Zomby

Zomby has reshaped and transformed a wide array of subterranean club sounds, moving from the vintage hardcore techno and drum'n'bass of the 1990s into the early grime, dubstep, trap, and footwork that marked subsequent eras of his career. Although publishing credits listed Justin Moulds as the composer behind Zomby tracks, the producer's identity stayed otherwise hidden from view. His debut press image showed him dressed as a ninja, face hidden behind a cardboard Eye of Providence that he later quipped had been pulled from an online image search, and every subsequent appearance kept his features concealed or altered. Even so, those initial records built a devoted audience that expanded further through output on respected, stylistically varied labels including Kode9's Hyperdub, Actress' Werkdiscs, 4AD, and XL.

The 2008 Werkdiscs album Where Were U in 92? brimmed with rapid breakbeats, hurtling piano lines, undulating bass, and plentiful air horns, serving as a direct homage to rave at its height. Although the producer's only link to that scene before 1993 had been through cassette tapes, the collection radiated informed exuberance. One Foot Ahead of the Other, issued in 2009, added twitchy, brightly hued 8-bit textures. After signing with 4AD, Zomby delivered the richly melodic Dedication alongside the EP Nothing, both arriving in 2011, followed by the expansive double-disc With Love in 2013. Two separate four-track EPs appeared on XL in 2015, after which early champion Hyperdub released the 2016 album Ultra, which included guest spots from Burial, Darkstar, and additional contributors. The three-track Gasp! EP came out on Big Dada in 2017. Later that year Modern Love put forward Mercury's Rainbow, a stark, austere collection of grime pieces drawing from Wiley's early-2000s eskibeat aesthetic.