Biography
There are three artists using the name Zinc.
1) Hardcore punk band from Madrid, Spain. They're playing since 1995 and have five records released (mostly on Rumble Records).
2) Drum & Bass / Crack House DJ / Producer. Hailing from london’s east end, Zinc first became involved in the dance music world via pirate radio, which led to the meeting of like minded DJs and producers at the birth of jungle – an exhilarating clash of breakbeats, basslines and samples that defined a generation of UK clubbing.
He went on to produce some of the scene’s biggest anthems, most notably ‘Super Sharp Shooter’ and the remix of the Fugees’ ‘Ready Or Not’ – both of which still devastate dancefloors to this day.
In 1996, Zinc launched the True Playaz label alongside jungle veterans Pascal and DJ Hype and continued to produce and release many jungle and drum & bass anthems on True Playaz, throughout the end of the 90s, making the label one of the biggest and most successful of the era.
In 2000 Zinc produced the genre defying ’138 trek’ – which went on to chart in the UK and single handedly created a whole new genre, establishing him outside of his native dnb. During this time he also released music under the moniker ‘Jammin’ and once again found the way into the hearts of ravers and record bags of DJs, way outside of his perceived home – drum and bass.
In 2001 Zinc launched ‘Bingo Beats’ his own imprint, releasing breakbeat and drum & bass from artists including Shy FX, Chase & Status and D.Kay.
In 2005 Zinc was a featured lecturer in the Red Bull Music Academy, he has continued to work closely with the academy and the lecture where Zinc talks candidly about drum & bass, pirate radio and music’s evolving business models can be viewed here.
Testament to his remarkable achievements in British dance music, 2008 saw Zinc included in the ‘British Music Experience’ alongside the Beatles and Sex Pistols. The permanent exhibition in London’s 02 Arena, chronologically documents the major contributors to contempory British music.
With the dawn of 2009 Zinc called an end to his hiatus on the dancefloor and began producing and DJing again, only this time producing and playing ‘house’, in the loosest sense of the term. With his blatant disregard of genre blueprints (see 138 trek, ‘Faster’ et al) you can never be exactly sure what’s coming next.
Therein lies half the charm, the other comes in his ability to continuously devastate dancefloors the world over.
3) Zinc are also an Australian band that consisted of brothers Mark O'Shea and John O'Shea and their friend Adam Ray. They released one album and toured supporting acts such as Hanson.
4) Zink are also a Punk Rock band from the Faroe Islands.
5) Pop-funk project by former members of High Fashion, B.B. & Q. and Change doing a side project in 1982, opting for a different name. The resulting album, which mixes elements of disco, 80s groove and some catchier pop touches, is co-produced by Jacques Fred Petrus and Mauro Malavasi –the latter of whom seems to be the main force behind the group, given his work on arrangements and keyboards on the set.
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