Biography
Tadd Mullinix draws substantial inspiration from European imprints like Warp and Too Pure, even while based in Detroit, a metropolis deeply attached to its local musical identity, creative community, and historical roots. Born in Michigan, he issued his debut full-length on the modest Ghostly International imprint, headquartered in Ann Arbor, during October 2000. The record stands as a melodic, densely textured tribute to Autechre; Mullinix himself absorbed the sounds of Brian Eno, Roxy Music, and Talking Heads throughout his upbringing. During elementary years he first took up assorted wind instruments, ultimately choosing the cello—an atypical choice given his broad fluency across hip-hop, punk, and grindcore. That foundation led him to the groundbreaking British catalog of Warp Records and the emerging style known as Intelligent Dance Music (IDM), whose leading figures include Autechre, Aphex Twin, and Squarepusher. Within a Detroit scene that largely dismissed anything outside house or classic techno, he began spinning drum’n’bass sets in 1995 at area gatherings under the alias SK-1. Still attending high school, he secured short-lived residencies at the progressive Critical venue and subsequently at Detroit’s Motor Lounge. Mullinix jointly operates two labels, channeling ragga jungle through the Rewind imprint and conventional drum’n’bass through FWD Recordings—distinct from the unrelated Eevolute sublabel sharing the same name. At age twenty-one he assembled his first solo album, Winking Makes A Face. Merging hands-on instrumental practice with studio electronics, the project emerged as a striking and widely noticed introduction. The Panes EP appeared in 2002.
Albums
