Kode9

{{Infobox musical artist

|name = Kode9

|image = Kode9-spaceape (cropped).jpg

|landscape = yes

|caption = Kode9 and The Spaceape performing at MUTEK in 2007

|background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

|birth_name = Steve Goodman

|birth_date = {{birth year and age|1973}}

|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.IMO Records. [http://www.imorecords.co.uk/dubstep-3/dubstep/kode9-biography/ "Kode9 Biography"] {{Webarchive|url=https://archive.today/20130420112648/http://www.imorecords.co.uk/dubstep-3/dubstep/kode9-biography/ |date=20 April 2013 }}, IMO Records Retrieved on 25 June 2012. 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.

Biography

= Foundations =

Kode9 studied philosophy at university in Edinburgh. During this time he DJ'd playing music genres including psychedelic jazz, rare groove and funk.{{Cite web |title=Kode9 Stared Into The Void And It Stared Back |url=https://www.thefader.com/2015/11/04/kode9-nothing-interview |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=The FADER |language=en}} However, around this time he started becoming interested in jungle. He has mentioned his first encounter with jungle as being "the most important musical event of my life".Invisible Jukebox, The Wire no. 269, July 2006{{When|date=May 2024}}

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.{{cite news |last1=Sandhu |first1=Sukhdev |date=16 November 2015 |title=How dub master Kode9 became the hero of zero |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/16/kode9-nothing-album-steve-goodman-hyperdub-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922155434/https://www.theguardian.com/music/2015/nov/16/kode9-nothing-album-steve-goodman-hyperdub-interview |archive-date=22 September 2020 |access-date=28 June 2020 |work=The Guardian}} He gained a PhD in philosophy from the university.{{Cite thesis |url=http://webcat.warwick.ac.uk/record=b1364599~S1 |title=Turbulence : a cartography of postmodern violence |first=Steve |last=Goodman |date=26 January 1999 |website=Wrap.warwick.ac.uk |access-date=2020-03-26}} 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.{{Cite web|url=http://www.uel.ac.uk/hss/staff/steve-goodman/index.htm|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090922054309/http://www.uel.ac.uk/hss/staff/steve-goodman/index.htm|url-status=dead|archive-date=22 September 2009|title=Steve Goodman - UEL HSS (staff profile)|date=22 September 2009|access-date=2020-03-26}} 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.{{Cite web |date=2020-06-12 |title=Croydon, community, soundsystem culture: Tracing the history of dubstep |url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/history-of-dubstep-music |access-date=2024-05-02 |website=Red Bull |language=en}}

= Musical artist and Hyperdub =

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.{{Cite web |title=Fat Larry's Skank |url=https://www.discogs.com/release/96370-Benny-Ill-Kode9-The-Culprit-Fat-Larrys-Skank-Tales-From-The-Bass-Side |website=Discogs}}

In 2004, Kode9 appeared on the second grime compilation on Rephlex records.Derek Walmsley, "Dubstep", The Wire Primers: A Guide to Modern Music, ed. Rob Young, London: Verso, 2009, p. 89. 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".Derek Walmsley, "Dubstep", The Wire Primers: A Guide to Modern Music, ed. Rob Young, London: Verso, 2009, p. 92

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.Rewind 2006, The Wire no. 275, January 2007. 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.{{Cite web|url=https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-156643725/kode9|title=Kode9" - Artforum International, Vol. 45, Issue 4, December 2006 |website=|access-date=2020-03-26|archive-date=26 March 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200326234555/https://www.questia.com/read/1G1-156643725/kode9|url-status=live}}{{cite web |url=http://www.uel.ac.uk/programmes/hss/postgraduate/summary/sonicculture.htm |title=Sonic Culture (MA) (Summary of programme specification) |website=www.uel.ac.uk |access-date=17 January 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100126092316/http://www.uel.ac.uk/programmes/hss/postgraduate/summary/sonicculture.htm |archive-date=26 January 2010 |url-status=dead}}

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.{{Cite web |url=http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11890 |title=Sonic Warfare: Sound, Affect, and the Ecology of Fear catalogue description at MIT Press |access-date=29 December 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100104212800/http://mitpress.mit.edu/catalog/item/default.asp?ttype=2&tid=11890 |archive-date=4 January 2010 |url-status=dead }} 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.

Musical style

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.