Rob Playford

Rob Playford has been referred to as "the busiest man in jungle," and has probably had his hands in more aspects of the business, art, and culture of hardcore and drum'n'bass than any other single person. A DJ, recording artist (2Bad Mice, Kaotic Chemistry, Metalheads), label owner (Moving Shadow), and ultra-visible dance music proponent, Playford, like Goldie, Grooverider, and DJ Hype, has been a staple on the hardcore scene since it traded its helium-shrill vocal samples and rave whistles for chopped-up breaks and thunderous basslines in the early part of the '90s. An important catalyst of jungle's post-rave growth spurt, Playford's 2Bad Mice project helped push breakbeat beyond its rave trappings, and, with Moving Shadow as his engine, has played a crucial role in supporting jungle's growth as an autonomous art form. A native of Hertfordshire (just north of London), Playford DJed house and techno through the late-'80s height of the acid house movement, following the music into its harder element at decade's turn. He self-released his own track, "Orbital Madness," and became a touch point for young artists and bedroom producers seeking advice on how to break into the scene. Rather than continuing to funnel talent to other labels, however, Playford formed Moving Shadow in 1990 (assisted by a "how-to" book on running a small business), both to release his own material and those of up-and-coming hardcore artists such as Blame, Mixrace, Flytronix, Danny Breaks (as Hyper On Experience), and Earth Leakage Trip. Initially selling records out of the trunk of his car, the steady growth of the hardcore and jungle scenes, as well as the consistent quality of the music finding its way to Moving Shadow, meant the label quickly became a full-time commitment. Moving Shadow's early...