Now, with the ink drying on a deal with Sony, their beat is poised to get bigger.The label was formed by Damien Harris (aka Midfield General) when he became frustrated with making house and began recording dance music that reflected his own culture The result combined hip hop, house, dub and rock. SKINT SKINT record label already dominates the big beat scene. Since his recovery, his career has been on a steady build and his recording of “Metropolis” won the 1997 Muzik award for best drum ‘n’ bass single His sublime debut album, Colours, has just been released. It immediately attracted the attention of pioneering drum ‘n’ bass DJs Fabio and LTJ Bukem.His next four singles in 1995 established him as a leading figure in underground dance circles. Combining jazz licks with Seventies funk influences (he used to sing with a funk band), and thundering percussion and drum loops, Adam F crosses musical boundaries without losing his identity.In 1996 he was badly injured in a car crash, and was out of action for three months. ADAM F DJ ADAM F has been taking his time and building his reputation among underground drum ‘n’ bass circles. Now, having secured the admiration of those in the know, he’s moved on to a major record label and is ready to make his mark.Adam F appeared on the drum ‘n’ bass scene in mid-1994, when he released his first home-recorded single, “Criminal Active”, on Section 5 records.

Dunckel studied classical piano and Debussy at the Conservatoire in Versailles.Comparisons aren’t easy. Think Portishead production qualities, Delta House of Funk ambience and Massive Attack eclecticism – except its references are French. Space and silences are used with scientific precision, building to washing strings and nudging funk inspired bass lines Moon Safari is released in mid-January. Their debut album, Moon Safari, is therefore a bit of a surprise. It’s a carefully constructed journey through mood changes, rushes and post-club come-downs, drawing on influences from dance, rock, and classical music. In the past two years they have only released three singles, “Modular”, “Casanova 70″ and “Le Soleil Est Pres De Moi”. Now Air (aka Nicolas Godin and Jean Benoit Dunckel) are waiting in the wings with their leisurely, ambient post-house music.Air’s music isn’t the only leisurely thing about them.

Daft Punk romped into the charts and DJ Dimitri from Paris funked dance floors with his kitsch disco house. “I’ve got a vision in my head of my tribe in Ghana, of a tradition of demonstrating to each other with music, drums and voice.”Quaye sings with an intimate, almost fragile quality, hardened by the occasional growl in his vocal chords. His talent was recently recognised when he was named Best Newcomer in the Q Awards and he is a hot tip for next year’s Brit Awards His new single will be released in February AIR THIS HAS been a good year for French music. His family come from Ghana, but Finley was raised in Edinburgh, London and Manchester “I’ve got real inspiration,” he explains. “Even After All”, his second release, hit the top 10, and his first album, Maverick a Strike, was released in September and went gold within three weeks – reaching number three in the British charts.Quaye’s musical influences are diverse, blending soul with reggae, dub, jazz and rock, reflecting his varied background.

“I would never have been seen dead at a place like this a year ago,” said one man, looking ill at ease, “but since my son went to prison for possessing a tiny amount of cannabis, I’ve decided to do my bit.”. FINLEY QUAYE

A MULTI-talented singer, musician and DJ, 23-year-old Finley Quaye has shot to stardom in the past six months.
His relaxed, soulful reggae immediately struck a chord and his first single, “Sunday Shining”, stormed straight into the top 20. What they were doing had the potential to cause hurt to both the couple and their families, and in many people’s eyes it was “immoral, wrong, harmful” “Should adultery be made illegal?” she asked. Should the government declare a war on adultery and on flirting, the gateway to adultery?As Mr Snow drew the conference to a close delegates lined up by Free Rob Cannabis to explain they were suffering from a range of illnesses and could they please get on his free-cannabis mailing list? A few people said the debate had changed their minds. We were to imagine a married man and a married woman spending a night of passion in a hotel room. “There are thousands and thousands of Jameses outside the sophisticated building that is the Queen Elizabeth Conference Centre,” he said.

Inside the sophisticated building an unmistakable smell was already wafting from the traditional direction of the back row, despite the QEII conference centre’s firm no-smoking policy.”Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t out to get you,” said Mr Partington, noting that his slides had somehow got rather jumbled up.Lynn Zimmer, an associate of the Soros Foundation and co-author of Marijuana Myths, Marijuana Facts, invited the audience to forget all about the weed for a minute and think about sex. But he seemed to sense the approach of Armageddon, “when pleasure and instant gratification become the determining feature of [society's] conscience at the expense of the individual.”Mr Partington had recently met a man with a son, whom he would call James, who had nearly died from a “cannabis overdose”. It had proved useful in “decoupling hard and soft drugs”, he said. In the Netherlands, 2 per cent of the population had used cocaine, while in the US it was 33 per cent. “The decriminalisation of cannabis would be a sign not of weakness but of political maturity for this government, in which we have so much hope.” He suggested that the Independent on Sunday should ask Formula One to sponsor its campaign.David Partington, of the Evangelical Coalition on Drugs, compared his role at the conference to that of Christians entering the arena in Roman times “We’re still going strong after 2,000 years,” he said. “I think a lot of people would volunteer for a seat on that agency,” he said to cheers.Dressed entirely in hemp clothing, a young man who had changed his name by deed poll to Free Rob Cannabis, said he would shortly begin a jail sentence for possessing cannabis He was looking for sponsors for each day he was in jail. The money would go to his charity, the Free Medical Marijuana Foundation, which supplied cannabis to Multiple Sclerosis, chemotherapy and glaucoma patients free of charge.Professor Colin Blakemore, more usually at odds with the green activist contingent of the audience as an advocate of animal experimentation, drew applause from the crowd with his support for the Netherlands’ policy.