The Scientist

The Scientist is the performing name of UK techno producer Phivos Sebastiane, also known as Phivos or Phil Sebastiane. He grows up in Basildon, Essex, and later becomes associated with breakbeat, rave, dub, techno and jungle.

Early interests and influences

His interest in electronic music begins with the Doctor Who theme by Delia Derbyshire and Ron Grainer, which leads him to the synthesiser. He starts buying records in 1982, influenced by Depeche Mode, and gets his first synthesiser, a Yamaha CS01 MKII monophonic analogue, in 1984. He also takes six months of organ lessons to learn the basics. Early exposure to synth-pop from The Human League and Depeche Mode shapes his direction, and visits to concerts with his older sister Nina introduce him to acts including Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Human League and Depeche Mode. He later describes his taste as ranging from ambient music to Detroit techno, first encountering Chicago house at school and later the Detroit sound at the end of the 1980s.

Career and name

He becomes involved with the alternative radio station Phaze One, alongside figures including Fabio, Grooverider, Dave Angel and The Passion Crew, which includes Jumpin Jack Frost and Bryan Gee. At that point he is given the name The Scientist; he has previously been called Q because of his intellectual abilities. The name is written on flyers for a party at the Fridge in Brixton and stays with him. He is not the reggae and dub artist of the same name.

Collaborations and releases

At the Fridge he meets DJ Hype, the mixing engineer connected with Shut Up & Dance, and the two work together as The Exorcist and as Champion Sound. They produce The Bee, which reaches No. 1 on the independent dance charts, sells more than 35,000 copies and is named Kiss FM track of the year in 1990. He later releases music as The Exorcist, then after a split between house and hardcore and a year without releasing material, he leaves Kickin Records and begins producing under the name Pure Science.