Chris Cowie

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CHRIS COWIE BIO



Since his first dance release “Rise’ in 1992 on ZTT, Cowie has around 150 separate releases under his belt. His DJ career has seen him perform around the world and receive a nomination for a BBC essential mix of the year. His records have been played by just about any major DJ you can think of and not just from the dance genre. One unique and notable supporter of his music was the legendary Radio 1 DJ John Peel who, often played his releases from the Bellboy Records label that Cowie launched at the same time as sister label Hook Recordings in 1993. Both labels went on to become highly respected imprints influencing DJs and producers around the globe which rings on today. His music has appeared on Film, TV, games, and hundreds of CD compilations. The labels he launched became one of the most licensed indie dance labels to emerge from the UK, securing in the region of 700 separate licences.



During late 2008 he relaunched the labels after a five year break, beginning with a series of four compilations highlighting some of the labels releases. Cowie had a major hand in most of the labels releases using up to twenty aliases including, X Cabs, Vegas Soul, Deniro, Canyon, Scan Carriers, Third man, and Dawn Treader. He only began using his own name when he released his acclaimed Best Behaviour album, voted as Muzik magazine’s sixth best album of the year in company with such luminaries as the Chemical Brothers and Daft Punk. He has worked with a number of DJs including Christopher lawrence, DJ Lucca, and Percy X and has released records on labels including Soma, Music Man, R+S, Limbo, F1 and of course his own Hook and Bellboy imprints which began to release new material from April 2009, the first new Bellboy release in five years from Cowie himself



Perhaps the last word should go to BBC reviewer Andy Puleston who gets across well the essence of Chris Cowie’s music.



Best Behaviour review:

For anyone to have produced over 200 records and be described by Danny Tenaglia as “genius” and yet still remain as anonymous as Chris Cowie takes some doing in this day and age.



This (until now) steadfast anonymity is rather like that of a super hero, especially as the chosen names for his public outings over the years include such wonders as Dawntreader (POW), Stonemaker (KA-BLAM!) and Scan Carriers (BIFF!!).



Monikers aside, Bellboy Records have reliably informed us that Chris does NOT wear his pants outside his trousers and does NOT move from his living room to his studio via a fireman’s pole.



The release of Best Behaviour sees Chris Cowie stepping quietly from the darkened wings of the dance music stage into the spotlight and admitting that all those tunes we’ve been cranking it to for so many years are, in fact, his. That this hasn’t happened sooner is illustration of a modest man with a rare talent.



The most engaging element of this collection is the variety of his productions. Admittedly, most are floor fillers of some kind yet assuming so many guises has allowed a free rein to experiment. The more up tempo, tech-stompers like “Therapy”, “House Of God” (gotta love that Pulp Fiction/Samuel L. Jackson sample “We’re gonna be cool") and “Silver” are glassy, funky cuts that demonstrate both a producer blessed with dance floor intuition and studio skills in even measure. “Black and White” might best be described as the thinking man’s “Azzibo Da Bass” whist “Flashfunk” picks up where Underworld’s Dark Train Mix of “Dark and Long” left off.



Worthy praise indeed but the absence of cheese indicates a lactose intolerance on the part of Mr Cowie; there are too many good ideas that prevent the music from descending into cliché. The more after hours tracks “Hold The Day” and “Mindfield” are slightly left of centre and extend his appeal away from the dance floor towards the sofa, though this is not a deterrent as there is plenty of space and texture to maintain interest.



It’s rare that a double CD of dance music produced solo should contain no duds, yet Best Behaviour manages to do so. Be excited… Be very excited.



Andy Puleston

BBC Music Review