Solid Steel

Solid Steel

Solid Steel is a long-running radio show and mixtape series started by Coldcut in 1988 on the London pirate station Kiss FM. It grows out of the work of Jonathan More, who is involved with Kiss FM from its beginning in 1985 through the Meltdown parties, and Matt Black, who joins in early 1987 with his Mixmaster Dance Party. As Coldcut, they present Solid Steel together, and the show becomes a regular fixture for listeners following it each week.

Radio history

Coldcut runs Solid Steel on Kiss FM until spring 1999. During that period the programme wins a Sony Award for Specialist Show in 1996. It later spreads beyond the original station through syndication in many countries and on the Student Broadcast Network across the UK, while also being available online.

Style and content

The show is built around seamless mixing across a wide range of styles, including jazz, electronic oddities, hip hop and poetry. It does not exclude unusual material, and even a children’s story features in one edition. A distinctive part of the format is the use of many spoken-word samples to link the music together, creating a collage-like presentation.

Guests and reputation

Guests on the programme include Jean Jacques Perry, De La Soul, Tortoise, DJ Shadow, David Axelrod, Squarepusher, Company Flow and Alec Empire. It also includes a well-known Coldcut versus The Orb special from 1992. Solid Steel becomes closely associated with Ninja Tune and with turntablism, and it is widely traded and discussed by listeners through taped recordings, online forums and dedicated fan sites.