Wookie

Born Jason Chue in London, England, the producer adopted the alias Wookie as a nod to the Star Wars films. Friends know him as Chuey, echoing Han Solo’s nickname for the Wookiee Chewbacca. Although often pigeonholed as a UK garage figure, he has repeatedly rejected the label, stating, “What I’m really trying to do is fuse the technical side of drum ‘n’ bass with the melodic vibes of US R&B.” That hybrid approach drew coverage from the music press and interest from major labels in 2000, even though he had already spent seven years producing and remixing. Redundancy from an architect’s office in 1990 prompted him to purchase a keyboard and begin composing at home; by 1993 he was collaborating with vocalist Wayne Marshall. Their track “G-Spot” became an underground R&B favourite on club floors and pirate radio. He later joined the Soul II Soul collective’s studios and offices in Camden, London, serving as in-house producer while the jungle scene was taking hold. Despite continued work on solo material, meaningful backing from London’s clubs arrived only after his bootleg Exemen remix of Whitney Houston’s “It’s Not Right But It’s Okay.” Revisions of cuts by Brandy and Alison Brown then earned endorsements from DJs including Karl “Tuff Enuff” Brown and the Dreem Teem’s DJ Spoony. Further two-step underground successes followed, yet it was his reinterpretation of Gabrielle’s “Sunshine” that secured his standing as an inventive force; the single ultimately received double-platinum certification. In summer 2000 Wookie earned two MOBO nominations, and “Battle,” featuring former Nu Colours singer Lain, entered the UK Top 10. He also delivered a remix of Texas’s “In Demand,” issued in October 2000, while declining an offer to rework a Tom Jones recording. His self-titled debut album drew positive notices, and by year’s end UK media had positioned him as the leading dance production talent of the moment.