Pinch

Robert Ellis, performing under the name Pinch and residing in Bristol, U.K., ranks among the central architects of dubstep through his output as a producer and his establishment of the Tectonic imprint alongside the Multiverse collection of labels. His productions, characterized by depth, space, and restraint, have consistently honored the genre’s foundations in reggae and dub, leading to partnerships with foundational figures such as Scientist and Adrian Sherwood plus emerging dancehall vocalists including New York-based MC Juakali. Beyond an array of 12" singles issued on Planet Mu, Punch Drunk, and Swamp 81, he issued one of dubstep’s earliest significant albums, the 2007 release Underwater Dancehall, together with several respected joint albums and mix CDs. His DJ performances, built around dubplates, have likewise drawn widespread notice, taking him to venues worldwide ranging from familiar London clubs and BBC radio shows to distant locations including China, Russia, and New Zealand.

Ellis joined forces with James Ginzburg and James Fiddian to launch Multiverse in 2004; the publishing venture sought to support innovative producers tied to Bristol’s underground electronic community. He launched Tectonic the following year, opening with the sparse yet forceful “War Dub” single, a joint effort between himself and Ginzburg recording as P Dutty. Mike Paradinas took notice of the track; his Planet Mu imprint, long associated with IDM and breakcore, had already begun supporting the rising grime and dubstep movements through records by Mark One, Vex’d, and Virus Syndicate. Planet Mu put out Pinch’s “Qawwali” in early 2006, a poised, introspective piece built around an echo-laden harmonium sample drawn from a recording by Pakistani legend Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. The evocative track resonated widely and became one of the style’s most recognizable and enduring pieces, comparable to Skream’s “Midnight Request Line.” Pinch’s profile as a sought-after DJ and remixer grew, while his label continued to issue landmark 12"s from artists such as Skream, Distance, and Digital Mystikz, many later gathered on the Tectonic Plates, Vol. 1 compilation that featured a continuous mix by Pinch. Another Planet Mu 12" followed in the form of the darker “Punisher,” which incorporated a sample from Ed Rush’s 1993 dark drum’n’bass classic “Bludclot Artattack,” succeeded by a remix 12" featuring versions from Loefah and Skream.

Pinch delivered a third Planet Mu 12", the brisker “Pepper Spray,” in October 2007. The next month saw the arrival of his first album, Underwater Dancehall, on Tectonic. The double-CD set paired one disc of vocal-led tracks, among them “Brighter Day” (a Juakali-voiced adaptation of “Qawwali”) and the single “Get Up” (with R&B singer Yolanda), with a second disc of instrumental counterparts. The album introduced greater accessibility to dubstep while preserving its experimental edge and earned broad critical praise. Ellis continued forward, maintaining a steady flow of releases on imprints such as Soul Jazz and Tectonic, delivering remixes for Simian Mobile Disco and Gaudi + Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, and putting out material by 2562, Peverelist, RSD, and additional artists. He and Distance formed the side project Deleted Scenes, which surfaced with the intense “Memory Loss” 12" in October 2008. Pinch returned to Planet Mu in 2009 with the 12" “Attack of the Giant Killer Robot Spiders!,” while Tectonic issued a remix single of the durable “Get Up.” That same year Tectonic Plates, Vol. 2 appeared, featuring contributions from Benga, Flying Lotus, and Martyn plus another continuous mix by Pinch.

Near 2010 Pinch’s material began fusing dubstep with deep, dub-inflected techno, a direction illustrated by “Croydon House” on Swamp 81. He partnered with Shackleton in 2011 for a dark, cavernous album on Honest Jon’s Records. The next year he teamed with drum’n’bass originator Photek, who had started exploring the dubstep sound, on the 12" “Acid Reign.” He also supplied a volume to Fabric’s long-running mix series (Fabriclive 61) and released Missing in Action: A Collection of Selected Tracks, B-Sides and Remixes from 2006-2010 on Tectonic. In 2013 the single “Shoulda Rolla,” a collaboration with U.K. garage producer Roska, appeared on Tectonic. Pinch also began working with veteran producer Adrian Sherwood, resulting in two vocal-driven 12"s issued on both Tectonic and Sherwood’s On-U Sound. Additionally in 2013 he inaugurated the new label Cold Recordings, which leaned toward techno and the broader U.K. hardcore spectrum and concentrated on singles by lesser-known artists such as Ipman and Elmono.

Pinch initiated a partnership with genre-defying producer Mumdance in 2014, beginning with the 12" single “Turbo Mitzi” and extending to the mix CD Pinch B2B Mumdance, both on Tectonic. Sherwood & Pinch’s debut joint album, Late Night Endless, surfaced in early 2015, while Pinch and Mumdance kept issuing tracks, among them “Big Slug” featuring grime MC Riko Dan. Another collaboration with Riko Dan, “Screamer,” arrived on Tectonic in early 2016. Sherwood & Pinch followed with their second full-length joint effort, Man vs. Sofa, in 2017. The album incorporated contributions from Martin Duffy (Primal Scream, Felt), longtime Sherwood associate Skip McDonald (Little Axe, Tackhead), and the inimitable Lee “Scratch” Perry. Although extensive collaborative activity continued, more than a decade had passed since the solo debut Underwater Dancehall until Reality Tunnels appeared in 2020; the record found Ellis contemplating the development of the styles he helped shape and included numerous guest appearances, among them Trim, Killa P, and Emika.