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A Guy Called Gerald
Biography
Mancunian house and techno innovator Gerald Simpson is the odd post-rave musician who's been able to find a successful voice in a wide variety of different styles. Starting with Chicago house and moving through Detroit techno, acid house, electro, hardcore techno, and currently drum'n'bass, Gerald's been an influential contributor to most of recent dance music's most important stopping points. Although his highest-profile moment came in the form of the late-'80s ubiquitous club hit "Voodoo Ray," Gerald's been widely recognized as an important force in the nascent London hardcore and jungle scenes, influencing key figures like Goldie, Dego, and Dillinja, and keeping the style moving forward beyond the more confrontational concerns of its early years.

Simpson's first recorded work was in collaboration with fellow Manchester group 808 State, whose early combinations of electro and hip-hop beats with elements of anthemic house and techno and slick production created some of U.K. acid house's earliest club staples. Simpson appeared on 808's debut, Newbuild, and co-wrote one of the group's biggest hits -- "Pacific State" -- although he was not credited (he got his jabs in later with a single titled "Specific Hate").
Selected Discography
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