Horsepower Productions

Infobox musical artist
Name = Horsepower Productions


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Genre = Uk garage; Dubstep, house, drum and bass
Years_active = 2000-2004
Label = Tempa, No U Turn, Turn U On
Associated_acts = Bill & Ben
URL =
Current_members = Benny Ill Lev Jnr
Past_members = Nasis (until 2002)

Horsepower Productions are an electronic music duo, initially a trio, who released experimental garage recordings, and helped pioneer the dubstep genre.

Lineup

The group was initially comprised of Benny Ill (born Ben Garner), Lev Jnr, and Nasis, [http://www.cyclicdefrost.com/review.php?review=120 Cyclic Defrost - Issue #002 (December 2002) - Horsepower Productions – In Fine Style (Tempa) ] ] who left in late 2002, leaving Horsepower Productions to operate as a duo. [http://www.tempa.co.uk/art_horsepower.html Tempa ] ]

The trio also founded the influential record labels No U Turn (which primarily released UK garage), and Turn U On (which was an outlet for quirkier, more experimental releases).

Benny Ill has since collaborated on the seminal "Fat Larry's Skank" track, which has been remixed and reversioned many times by producers including Kode9,cite web | author= Clark, Martin | title= The Month In: Grime/Dubstep | work= Pitchfork | url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/10336-column-the-month-in-grime-dubstep | date= 25 January 2006 | |accessmonthday=4 July | accessyear=2007] as well as collaborating with Hatcha on a number of tracks, DJing at FWD>>, and releasing more straightforward dub as part of the duo Bill & Ben.

ound

Early Horsepower releases were resolutely UK garage in sound, but the mainly instrumental, dub versions which were often B-sides of these releases proved to be extremely influential; stripped-down, minimal re-versions, with the emphasis on shuffled, intricate, crisp percussion and subbasscite journal|url=http://www.thewire.co.uk/current/index.php |journal=The Wire |issue=279 |title=The Primer: Dubstep] .

Meanwhile, Horsepower Productions 12"s and other similarly minded music experimenting with the garage archetype were staples in Croydon's Big Apple Records, a record shop staffed and frequented by many artists later to become extremely influential in the dubstep and grime genres. In 2002, as interest in the dubstep genre grew, Horsepower Productions released "In Fine Style", [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/40770-the-roots-of-dubstep Various Artists: The Roots of Dubstep: Pitchfork Record Review ] ] a collection of earlier 12" releases on compact disc accompanied by six new tracks in a double twelve-inch pack. The LP has been described as the "origin" or "birth" of dubstep. [http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature-read.aspx?id=822 RA: Dubstep 101 - Feature / Interview ] ]

The duo's influence was acknowledged by the inclusion of several Horsepower Productions tracks on Tempa's 2006 "Roots of Dubstep" compilation.

References