Goldie

Goldie is the stage name of Clifford Joseph Price, a British electronic music artist, DJ and actor from Walsall, United Kingdom. Born in 1965, he works mainly in jungle and drum and bass, and is also associated with downtempo and electronica. He is known for helping to promote jungle and drum and bass internationally.

Early work and breakthrough releases

In 1992, Goldie works with Icelanders Thorhallur Skulason and Sigurbjorn Thorgrimsson on his first track as Ajax Project while also doing design and A&R work for 4 Hero’s Reinforced label. He releases Killa Muffin b/w Krisp Biscuit and the Dark Rider EP under the name Rufige Cru on Reinforced. Also in 1992, the track Terminator, issued as Metalheads, becomes a major hit. In 1993 he releases the Angel 12-inch on Synthetic Hardcore Phonography.

Metalheadz and album work

In 1994, Goldie sets up the label Metalheadz, which becomes an important and respected drum and bass imprint. His first internationally released album, Timeless, follows in 1995 and reaches number seven in the album charts, a first for a drum and bass record. The album combines jungle breakbeats and basslines with orchestral textures and soulful female vocals. Its title track is a 21-minute symphonic piece, and Inner City Life sells more than 15,000 vinyl copies. His second album, Saturnzreturn, appears in 1998. Its opening track, Mother, is an hour-long orchestral drum and bass piece, and the rest of the album includes contributions from David Bowie, Noel Gallagher of Oasis and KRS-One.

Rufige Kru and later projects

Goldie is also known as the leader of Rufige Kru, a group with no fixed line-up that includes Technical Itch, Heist, Cujo, Agzilla Da Ice, Doc Scott and Rob Playford among its members. He later works on a film project called Sine Tempus, described as a coming-of-age story about a young paintbrush artist, and releases the soundtrack through the Metalheadz website. The soundtrack is later presented as his new album. He also creates a score for orchestra and choir commissioned by the BBC, titled Sine Tempore (Timeless), which is performed at children’s Promenade concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.

Television work

In 2008, Goldie appears on the BBC reality series Maestro, where he learns to conduct a concert orchestra and finishes second. The success of that programme leads to Classic Goldie, a two-part television show broadcast in 2009, in which he learns to write for a large orchestra and choir.