| Kode9 | |
| Landscape: | yes |
| Background: | non_vocal_instrumentalist |
| Birth Name: | Steve Goodman |
| Birth Place: | Glasgow, Scotland |
| Instrument: | Synthesizer, sampler, mixing desk, turntables, bass guitar |
| Genre: | Electronic, dubstep, future garage, UK bass |
| Occupation: | Musician, record label owner, remixer, DJ |
| Years Active: | 1991–present |
| Label: | Hyperdub |
| Website: | http://www.hyperdub.com |
Steve Goodman, known as Kode9 (born 1973) is a Scottish electronic music artist, DJ, and founder of the Hyperdub record label.[1] He was one of the founding members of the early dubstep scene with his late collaborator The Spaceape. He has released four full-length albums: 2006's Memories of the Future and 2011's Black Sun (both with The Spaceape), Nothing (2015), Escapology and Astro-Darien (2022).
As owner of Hyperdub, Goodman has signed artists such as Burial, DJ Rashad, Zomby, and Fatima Al Qadiri. Goodman has a PhD in philosophy from the University of Warwick and has published a book, Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, in 2009.
Kode9 studied philosophy at university in Edinburgh. During this time he DJ'd playing music genres including psychedelic jazz, rare groove and funk.[2] However, around this time he started becoming interested jungle. He has mentioned his first encounter with jungle as being "the most important musical event of my life".[3]
Kode9 moved to Warwick to study rave culture, cybernetics, postmodernism and afrofuturism at the University of Warwick. This later led to a memetic philosophy regarding music, which he has spoken about in interviews.[4] He gained a PhD in philosophy from the university.[5] Here he also collaborated with the Cybernetic Culture Research Unit and was involved in running jungle nights.
In 1997, Kode9 moved to London, becoming a teaching assistant and later a lecturer.[6] At this time Kode9 began finding a lot of jungle formulaic and he was looking to expand his musical horizons. He became interested in 2 step garage, DJing the style at clubnights such as FWD>>. He also played on pirate radio stations including Rinse FM.[7]
In 2002, Kode9 had his first release as a musical artist; it was a track called Fat Larry’s Skank; a collaboration with Benny Ill and The Culprit.[8]
In 2004, Kode9 appeared on the second grime compilation on Rephlex records.[9] That same year, Kode9 founded Hyperdub records; the first release was Sine of the Dub, a collaboration between Kode9 and Daddy Gee, which was a minimal, loose cover version of Prince's "Sign "O" the Times". Kode9 treated the vocals to fit his idea of their delivery by "a man on his deathbed".[10]
The label as become an important and influential label within the dubstep genre. In 2006, Hyperdub released Burial's self-titled debut album, which The Wire magazine named their number one album of 2006.[11] Kode9 continued his academic career working at the University of East London as a lecturer in media production, and course tutor for a master's program in sonic culture.[12] [13]
In December 2009, his Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear, a book exploring the uses of acoustic force and how it affects whole populations was published by MIT Press.[14] The book also explores how sound can be deployed to set moods of dread and fear, how sound can be used as torture, as a weapon and as a threat.
He has been inspired by, what he calls the "hardcore continuum" of British dance music; styles such as jungle, drum and bass and 2-step garage. Genres that are common influences in his work include dub, dancehall (such as toasting), and Indian music.