Over the following years, Gripper worked alongside GC recording artist AIM, acting as in house engineer, and adding addtional production. 1998 saw Gripper recording tracks ‘Fame’ and ‘Jazz Cop’ which was licenced worldwide. The Manchester connection also led to Gripper’s ‘World Keeps Turning’ for GC partners Fat City Records, and collaborations with label owner Mark Rae and artists Veba and Kate Rogers.

DJing for Grand Central led to Gripper’s remix skills being called upon by several independant UK and US Hip Hop artists (Don Q, The Slum Brothers, and Little Egypt), and engineering duties on long time friend and associate AIM’s remix and album tracks. This helped feed Gripper’s two obsessions of vinyl hoarding and DJing, resulting in gigs both nationwide and also in Europe, Africa and New York. Gripper’s track ‘Turtleneck’ was commissioned by sportswear giant Nike to publicise the launch of their Athlete MP3 player.

The Millenium closed with Gripper refocussing on the Loose Joints label and putting out some tapes of new house material. Personal calls from Louie Vega in the middle of the night, and licencing offers from MAW ensued, only to dissolve when the original owners of a sample used in the track refused to allow it's use.
The track, ‘Dance’ by Gripper was worn out by Vega off 2 specially extended acetates, playing a big part in the 1999 WMC and UK’s Southport Weekender events, and ensured frenzied response on release. This prompted interest from UK label, ‘Lock’, for whom Gripper remixed several releases under the name ‘Trailer Trash’, including ‘Come Close To Me’ by one of Gripper’s most respected producers, Victor Simonelli.

Gripper began recording for Australia’s highly regarded ‘Offworld Sounds’. The ‘Rhyme Flowin EP’ reaching the Australian Independent Top 10, and working with Offworld artist Stephen Mallinder, one half of cult pioneering UK electronic band, ‘Cabaret Voltaire’. Gripper’s recent mix of ‘Clowns’ by Offworld signing and ex-Happy Mondays front man, Shaun Ryder was used to launch Ryder’s new solo career to great feedback. 

Gripper has DJed with organisations as diverse as Papercup’s London Parties, clothing company ‘Addict’, Brighton’s ‘Catskills’ label, Cantebury’s ‘Lounge Originals’ night, and the Thames boat parties of London’s ‘Locked & Loaded’ crew, as well as Madame JoJo’s and full moon parties on Egypt’s Red Sea. Click to read more...

HOME > ADDICT BEATS COLLECTIVE > GRIPPER > THE LOWDOWN PART 2
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