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Also known as ‘Sonic’ and ‘Silver’,
the duo was formed in early 1996 in South Manchester, England.
It’s hard not to have heard of them with even a passing
interest in the scene. Sonic & Silver have been everywhere
– in terms of labels, and geographically speaking.
From Virus to Timeless they’ve created music that
defies easy category. However, they are perhaps most famous
for two styles in particular – the house-influenced
sound which they helped develop with J Majik in 2001, and
their many dub-influenced tunes they released on labels
such as Reinforced and Metalheadz.
Sonic’s background was in live music, having played
in bands most of his life, whereas Silver was a soundbwoy
since childhood, when his grandfather gave him his first
Technics deck at the age of twelve. They met at a gig in
Manchester when Sonic was actually playing live drum’n’bass,
and Silver was DJ’ing. Silver really like Sonic’s
production on his DAT’s they were using live, and
suggested they try and make a tune together. That was their
first release – and the pair knew they were onto something.
Their two very different approaches somehow meant that their
songs had a perfect balance of musicality, tight production
and dancefloor know-how. They quickly rose the ranks after
their first releases on Manchester’s Freeform Records
in 1998. A close collaboration with Formation records followed
and the pair released many tunes on its three imprints.
Post-formation, the Accidental Heroes entered the scene
guns blazing and took almost every reputable drum’n’bass
label by storm. First came work on Digital’s Timeless
and L-Plates records, and the forming of their own label,
Science Fiction records, which is still releasing quality,
different drum’n’bass. At the same time, in
full dub-swing, they hit Trouble on Vinyl, Renegade Hardware
and of course the legendary Reinforced Records, and many
others too, including Industry and Fuze. This work prompted
none other than Goldie to come knocking at their door, and
their legendary ‘On The Anson’ was added to
the Metalheadz catalogue.
Not content with their place at the fore of the scene,
Sonic & Silver decided to totally flip the script and
began penning some tunes influenced by the house music they
were listening to at the time. In a strange twist of fate,
friend J Majik was getting into full-swing with a similar
sound. Hitting it off so well through their shared love,
the Heroes were quick to give J their first piece in the
style, ‘30degrees’. The partnership went well,
and Sonic & Silver decided to do an album for J Majik’s
label, Infrared. It began with Sonic’s anthem, ‘Even
When It Rains’ featuring Leeds vocalist, David Sackey.
The ‘Super Disco Mix’ of this tune leapt into
every big DJ’s box and became one of the seminal tunes
of the era, along with J’s remix of Hatiras’
‘Spaced Invaders’. The album followed with the
equally big ‘Hydrophonics’ and their place in
d’n’b history was assured. Sonic himself followed
up with a number of colorations with J, including the anthem
of 2003, ‘New Generation’ from the eponymous
album, the remix of Defected Records’ ‘Monster’
by Liquid People and collaborations with Loletta Holloway
and Kathy Brown in the form of ’24 Hours’ and
‘Share The Blame’ respectively.
Following this busy period, the boys perhaps reached the
pinnacle of this sound in the shape of ‘Rocket Launcher
/ Funkstation’ on Virus Recordings. This had long
been their dream – to release on the highest profile
and most respected label in the business, one that was known
for quality over quantity. When Ed Rush and Optical contacted
they boys in search of material, they were over the moon
and ploughed their excitement into this action-packed release.
Unless you’ve lived under a rock for five years, you’ve
heard these tunes smash up the dancefloor time and time
again.
Also around this time, they produced more material for
labels such as V Recordings (Sonic’s uplifting ‘Make
Me Wanna’) and Marcus’ Intalex and ST Files’
Soul:R. in the shape of one of their most popular tunes,
‘Under The Sun’. Sonic then formed Space Recordings
– a label that has been consistent in its high quality
and individual style throughout its sixteen releases. From
the soulful ‘Still Dreaming EP’ featuring Jenna
G to the dark and deadly ‘Kinetic’ featuring
Ed Rush, there is always a surprise awaiting when you unwrap
your shiny Space vinyl. The label has done consistently
well over the last few years, and has reached a profile
big enough that the Heroes feel it is time to use it to
push their collaborative work once more. In this period
both the guys have focussed on their solo work, and Silver
has started his own label, Nemesis Recordings, featuring
cold and dangerous material from himself and friends such
as Gridlock. Silver moved to the US, and Sonic set off on
his travels in the far east, writing most of the recent
Space material in a studio he set up in Vietnam. Both have
had great individual success in the last couple of years,
however they missed each others’ input into their
work, and have begun a new master plan…
This dynamic drum’n’bass duo is set to take
over the drum’n’bass scene once again with their
re-forming at the start of 2006. With Sonic coming to LA,
where Silver is now based, a new project has begun. The
two Mancunian lads are coming back with a statement bolder
than ever before: ‘The Return of Sonic & Silver
EP’ series on Space Recordings. This will contain
both the depth and maturity of their recent work deftly
combined with some serious dancefloor sensibility. They
will once again tour the world together, bringing on the
sounds that only they know how.
The first EP in the series is already setting the scene
alight with Silver’s massive ‘Tronik House’
and Sonic’s equally murderous ‘House Is A Way
Of Life’. That house-influenced sound that Sonic &
Silver are famous for is taken to all new levels of impact.
Silver’s tune is low, rolling and heavy, filled with
amazing effecfts, adding a new element of murky, groaning
bass behind the frantic, percussive stabs. Sonic’s
piece, on the other hand, is rushing and intense, leading
on from where his collaboration with Ed Rush, ‘Kinetic’,
left off. Moving at the speed of light, and with the boys’
trademark build-up taken to new extremes, there’s
just one thing to say: "Can you feel it / Like I feel
it?" Already getting massive play, expect to hear them
in your local club for years to come. Also on the EP, the
boys’ dub-styles are featured in the form of ‘Freedom
Dub’. Ocean-deep, the kind of tune that sends shivers
down your spine as the sun rises on the end of a great night
out. And then there’s the neuro-esque: ‘Mutogens’.
This tune will make imagine you are listening to a conversation
between alien bass-machines, as the same time taking you
on a journey through other worlds with it’s beautiful
sci-fi atmospherics. Reminiscent of the boys’ ‘The
Stars Our Destination’ LP on Infrared that shot them
to stardom. As a well-known junglist recently said: "Sometimes
you have to go back to go forward."
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