Wax Doctor

During the mid-1990s emergence of jungle from its underground roots, Paul Saunders stood out as an established figure despite a techno foundation that gave little hint of the smoother atmospheres and fluid textures he would cultivate under the Wax Doctor alias. Releases such as “Kid Caprice” on Metalheadz and “Atmospheric Funk” on Talkin’ Loud echoed the junglistic fusion pioneered by L.T.J. Bukem, albeit with a slightly denser rhythmic profile. Having started as a DJ in the late ’80s, Saunders balanced occasional mixing duties against a professional football schedule that included reserve-team appearances for Reading and, later, Crystal Palace. He first moved into production with a series of Basement Records singles issued between 1992 and 1993. Joint work alongside fellow techno enthusiast Alex Reece on the Creative Wax and Precious Materials imprints followed, yet Saunders gradually gravitated toward the lighter jazz-fusion inflections then gaining traction within drum’n’bass. The Metalheadz and Talkin’ Loud 12-inches announced this shift, prompting a move to R&S—better known at the time for its contemplative techno output—for the 1996 singles “All I Need” and “Heat.” He also supplied a remix for label colleague Juan Atkins on the Model 500 track “The Flow.” In 1998 R&S compiled these and other recordings as the retrospective Selected Works.