Elite Force

Elite Force is the electronic and breaks project of Simon Shackleton, from the United Kingdom. It begins in 1996 and first appears on his own Fused and Bruised label, which he has recently founded at that point, with a run of 12-inch singles and remixes. After about five years he puts Fused and Bruised to one side to focus on production, then records for Whole9Yards and Moonshine before becoming a regular artist on Adrift Recordings, which is formerly known as Kingsize Records. He later launches his own U&A imprint.

Style and influence

Elite Force is often identified as an important figure in the development of tech-funk, a hybrid style that combines breaks, house, techno and electro. His work attracts support from DJs and artists including James Zabiela, Sasha, Crystal Method, Laurent Garnier and Fatboy Slim.

Releases and remixes

His catalogue includes a stream of singles and, in 2008, a semi-retrospective double album of remixes and reworkings drawn from a 12-year back catalogue. That release includes more than 25 mixes from artists such as Miles Dyson, Rogue Element, Deepgroove, Dylan Rhymes and Calvertron. As a remixer, he works on material by Grandmaster Flash, Crystal Method, Jungle Brothers, Stereo MCs, UNKLE, Infusion, Rennie Pilgrem, Shiloh and Dylan Rhymes.

Collaborations and side projects

Meat Katie is a regular collaborator, beginning in 2003 with the track “Toba”. Their partnership continues into the joint project Dustbowl, alongside releases credited to Meat Katie & Elite Force. Other musical projects include Zodiac Cartel.

Media placements

Elite Force’s music appears in film, television and games. Film credits include The Matrix, Charlie’s Angels, Arlington Road, Mortal Kombat, Crow, The Bone Collector, The Jackyll and Spider-Man 2. On television, his music appears on CSI, Top Gear, Football Focus and LA Doctors. In games, it features in five FIFA titles, several Wipeout games, The Matrix and Motorstorm 1, and he also writes bespoke music for forthcoming Ferrari and Motorstorm 2 games.

DJ work and broadcasts

As a DJ, he starts in 1990 playing student nights and self-promoted acid house events in the south-west of England before moving to London and developing his tech-funk style. He performs internationally in countries including Belarus, Hungary, Australia, Italy, the USA, the Czech Republic, India, Turkey, Spain, Japan, Georgia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan and China, and appears at festivals such as Glastonbury, Coachella, Bloom, Wickerman and the Glade. He is also known for the Strongarm Sessions webcasts, begun in 2001 and attracting around 20,000 downloads per show, and for the Techfunkmanifesto blog.