Skynet

Music:

Member Since: 11/19/2004
Band Website: skynetrecordings.com
Band Members:

The UK acid house movement in 1987 was the catalyst for the dance music revolution that was ahead! Skynet, aka Nathan Vinall, found himself sucked into the thick of it. Skynet recalls how early acid house changed his life forever, I was totally transformed over night. I remember going to the local clubs like Savannah and Zap and was like, what the hell is this? A few weeks later I found myself going out Thursday, Friday, and the whole weekend. At the age of 17 I was ready to blast, so I did and never looked back!

Sixteen years later Skynet is more deeply rooted in electronic dance music than ever he could have imagined.

After a couple years spent listening, Skynet felt growing desire to DJ and produce. In the clubs he found himself gravitating to the more straightforward techno sounds familiarized by the works of Lenny Dee and Loftgroover. With his love of the music and his appreciation of its intricacies, Skynet felt that it was time to create his own sound and put it out there for others to enjoy. With that, Skynet purchased some studio equipment, despite knowing nothing about music apart from what he loved and turned him on. Whilst discovering and learning about the production of music he was exposed to a new sound that was evolving in the electronic music scene; it was called Jungle. It wasnt long before Skynets talents in the studio began to unfold parallel to the increasing sophistication of the Jungle sound he loved so much.

After spending some time meeting new producers in his hometown of Brighton, England, Skynet was introduced to Shaun Morris, aka Stakka. Shaun had been producing for a few years and had already released a few records. Shortly after their introduction, the duos partnership began to take shape. We started working together more and more. We found ourselves at a point were we had a couple of tracks that were really different from anything on any other labels, so we decided to start our own imprints, Audio Blueprint and Underfire. After years of hard work the duos releases began receiving recognition from many of the major players in the scene, including Fabio, Grooverider, Andy C, Randall, Ray Keith. But it was Skynet & Stakkas Voyager LP (Audio Blueprint) that really stamped their mark on the Drum and Bass map. The LP received rave reviews and is still regarded by many as a breakthrough for the drum and bass sound. The due soon followed up with Blazin, an LP released on their sister label Underfire. With its next level production and innovative sound, Blazin set a new musical standard in the scene. The milestone LP contained the tune Side Effects which instantly turned into an anthem familiar to drum and bass enthusiasts around the globe. In fact, it was that song Grooverider called, One of the biggest tunes of Glastonbury during a broadcast on BBCs Radio One.

Not contented with two killer LPs, the duo went on to produce one final LP together, entitled Clockwork. The Clockwork LP, loaded with dance floor anthems, became an all time drum and bass classic. The album gained the duo worldwide recognition and respect while continuing to solidify Skynets stronghold as one of the hottest and most innovative producers in the drum and bass music scene.

Despite its success, Clockwork marked the end of the Stakka / Skynet partnership. We had moved to Seattle for a year after the Clockwork LP and during that time we discovered that we were on different pages. Five years in the studio together can take its toll on the best of friend/partnerships. Skynet recalls, It was like a marriage without the love. I felt restricted and needed to move on.

In the years that Stakka and Skynet worked together they released a total of 40 twelve inch singles, three albums and five compilation CD's.

After returning to the UK, Skynet spent much of his time touring in order to showcase his sounds and skills as a solo artist. Alone for the first time Skynet hit Australia, Europe, and the US. He also spent a lot of time in the studio, creating an arsenal of new work and making plans for a new way to expose the public to his paramount sound. Alone in the studio, Skynet began to feel more inspired by the work he was writing. It was just me now. I loved the freedom and it showed in the music I was creating.

Back in the studio having crafted a nice cache of music Nathan decided to kick-start his own imprints: Skynet Recordings, Discrete, and Nvision. Skynet Recordings was the first followed closely by Discrete Recordings. These were both labels for me really. I needed them both because of the sheer volume of tracks I was producing. The music I have been making seems to take on two different vibes. Skynet Recordings is set for the heavy more dance floor material whilst Discrete Recordings was created to birth the deeper more soulful sounds. After many months of hard work, Skynets hard-line solo career began to raise eyebrows in the global drum & bass community. The releases on the new labels have led to continued requests for tour dates all over Europe, America, South Africa and Australia and high demands for original and remix work.

Recognizing the need of an outlet for other artists music, Skynet established Nvision. A bombardment of demos from around the world kept coming in. Skynet heard a good few tunes and he noticed serious potential in these artists, with that Nvision was born!

The future is bright for the man from Brighton and the global electronic music scene is better off because of his contributions.

Influences: SKYNET DISCOGRAPHY INCLUDING PSEUDONYMSSkynet Recordings SKY001: Oxygen / Insomnia – Skynet SKY002: Logans Run / Daytona – Skynet SKY003: Silverback / Choke – Skynet SKY004: Pogo / Skyway – Skynet SKY005: Brighton Rock / Headthump - Skynet SKY006: Acid Drops / Ghost Train – Skynet Sky007: Feel It / Punch DrunkNvision NVR 001: Code Orange – SkynetDiscrete Recordings DTR001 - Psychonaught / Lifeforce - Skynet DTR002 - Rope Trick / Sterns Skoolin - Skynet DTR003 – Electrafunk / Darklights – Skynet DTR004 – Retribution / Phattlipp - SkynetOther Labels Can’t Step / Understand - Militant funk - Militant funk Black Monday – DSCI4 - Stakka + Skynet Bad influence - Liftin Spirits - Stakka , K.Tee & Skynet Savannah – Stealth Recordings - Skynet Hydroflash – Black Sun Empire Recordings - Skynet Rhino – Moving Shadow – Dom & Skynet Broken Law - Hostlile - Skynet Running Away Child - Sudden Def - SkynetAudio Blueprint 1997-present day Black Dawn / S4 – Psion Altered States / MK Ultra – Stakka + Skynet Subteranean / Tyrant – Psion Hal / Amorphia – Stakka + Skynet Telemetry / Severe Trauma – Stakka + Skynet Logic / U Know – Sub Logics Nova Solis / Violent Extremes – Stakka + Skynet Rising Tides / Inversion – Psion U Kknow (remix) – Sub Logics RF Freq / Logistics - Stakka + Skynet Pathogen / Molecular – Stakka + Skynet So Confused – Sub LogicsVoyager LP - 1998 Voyager – Stakka + Skynet Void – Sublogics Reverse Engineering – Psion Amorphia VIP – Skynet Airships – Psion Micro Burst – ZeroluxUnderfire 1997 – present day Soundscape / No Way Out – Profound Noize Tone Cold / Illusions – Kraken Wired / Cosmic Funk – Profound Noize Final Warning / Connections – Kraken Cal Form / Driftin - Profound Noize Heat / Vicious – Kraken Status Control / Human Affairs – Worlds End The Way / System Error - Spy Trans – F / Status Control – 2 On 1 SeriesArtillery Double Pack Illusions remix – Kraken Soundscape remix - Profound Noize Terminal – Spy Critical Mass / Warped – 2 On 1 Series System Error remix – SpyInfantry Double Pack EP Meatball – Kraken Dropzone – Profound Noize Depthcharge – Stakka + Skynet Z-Plane – SPYBlazin Remix EP Nu-Level remix – Stakka + Skynet Luminous remix – Profound Noize Spinal Chord - KRAKEN Side Effects remix – Stakka + Skynet Night Lore / Global Report – Stakka + Skynet‘Blazin’ LP 1999 Side Effects – Kraken Luminous - Profound Noize Mind Field – Hard Evidence Vapor – Spy Nu-Level – Profound Noize Analogue Spikes – KrakenClockwork LP 2001 Decoy – Stakka + Skynet 9000 Series - Stakka + Skynet + DJ Red Bios Fear – Underfire vs. Negative Clockwork - Stakka + Skynet Isolation - Stakka + Skynet + DJ Keaton Timelines Stakka + Skynet Straight Jacket - Stakka + Skynet + DJ Skinny Altitude - Stakka + Skynet + DJ Friction Spider Monkey - Stakka + Skynet + ShimonThe Remixes Dogs Deluxe – Second Skin - Profound Noize remix – Second Skin Astral Dominoes – Chemical Pilot – Profound Noize remix – Eruption Panic – Goon – Skynet remix – RCA Style Wars – Psion remix – Dance 2 Killer - OTP – Stakka + Skynet remix – Eruption The Sea – Morcheeba – Stakka + Skynet remix – China Planet Rock – Africa Bambaata – Stakka + Skynet remix – Tommy Boy B-Juice - JuJu – Skynet remix - F1-11 Shrapnel – Usual Suspects – Stakka + Skynet remix – Renegade Hardware The Crow – Phantasy – Kraken Remix - Easy The Storm – Iron Monkey – Kraken remix – Silver Pearl Justice Time – Kraken remix – Under Pressure Let’s Go Crazy – Static - Skynet remix - Argon Android – Static - Profound Noize - Argon Airstrike – Gridlock - Stakka + Skynet remix - Technorganic Biosfear – Skynet & Kemal remix - Underfire Clockwork – Skynet remix - Underfire Blackmonday – Stakka & Skynet remix - Underfire Warzone – Skynet remix -Sudden Def Dirty Bomb – Skynet remix -OHM recs Orient – Jarman & Lynx - Skynet remix -Off Key/Sinious Recs Future Path – Skynet Remix– Habit Recs
Sounds Like: Skynet!!?
Record Label: Skynet, Discrete & Nvision Recordings
Type of Label: Indie