B12 (band)

B12 are a British electronic music duo consisting of Mike Golding and Steve Rutter. First appearing in the early 1990s under a variety of monikers, including Musicology, Redcell and Cmetric, the duo were often mistaken as hailing from Detroit, their sound being comparable to the so-called second wave of Detroit Techno. This was compounded by the signature style of their initial releases on their own imprint B12 Records, limited edition coloured 12" vinyls with cryptic messages etched into the run-out grooves, and the fact that Golding and Rutter tended to shy away from the press, and rarely gave interviews, which added to the mystery of their identities.

Now generally regarded as one of the most important and influential UK electronic acts of the 1990s, their sound is usually categorized as techno, ambient techno, and IDM. Recurring themes of science fiction and futurism can be found in nearly all B12 releases and track names.

Band biography

Golding & Rutter met in the late 1980s through a mutual appreciation of the techno sound coming out from Detroit from artists such as Juan Atkins and Derrick May. Upon seeing the success of Plus 8 Records in early 1990, they were inspired to do the same, and in 1991 founded B12 Records as an outlet for the music they and their friends Kirk Degiorgio (aka As One), and Steve Pickton (aka Stasis), were producing. Writing under various monikers they released a series of 12" vinyl records, each with a limited run of coloured...
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