of Disease (Avant 1998). That same year he began issuing recordings on the Kranky label, starting with the joint effort A Peripheral Blur alongside Mark Spybey and continuing with Brent Gutzeit on Mosquito Dream (1999).

Entering the early 2000s, Plotkin launched fresh alliances. He rejoined former Old vocalist Alan Dubin in Shadowcast, an experimental doom/sludge unit completed by Jason Corley (once the drummer of 16). That association paved the way for Khanate, fronted by Stephen O'Malley (ex-Burning Witch guitarist) and rounded out by Dubin on vocals plus Tim Wyskida on drums, with Plotkin handling bass. Additional ventures encompassed Atomsmasher, an electronic grindcore endeavor featuring DJ Speedranch and Dave Witte, together with the Trifid Project undertaken with Celluloid Mata.