Grain

There is, according to his record label, very little anyone knows or is allowed to know about Grain, beyond that the moniker is a project name for maverick producer Arthur Smith. As Grain, Smith has released a series of 12-inch singles for the Brighton, England-based label FatCat. Each of the discs and all of the tracks were untitled and the EPs were packaged with the barest of information, usually just the artist name and catalogue number. Nevertheless, Grain’s funky, percussive dance music (although minimal) is far from faceless. His EPs contain both blistering floor friendly vocal tracks as well as disorientating Basic Channel -style techno. Curiously, Grain augments his ultra-cool, perfectly poised music with occasional wind-up/prank phone calls. On 12Fat016, for example, Smith called a local radio station claiming to be ‘Graham from Redhill’, with a dog called ‘Ralphy who can actually play the piano’. Despite Grain’s obscured biography, it is widely believed (but not officially confirmed) that he also records as Santos Rogriguez, notably releasing the Road To Rio EP on the Cosmic ID label. Both this latter alter ego and Grain were featured on Richie Hawtin’s 1999 Decks, EFX & 909 compilation. Smith is also one half of Mr. Smith And Professor Ludlow, a duo which previously released a track (‘I Hope You Like Mice’) painstakingly constructed from Rolf Harris samples.