Music production is the backbone of great music with Leeds the home of many studio experts working across various genres, styles and sounds.
From the early days of post-punk to electronica and club music via indie and soundsystem dub, Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region have been a hub for numerous key creative studio players.
In our blog, we profile some of the best music producers to emerge from the city of Leeds – and if you’re looking to join an SAE course in Audio Production, then get in touch with our team now.
Nightmares on Wax
Trip hop, downtempo and ambient sonic textures are the musical worlds of Nightmares on Wax, aka producer George Evelyn (aka DJ E.A.S.E).
First emerging in the nineties and signing with the iconic bleep label Warp Records, Nightmares on Wax was born out of reggae culture in Yorkshire with a debut album, A Word of Science: The First and Final Chapter, released in 1991.
Evelyn followed this first record with Smokers Delight in 1995, an album that defined the downtempo genre.
Numerous records and remixes followed while he celebrated the 25th anniversary of Smokers Delight in 2024 with a series of live gigs with a full band, including a headline set at London’s iconic Royal Albert Hall. Here, he showcased an expansive sound spanning electronica, jazz, hip-hop, techno, dub, funk, and soul.
Find out more | (Photo credit/Mixmag)
Little Boots
Originally hailing from Blackpool, it was in Leeds where Victoria Hesketh – aka Little Boots – first came to musical prominence as one third of electro-punk guitar band, Dead Disco.
After the band’s split in 2008, Victoria began working with Hot Chip’s Joe Goddard, writing tracks influenced by German electronic producer Giorgio Moroder
She was the winner of the BBC’s Sound of 2009 poll, then released her debut record Hands which landed in the top five of the charts.
Her discography includes four solo records with the latest 2022’s Tomorrow’s Yesterdays while she also runs a popular Patreon profile.
Other accolades include performing as part of the backing band for the ABBA Voyage live show where she accompanies the digital avatars of the Swedish pop legends. The group was put together by former Klaxons singer and solo artist James Righton.
Paul Woolford/Special Request
Associated with infamous Leeds club Back to Basics and his musical work as a producer under a variety of aliases, Paul Woolford has been a bastion of Leeds electronic music for the last 20 years.
Many know his name through the hit Erotic Discourse, released on Ralph Lawson’s 2020 Vision label as Bobby Peru.
Since then, he’s been busy releasing music via Carl Craig’s Planet E, Scuba’s Hotflush Recordings, and London’s Phonica label among many others. Woolford has been a constant source of invention, most recently and famously releasing music as Special Request.
While he delves into bass music, jungle, and drum & bass under this alias, he’s also scored hit singles, including Looking for Me back in 2020. This track was made with US producer Diplo, features vocals from Kareen Lomax and reached number four in the UK charts.
His latest project is Street Anthems, an album of powerful futuristic club tunes while his DJ schedule regularly takes him all over the world.
Andy Gill
Acclaimed music producer Andy Gill is originally from across the Pennines in Manchester but it was in Leeds where he forged his career as a musician and songwriter.
It was here that he formed Gang of Four alongside singer Jon King, bass guitarist Dave Allen and drummer Hugo Burnham. The influential group released their 1979 debut record, Entertainment!, a record produced by Andy and the rest of the band and raised the bar for what early eighties guitar music could be.
After the success of the group, he went on to build a career as a successful music producer. His extensive discography includes Red Hot Chili Peppers’ eponymous debut album, Blue by the Jesus Lizard, Bis’ Social Dancing and The Futureheads’ first record.
Find out more | (Photo credit/Andy Gill website)
Iration Steppas
Formed by Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical, Iration Steppas are a Yorkshire musical institution, playing an influential role in bass culture. Initially born in Chapeltown in the late eighties and early nineties, the outfit have since become associated with Leeds and the heavier side of digital dub and reggae.
Taking inspiration from local sound systems such as Magnum, Majestic, Bassline, Ras Sparta, and Emperor alongside Jah Shaka, Jah Tubbys, Abashanti and Channel One, the duo mix up classic cuts with raw dancehall to devastating effect.
Their own production style was nicknamed Year 3000 Dub in reference to their ability to straddle both the past and the future with their room-shaking sound.
(Photo credit – main image Tracey Taylor)
STUDY AT SAE
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Our degrees will provide you with the skills, experience and knowledge to succeed at the highest level.
