2013 marks 15 years of Ed Rush & Optical's Virus Recordings, one of the most important when you're talking about the expansion of the neurofunk side of drum & bass. Both Ed Rush and Optical were under Goldie's Metalheadz wing at one time, but as their sound grew (and they started producing together), the need for a home for their explorations was apparent. Their experiments in the deeper, darker regions of drum & bass turned into a solid batch of important releases, from the duo as well as artists like Matrix, Cause 4 Concern, Sonic & Silver, Audio, and Optiv & BTK.
While we're not sure of Virus putting out any special compilations to mark the anniversary (although Ed and Optical have been touring, doing special sets to mark this event), DAD decided to look back at the best tracks from the imprint. Our aim was to highlight tracks that had been released unmixed, as the duo had a tendency to throw out mix CDs with unreleased gems (sorry, "Bleep Bleep"). Relive the bangers from this legendary imprint.
Ed Rush & Optical - "Zardoz"
Cat. #: VRS002
Year: 1998
Techstep contained more of a rougher, maniacal vibe to it, whereas the next step, neurofunk, brought a more clinical, "ghost in the machine" element to the mix. And if that machine had a heartbeat, or a soul, it'd sound something like "Zardoz."
Cause 4 Concern - "Peep Show"
Cat. #: VRS009
Year: 2001
Cause 4 Concern were seen by many not as heirs to the thrown but to the next step in bridging the techno side with drum & bass. They brought their own sinister charge to the scene, and this single (from Volume 1 of the Life History series - although there never was a Volume 2) was a daunting affair, built on a bed of fear and funk.
Optical - "Zoner"
Cat. #: VRS005CD
Year: 2005
Don't let the year of release fool you, this tune is much older than you'd imagine. It was a dubplate that was sought after for years, and one of the only places you could hear it on a retail release was DJ Bailey's impressive 2001 mix CD Heavyload. Lucky for us, it was included on the Virus Vaults release. This is part of the deeper, truly funky sounds that Optical has provided. You have to respect the way this one builds, highlighting the take-off, space ride, encountering danger, to the massive intergalactic firefight. This one is truly epic, and slept-on.
Ed Rush & Optical - "Lifecrisis (Origin Unknown Remix)"
Cat. #: VRS001RR
Year: 1999
The catalog number on this one is a bit weirder; there weren't many (if any) others with the "RR" affixed to the end, and while it's listed as "VRS001RR," this actually dropped a month before Virus' fourth official release. Contained here is a mash-up of two Ed Rush & Optical tunes (VRS003's "Life Span" and "Crisis"), thrown together properly by Andy C and Ant Miles, aka Origin Unknown. This duo was part of the emerging neuro sound in the late 1990s, and this remix helped showcase how captivating this bouncy sound could truly be. The strings in this one are heavenly.
Matrix - "Temperament"
Cat. #: VRS002LPS
Year: 1999
Yes, this was featured on Matrix's Sleepwalk album, but there's just something about when the sampler touched down that hooked people. Is anyone noticing how Matrix's bionic take on the neuro sound, in hindsight, feels like a precursor to the mutation of Ed Rush & Optical's sound on later releases, like The Creeps?
Ed Rush & Optical - "Bacteria"
Cat. #: VRS005
Year: 1999
True Virus heads know what time it is when this one drops. You have to give props to the construction of this track; the throwback electronic percussion in this one is pure money, but the allure is that bassline. Once "Bacteria" drops, you're just a moth being lulled into the flame.
Kudos to Pendulum for their storming remix of "Bacteria" as well:
Bad Company - "Seizure"
Cat. #: VRS006
Year: 1999
During their first initial run, Bad Company was doing no wrong. The foursome spent some time dropping tracks on a number of established imprints, including two contributions to Virus' sixth release, the Twisted EP. This is an undeniable beast; from the ground up, this one is packs a rolling bassline undernearth, hypnotizing you before the dramatic fill that snaps you back into reality. The second breakdown in this one builds intensity that most producers forget to include in modern drum & bass.
Matrix - "Apache"
Cat. #: VRS002LP
Year: 2000
Optical's brother Matrix is a talented producer in his own right, and his Sleepwalk album helped pave the way for the next chapter in the neurofunk sound. "Apache" gets its name from the breakbeat utilized throughout, but instead of editing and reconstructing the beat like old school jungle producers would, Matrix let it sit front and center, playing conductor to the vibrant bass underneath.
Optical & Ryme Tyme - "Twisted"
Cat. #: VRS006
Year: 1999
We're not sure if Ryme Tyme was more than just the ominous host on this track or if he added more spices to this beat, but he and Optical cooked up an anthem for this subversive sound. The crispiness of the drums, the buoyant bass, undulating at all angles; this one is a submarine waiting to destroy all preconceived notions.
Optical - "Slip Thru"
Cat. #: VRS001LP
Year: 1998
Ed Rush & Optical's debut album Wormhole is one of those definitive projects helped change the tide when it came to how people looked at the darker side of drum & bass. You can also tell that it's an album that really let the world see what Optical had to offer. You could throw damn near anything from the album on this list and call it a classic, but the combination of the weird, quirky sounds with that looped vocal, atop those hard-hitting drums? Optical really brought it with this solo banger.
Ed Rush & Optical - "Sick Note"
Cat. #: VRS004
Year: 1999
Ed Rush & Optical have done their thing on a number of tracks, but "Sick Note" is the "biggest" track from their catalog. Not in terms of heaviest drop but overall, this is the fullest, funkiest monster they've crafted. Anthem written all over it, wise DJ's knew to not bother cueing the next record, as this one was getting a swift rewind. Mean.
Ed Rush & Optical ft. Fierce - "POD"
Cat. #: VRS009TP
Year: 2001
In hindsight, Fierce should have done an album-length project with Ed Rush & Optical. Anytime they got together, brilliance occured, and "POD" is no exception. This feels as frantic as a dogfight against a rebel fleet, when you get to that point where you think you've got nothing left but all of the sudden, each of your shots hits its mark. Intense and impressive, this one was hard to find, as it's only been released as a one-sided white label test press.
Ed Rush & Optical - "Pacman (Ram Trilogy Remix)"
Cat. #: VRS010
Year: 2002
The summer of 2002 was owned by this remix. It'd been battered on dubplate by the finest leading up to its release on Virus' 10th single, and it signaled part of the change in the developing neuro scene. A certified anthem, this one hooks you immediately.
Ed Rush & Optical - "The Medicine"
Cat. #: VRS001
Year: 1998
The first tune on the first release from Virus Recordings. If they wanted war, this was definitely their battle cry. If you were a DJ, this was a great tune to start any neuro set with. Once that distorted bassline churns out establishes itself, it's truly game over.
Ed Rush & Optical - "Watermelon"
Cat. #: VRS004
Year: 1999
"Watermelon" / "Sick Note" might be one of the best singles released in Virus' time. "Watermelon" is one of those tracks that doesn't waste time; while most tunes are dropping almost two minutes in, this one barely has a 70-second intro, and even then its more just a lush setup (accented by some jazzy snippets) for the monstrous funk of that bassline. When you hear the term "neurofunk," this should be the track you refer to.