February 19-25, 2004

musicpicks

Photek

Dance/electronic

Very few drum and bass artists find guys like Goldie and Grooverider bowing down to them. Photek is one exception. After the onslaught of the U.K. rave scene’s raw, ’ardcore-fused jungle movement in the early ’90s, Rupert Parkes -- a.k.a. Photek, Special Forces, Studio Pressure, Aquarius -- refined the sound with his own jazzy, sparkly clean dancefloor smashers like "Ni-Ten-Ichi-Ryu" and the recent "Sidewinder." The press quickly deemed him "the leader of intelligent drum and bass." His high-end production and meticulously abstract beat programming attracted the film and television industry, and he went on to score music for Animatrix, the hip-hop TV series Platinum and the martial arts film Invincible. In the ’90s, Photek was the linchpin of the Metalheadz stable. He sold out to Virgin Records, but quickly broke the contract after a long and costly battle, He came out of it with complete creative freedom, allowing him to focus on his own label, Photek Productions, and showcase artists like Peshay, Teebee and Digital.

Thu., Feb. 19, 10 p.m.-2 a.m., $10, with Platinum residents, Fluid, 613 S. Fourth St., 215-629-0565.

—Sean O'Neal

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