Brassica

A perpetually inquisitive child, Michael Anthony Wright was never fully satisfied by 'just' listening. A desire to 'get around the back of music' led the young Wright to start modifying electronic equipment, rejigging everything from turntables to tape recorders before moving on to making 'tape collages' of everything from De La Soul to his own voice. His teenage years saw the advent of rave and with it an opportunity to escape the humdrum banality of his Kentish hometown for something altogether exciting. Whilst some of Wright's friends eventually took the party life style of the time to the dangerous extremes, he ultimately found solace in playing bass, leading to the formation of a three piece covers band with a group of school mates. Relishing the adulation that came with his newfound ability to 'rock out', Wright came to the realisation that his future lay in music and began a course at a local music college where he learnt his way round a whole range of musical equipment.

Applying to Sound Design at LCC on the recommendation of his uncle, Wright gained a place and had his mind opened to a whole world of hitherto unexplored sonic possibilities. Able to fully realise the sonic experiments that he'd conducted as a precocious 10 year old all those years ago, Wright began improvising with the London Sinfonietta at the Royal Festival Hall with his own custom-made software, performing at improv shows and even heard his pieces get played on Radio 3. Wright eventually became disillusioned with the 'chin-stroking' elements of the experimental scene, finding the 'magic' atmosphere at House and Disco night's such as DJ Fonteyn's Computer Blue in East London, where he was amazed to find people 'physically showing their appreciation' for the music played, to be infinitely more attractive. On the encouragement of former uni friend Ali Renault, Wright began dipping his toes in to making Synth music, with one early track catching the ear of Dissident Distribution boss Andy Blake, who promptly released it. Although Blake and several other were big early supporters of Wright's, he didnt enjoy his breakthrough until the release of 'The Centre' back in 2009. That record, a single sided 12", opened doors for Wright, now producing under the name Brassica, who finally found himself 'well and truly a part of synth based producers and music'.

Several years on Wright has matured in to one of the country's most respected and continually fascinating producers operating in dance music's left-field. Distilling all the influences from his storied musical past; rave, new wave rock, synth music, experimental noodlings, ambient music and disco to name but a few, Wright has found a sound that is uniquely his, equally based in his enviable level of musical skill as it is in his personal experience. Listening to his 'Hayat Zor' EP for Civil Music and the many directions in which it travels, one can only speculate at what the future holds for this intriguing and talented artist.