Biography
Andrew Weatherall formed Sabres of Paradise, one of Britain’s most acclaimed experimental techno outfits, alongside Jagz Kooner and Gary Burns. The trio issued numerous singles and EPs whose highlights later appeared on compilations issued by Warp and by Weatherall’s Sabrettes imprint, which also featured material from Plod and Slab. A native of Windsor, Berkshire, Weatherall has always placed DJ work at the forefront of his activities; his relentless club schedule has proven nearly as consequential as his own recordings, shaping the approaches of countless other selectors while foreshadowing developments in trance-techno, inelegant dance, and trip-hop. Nevertheless, pieces such as “Smokebelch,” “Theme,” and “Wilmott,” together with the expansive Haunted Dancehall, helped stretch post-techno boundaries past the predictable constraints of the club environment. Visibility also arrived through production and remix assignments for Primal Scream and the Scottish ambient-pop outfit One Dove, as well as reimaginings of tracks by James, the Orb, Bjork, Therapy?, Happy Mondays, Future Sound of London, Bomb the Bass, Skylab, and Moody Boyz. Those mixing abilities are documented on the three-CD anthology Cut the Crap, issued by Six by 6 Records.
Following the disbandment of both the Sabres of Paradise project and its associated label, Weatherall established the Emissions group of imprints and unveiled Two Lone Swordsmen, his most ambitious musical undertaking to date. Teaming with Emissions engineer Keith Tenniswood, the duo began operating in early 1996. Two Lone Swordsmen retained the warped, downtempo sensibility heard on earlier Sabres recordings, particularly “Smokebelch” and “Wilmott,” yet shifted toward a vocabulary of minimal electronics and taut, brittle electro-funk. Their debut album, the expansive double-CD/triple-LP The Fifth Mission, arrived in 1996 and was flanked by the EPs “Tenth Mission” and “Third Mission.” Later that year the pair delivered two further full-length remix collections under the title Swimming Not Skimming, each version containing distinct track listings. By year’s end they had completed at least six additional remixes, among them work for Slab, Alter Ego, Sneaker Pimps, and David Holmes. Release activity persisted through the remainder of the decade, yielding assorted albums and mini-albums under a fresh arrangement with Warp.
Following the disbandment of both the Sabres of Paradise project and its associated label, Weatherall established the Emissions group of imprints and unveiled Two Lone Swordsmen, his most ambitious musical undertaking to date. Teaming with Emissions engineer Keith Tenniswood, the duo began operating in early 1996. Two Lone Swordsmen retained the warped, downtempo sensibility heard on earlier Sabres recordings, particularly “Smokebelch” and “Wilmott,” yet shifted toward a vocabulary of minimal electronics and taut, brittle electro-funk. Their debut album, the expansive double-CD/triple-LP The Fifth Mission, arrived in 1996 and was flanked by the EPs “Tenth Mission” and “Third Mission.” Later that year the pair delivered two further full-length remix collections under the title Swimming Not Skimming, each version containing distinct track listings. By year’s end they had completed at least six additional remixes, among them work for Slab, Alter Ego, Sneaker Pimps, and David Holmes. Release activity persisted through the remainder of the decade, yielding assorted albums and mini-albums under a fresh arrangement with Warp.
Albums
