Baby Ford

Peter Ford, better known as Baby Ford, is a British electronic music producer, known particularly for his contributions to the birth of acid house. He has also released material under the aliases Cassino Classix, El Mal, Solcyc, and Simprini Risin'.

Ford was influenced by Chicago musicians such as Marshall Jefferson, Ron Trent, Armando, and Larry Heard, and was one of the founders of the acid house scene in the United Kingdom. [ [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=11:j9fixqq5ldje~T1 Baby Ford] at Allmusic] His early work was released on Rhythm King, including the club tracks "Oochy Koochy", and "Chikki Chikki Ahh Ahh". These two first singles appeared on the 2x12" EP "Ford Trax" (BFORD3.)

Both appeared in remixed form on the EP and the original singles were remixed on a variety of different formats (12" and CD) and energized the burgeoning UK acid-house scene. Sire Records in the US signed Baby Ford as well as several other artists on the Rhythm King label. Sire had been impressed with the label, but reportedly had concerns about how to effectively market Rhythm King artists in the U.S. as acid house had not broken into the US mainstream as it had in the UK. The second album 'Ooo the World of Baby Ford' contained three singles, the most popular of which was "Children of the Revolution." "Children" was a club hit across the globe, as was "Beach Bump." The US released the "Let's Talk It Over" EP in 1990 with exclusive live tracks. The tracks were recorded on Baby Ford's tour of the US, where he opened for Depeche Mode on several dates of their Violator tour.

The BFORD9 LP in 1992 revealed a different side of Peter's electronic influences. The release incorporated minimal techno with trance-like elements, long before these genres became popular later in the decade. Pop-vocal elements were not as prevalent on BFORD9 but the release is considered by many of his fans to be one of his greatest musical achievements. Trance producer CJ Bolland contributed a mix of "In your Blood" on BFORD8 and "Fetish" was a well-regarded club hit in both the UK and the US. Several of the songs on BFORD9 were re-released by Aphex Twin on his Re-Phlex label in the late 1990s in a remixed format [BFORD15 "Normal."] Many of these remixes were actually recorded in 1992, but fit perfectly amidst the minimal electronic music popularized by artists on the Re-Phlex label at the time.

Baby Ford, Eon, and Mark Broom continued their explorations into minimal electronic music throughout the 1990s and well into the next decade through the iFach, Pal-SL and Trelik Record labels. The hard-to-find CD "Ifach Vol. 1" contains the first 5 classic releases on the iFach label.

Releases appeared on Sire, Source, and Insumision/Transglobal. He co-managed the labels Trelik and Ifach, and worked with Trelik's Ian Loveday. His remixing work includes tracks by Stefan Robbers and S'Express.

Discography

;Albums
*"Ford Trax (Rhythm King 1988, BFORD3)
*"Oooh, the World of Baby Ford" (Sire, 1989, BFORD5)
*"BFord9" (Sire, 1992)
*"Headphoneasyrider" (Blackmarket Records, 1997, BFORD12)
*"Sacred Machine" (Klang Electronic, 2001)
*"Basking in the Brakelights" (EFA, 2003)
*"Birds" (Pal, 2007)

;Singles (BFORD releases 1-15)
*"Oochy Koochy" (Rhythm King 1988) (BFORD1)
*"Chikki Chikki Ahh Ahh" (Rhythm King 1988) (BFORD2)
*"Children of the Revolution" (Rhythm King 1989) (BFORD4)
*"Beach Bump" (Rhythm King 1990) (BFORD6)
*"Change" (Rhythm King 1990) (BFORD7)
*"In Your Blood" (Rhythm King 1992) (BFORD8)
*"Fetish" (Rhythm King 1992) (BFORD10)
*"Move-On" (Sire US 1992) (US-only release)
*"Slow Hand" (PAL-SL 1) (BFORD11)
*"Tall Storey / Now and Then" (Soure Records) (BFORD13)
*"Night D3 Died EP" (PAL-SL 4) (BFORD14)
*"Normal EP" (Rephlex 1999) (BFORD15)

References