Luke Slater

djinsomnia, Oct 15, 2001

Luke Slater was born in St. Albans, Hertfordshire, England. Turned on to music via early experiments with sounds and noises on his fathers old reel-to-reel, rather than by any affinity to a particular musical subculture, Slater set about defining his vision during 1989 on the fledgling label Jelly Jam, an offshoot of the Brighton record shop of the same name where he was working at the time.

A batch of Detroit-influenced tracks were spat out at an alarming rate, and a contract with D-Jax Records soon followed that saw Slater adopting the guise of Clementine. However, it was not until his link-up with Peacefrog Records in 1993, and another change of name to Planetary Assault Systems, that Slaters name became widely known and praised.

He became heralded as the UK torchbearer for the Detroit techno sound, managing to capture the essence of that citys musical qualities, whether recording pounding, abrasive sounds as Planetary Assault Systems for Peacefrog, or alluding instead to classical textures as the 7th Plain for GPR.

However, Slaters furious output during 1993/4 soon started to take its toll: I began to realise you cant do everything, I was beginning to lose focus on what I originally intended to do in the first place.

Taking time out from a hectic studio and DJing schedule, Slater returned in 1997, with Freek Funk, recorded in his home studio in Crawley, Sussex. The album adds a more ethereal side to Slaters dancefloor-friendly sound, stretching ambient textures over a thin rhythmic framework. With Freek Funk, Slater achieved what so many aspire to - a highly accomplished and highly variable album, unique and accessible, that pushed musical boundaries more than most. The follow-up Wireless experimented with electro and breakbeats to great effect.

Since the late 80s, Luke Slater has helped define the U.K. techno sound. Along with frequent collaborator Alan Sage, Slater created music that brought the Detroit sounds overseas, then built on that foundation producing records ranging from hard-core techno to beatless ambient.

Slaters debut came with the 1989 release of "Momentary Vision," under the pseudonym Translucent. Since then he has recorded under the guise of Morganistic, Clementine, Planetary Assault Systems, Luke Slaters 7th Plane and even, from time to time, Luke Slater.

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