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Richard X
Biography
British producer Richard X was one of the progenitors of the b**tard pop phenomenon of the early 2000s and a significant contributor to electronic dance-pop of that decade, parlaying the notoriety he gained for a series of underground mash-ups -- released under the alias Girls on Top -- into a recording contract and a successful career as a mainstream record producer and remixer. His productions typically feature icy, synthesized electro-pop combined with soulful vocal hooks, an aesthetic established in his early bootleg singles, each of which layered the a cappella from an American R&B hit over an '80s synth pop or electro instrumental, and which were regarded as having an unusual degree of musical sensitivity and compositional elegance within the novelty-prone, concept-over-execution world of b**tard pop.

X, whose real name is Richard Phillips (apparently his nom du disque came about due to a misinterpreted postcard signature), has generally maintained secrecy about his life and background, other than that he hails from the town of Whalley, near Blackburn in Lancashire. He recorded the two Girls on Top 7"s in his north London flat and released them covertly in limited runs on his own Black Melody label.
Selected Discography