The Kosmik Kommando

Mike Dred (aka Chimera, Judge Dred, and the Kosmik Kommando) makes acid-tinged experimental techno geared both for the dancefloor and for home listening. A member of the U.K.'s extended North Country experimental techno family (which also includes Reload, the Aphex Twin, and Matt Herbert), Dred drew early inspiration from European synth-pop groups like Kraftwerk and the Human League, as well as the American electro scene spreading like wildfire in the mid-'80s London underground. Although he's recorded for a variety of different labels, including R&S, R&S offshoot Diatomyc (which he helps run), and his own Machine Codes label, the bulk of his material has appeared on Richard James' Rephlex imprint, mostly under the Kosmik Kommando and Chimera names. Reportedly hooking up with the label after meeting some friends of James' on a train en route to a rave in Koln, Dred's penchant for harsh, relentlessly experimental acid and techno fit neatly into the Rephlex vision, and Dred's first Kosmik Kommando EP was among the first 12-inches the label released. Dred's Rephlex discography has since grown to include two full-length albums (one each under the KK and Chimera names) and five EPs, with releases on Diatomyc and Machine Codes numbering close behind. For the year 2000, Dred released the album Laptop Dancing; a mix of hip hop and techno on Rephlex records. [See Also: Mike Dred] ~ Sean Cooper