• Genre: Electronica
• Active: '90s, 2000s
• Major Members: Mark Caro, Darren Beale

Biography

Like their more common alias Technical Itch, the work of Darren Beale and Mark Caro as Decoder skirts the leading edge of progressive drum'n'bass, incorporating the moodier elements of jump-up and techstep with a nod toward drum-twisting junglists such as Dom & Roland and the Penny Black label. Although the duo have deepest roots in the late-'80s hardcore breakbeat scene, their material both apart and together has tended toward the darkside, combining dense, unsetting atmospherics with complex, bruising drum patterns and deep subbass groans. In addition to Decoder and Technical Itch (the latter coming from their Bristol-based Tech Itch recording studio), Caro and Beale have also recorded as Kutta (for Rough Tone), T.I.C. (for Back2Basics), and Alpha Proxima (for Au Toi).

The pair's earliest tracks came toward the peak end of the U.K. hardcore scene; both Beale and Caro were noted DJs, with Beale's recorded work as Orca adding to his notoriety. Introduced by a mutual friend, they released their first record together as Plasmic Life on Bizzy B's Brain Records, and by the early '90s were moving away from the conventions of hardcore, following breakbeat into the less static realms of darkside and hardstep jungle. Still only a part-time collaboration, the pair's partnership deepened after Omni Trio's Rob Haigh heard a Tech Itch track on Kenny Ken's Kiss FM show, leading to their signing with Haigh's home-base Moving Shadow in 1996. The pair produced a number of singles as Technical Itch for the label that same year, with scores of tracks as Decoder and T.I.C. continuing to appear on their own and other labels, marking the pair as one of the more prolific (and increasingly influential) of the new crop. A 1998 Decoder full-length was their first LP out of the gate, though Tech Itch's Diagnostics followed one year later on Moving Shadow. ~ Sean Cooper, All Music Guide

Dissection Buy this CD

• Artist: Cypher 7
• Flags: Instrumental
• Rating:
• Style: Electronica
• Similar Albums: Modulation & Transformation, Vol. 1, Anthology, Vol. 2, The Water Album, Ambient, Vol. 2: Imaginary Landscapes, Space Daze 2000, Vulvaland, Fax Compilation, Excursions in Ambience: Third Dimension, Ambient, Vol. 1: A Brief History of Ambient, Selected Ambient Works 85-92, Excursions in Ambience: A Collection of Ambient-House Music

Review

Extremely ambient music that's more influenced by the smooth, flowing melodies of groups like Tangerine Dream than by the bizarro sampling freneticism of much of the mid-'90s techno scene. Far more peaceful than many of bassist/producer Bill Laswell's wilder ambient excursions, listening to Decoder is like a soundtrack for one's blissful dreams of being able to fly. Soaring on gentle, breezy melodies that cradle listeners like a cloud, the music takes them on a kinder, gentler auditory journey. Perfect for meditation, relaxation, or simply lounging about on a quiet Sunday afternoon, this album has the subtle power to totally alter one's state of mind. ~ Bret Love, All Music Guide

Tracks

Track Title	iTunes	Composers	Performers	Time
Dead Drop		Jeff Bova, Alex Haas	Cypher 7
Piece of Blue Sky		Jeff Bova, Alex Haas	Cypher 7
Dream Spiral		Jeff Bova, Alex Haas	Cypher 7
Conspiracy of Silence		Jeff Bova, Alex Haas	Cypher 7
Ladder of Lights		Jeff Bova, Alex Haas	Cypher 7

Credits

Bill Laswell (Programming), Bill Laswell (Engineer), Jeff Bova (Arranger), Howie Weinberg (Mastering), Aldo Sampieri (Design), Cypher 7 (Main Performer), Alex Haas (Arranger), Rob Soares, Ernst Haas (Photography)

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