Drawing from global inspirations that stretch from Istanbul to Bolivia and Andalusia to North Africa, Up, Bustle and Out resists easy classification within the experimental breakbeat scene. The project originated in Bristol, the city also known for Tricky and Massive Attack, and was assembled in the early 1990s by producers Rupert Mould and D. "Ein" Fell. Their shared interests in non-Western musics, funk and soul, jazz, and underground club styles such as house, techno, ambient, and trip-hop prompted the partnership.
An early single titled "Une Amitie Africaine," issued on their own Forever Groove imprint in 1991, wove these threads together and drew interest from several labels. The pair set the project aside until 1993, when they regrouped and forwarded new material to Coldcut’s Ninja Tune label. Impressed by the submission, Ninja Tune issued the debut album The Breeze Was Mellow (As the Guns Cooled in the Cellar) in 1994, which resonated with American hip-hop DJs and Britain’s more eclectic underground listeners alike.
The next two years were devoted to travel and the collection of source recordings for the follow-up, One Colour Just Reflects Another. Field recordings captured during journeys through Mexico, Central America, the Middle East, and the Andalusian mountains—where Mould performed and recorded with Gypsies, smugglers, thieves, and revolutionaries—were combined with hip-hop beats, percussion, studio instrumental tracks, and vocal or spoken fragments. The resulting signature sound appealed equally to devotees of Latin jazz and world music and to club audiences accustomed to standard Ninja Tune releases. In 1997 the group released Light 'Em Up, Blow 'Em Out, which incorporated a comparably wide range of influences.
Continuing to refine their working methods, Ein and Mould traveled to Cuba and enlisted legendary flutist Richard Egües to direct sessions for Rebel Radio: Master Sessions, Vol. 1 in 2000, an album accompanied by a book. Its sequel, Master Sessions, Vol. 2, appeared the following year. Subsequent releases drew on material gathered in Jamaica (Urban Evacuation, City Breakers: 18 Frames Per Second), Mexico (Mexican Sessions), and Turkey. Beyond the duo’s joint work, Mould performs with a traditional Andean flute ensemble while Ein works as a studio producer and engineer and releases club tracks under various aliases.
