It wasn't around for more than about five minutes, but Ipswich's Deep Red Recordings made two of what are still my favourite records, years after I first heard them.
Tom & Tom's Downforce and Dr Know's Make Me Feel were both put out under pseudonym by the former Stupids punk stalwart and latter-day drum n bass prodigy Tom Withers, aka Klute.
According to discogs, Klute started releasing drum n bass records in 1995, so these appear to be amongst his first efforts in d n b. And they really are deep, tremendous, ethereal tracks. Downforce is harder - if that is the right word - with the amen break rolling along for much of the time. But it is layered out with a sound that it is almost alien in its richness to the ragga boy nonsense being peddled by many at the time.
Dr Know has a similarly lush feel, but is more chilled - a sort of flipside to Downforce.
Deep Red Recordings only released six records, and only two of these were by someone other than Withers.
It's not clear why they ceased recording, but the brevity of their history almost makes the music that they did release seem all the more worthy of our attention.
Klute went on to a successful career in d n b, and is still around today.
But these unknown, enigmatic dancefloor elegies still resonate - and thrillingly so.
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