VINCE WATSON
The disruptive age of 7 is where Vince Watson began his journey towards electronic music. After excelling at music in secondary school, Vince gradually opened up into hip hop and early house music before electronic and industrial elements finally caught his attention. His school needed a new DJ to play at the local weekend disco and this is where the story really started taking shape. With a selection of records unlike any other young DJ around, it wasn't long before Vince realised he wanted a musical career. Just as the House scene broke large in 87 / 88', the experimentation began with other styles and the stage was set for what was to be his introduction to Detroit Techno and Electronica, just in time for the summer of love, albeit too young at the time.
As the 90's took shape, the build up of music equipment started. A course in Music Technology was attended, learning about a new technology called MIDI as well as regular trips for Piano Lesson's to the Royal Academy for Art, Music and Drama in Glasgow. Vince graduated with an HNC in Music Technology in 1993 and the mission to release his own record was set in motion. It was two difficult years that past until he was able to buy the extra equipment he needed.
Finally, in 1995 Vince decided to send his rough first demos away, and to his delight none other than Dave Angel had offered him a contract with his label Rotation. Overjoyed, he realized it was the start of something he had always desired. The 1st Innovations EP was a great starting point and was to put Vince's name on the techno map.
After releasing tracks on other various labels, Watson started Dj'ing in The Arena, Glasgow and it was not long before the Rotation Monthly was set up with himself and Dave Angel as residents and some exclusive monthly guests. Shortly after it became a weekly event with top guests such as Jeff Mills, Miss Djax, Kenny Larkin and Luke Slater. Mr Mills loved it so much he came back another twice in the space of 9 months!
Enter 1997, and with an emphasis on recording, Vince decided to branch out his music styles. Omid `16b' Nourizadeh of Alola records introduced him self and another partnership was born. His debut LP ` Biologique ` was launched to the world in 1999 and was one of the catalyst's for the cross TechnoHouse sound of the time. The track `Mystical Rhythm' was a massive selling track and even today still has classic status attached to it from all corners of the electronic community.
2003 also saw the release of Vince's 2nd Lp Moments in Time on The legendary New York House Label Ibadan. This was a joint release with UK label Alola Records. This allowed him to release many different styles of electronic music and gave the freedom to spread his music out to a larger worldwide audience. Widely received, the album sold many thousands and broke Vince into the Japanese market for the first time.
Year 2000 and a new millennium gave Vince the passion for his own label and created Bio Records and his company Bio Music Ltd. The first releases were launched under his moniker Nico Awtsventin, an anagram of his own name. In the 5 years that has passed since its inception, Bio has developed into one of the most stable and consistent techno labels on the circuit. Choosing to release quality rather than quantity, it has gained support with all top Dj's spinning tracks and many high profile licensees secured such as the prolific Global by Carl Cox and most recently Laurent Garnier's Excess Luggage Compilation. The label has released tracks from Ben Sims, Steve Rachmad, Joris Voorn, Deetron, Misstress Barbara, Joel Mull, Mark Broom, Paul Mac, Envoy, Jerome and 65d Mavericks.
2004 was also a hugely successful year for his career as an Fcom artist. The 1st release called `Pure Innersense' has been a massive selling release and has gained many licenses already. The 2nd release was launched in August 2005. A 3rd release will be completed in spring of 2007.
Vince recorded a double EP release for the legendary Detroit techno label Transmat, and was due for release now in 2004. but sadly this was never released and `The eMotion Sequence' was released via legendary amsterdam label, Delsin records in late 2006 preceeded by a sampler 12" to massive acclaim by media and his contemporaries. The CD version of the album was massive in Japan. A single from the album will be remixed in 2007 by Laurent Garnier.
Vince also released his debut single on Planet e `Renaissance EP'. Carl Craig has been spinning it heavily in most of his sets worldwide, and the feedback has been overwhelming.
As an attempt to breath new life into Electronica, Vince embarked on a series of releases inspired by the sounds of Black Dog and Germany's Basic Channel. `Sublimina' on Glasgow label Headspace was Vince's 3rd Full length album and was his most accomplished to date gaining huge respect across all divides of the electronic movement, the prelude to which, `Lost Episodes Ep' has already been spun heavily by Dave Clarke and Derrick May. An Ep for Ben Sims `Native' imprint called `Fragments' also experimented with this universally revered sound, while a remix for The Black Dog itself has been gaining huge support since its release in Jan 2005.
`Echoes from the Future : View to the Past' was released in May 2006 and was Vince's 4th artist album, his debut album on his own Bio imprint. A collage of lush rhythm and textures created using the whole back catalogue from the label was mixed and created using Ableton Live Software. 3 Album samplers preceded the project on Vinyl only with 6 new tracks being introduced. The album featured many of the tracks that Vince has been touring with Live for the last 2 years.
In 2004 Vince launched Bio's sister label Subconscious Elements. Bringing a more sensual approach to electronic music, the label released strong material with music from Carsten Fietz, Noah Pred, Audibelle and Paul Mac, and were a great success. The Paul Mac release in particular was a real Detroit fusion styled EP for the label and was hammered by François K, Derrick May and Laurent Garnier.
2007 will see the label change name to Bio Elements. Taho, Estroe and some exciting new artists will be featuring.
Vince has been invited to record for Underground Resistance label Submerge Recordings. Hardly any artists outside Detroit have been able to do so so it is a great honour for Vince and testament to Vince's mission of quality electronic music.
This will coincide with a 2nd release on Planet e. Expecting a release for both of these in Spring / Summer 2007.
A Jazz Inspired Album for Laurent Garnier's Fcom label will also be produced in 2007, after much delay. Originally expected in 2006, Vince is taking great lengths to make sure the project is a major success and a lot of work is going into it.
A remix for Turner on Kompakt's new sub label Orphanear will be out in the spring of 2007 and a single for Germany's Plastic City will also be produced later in 07.
features on:
BIO001 - Nico Awtsventin - Orbit ep
BIO003 - Nico Awtsventin - Quadra ep
BIO004 - Nico Awtsventin - Fracturhythms ep
BIO005 - Nico Awtsventin - Axoim ep
BIO007 - Nico Awtsventin - Abstractions ep
BIO008 - Nico Awtsventin - Fracturhythms Vol 2 ep
BIO010 - Vince Watson - Reshapes Vol 1 ep
BIO011 - Vince Watson - Reshapes Vol 2 ep
BIO012 - Vince Watson - Reshapes Vol 3 ep
BIO013 - Vince Watson - Parallels ep
BIO014 - Vince Watson - Intuitions Vol 1 ep
BIO015 - Vince Watson - Intuitions Vol 2 ep
BIO016.1 - Vince Watson - Echoes pt 1 ep
BIO016.2 - Vince Watson - Echoes pt 2 ep
BIO016.3 - Vince Watson - Echoes pt 3 ep
BIO017cd - Vince Watson - Echoes from the Future : View to the Past LP
ELE0.7 - Vince Watson & Estroe - Glasgow to Amsterdam ep - Coming 2006
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