Sonic assassins

Since 1990, when DJs Matt Black and Jonathan More—a.k.a. Coldcut—founded Ninja Tune, the label has been at the forefront of dance music, especially the hip-hop, grime, bass and sound-system cultures in the U.K. underground. Now, with 20 years under its black belt, it’s released Ninja Tune XX ($160, ninjatune.net/ninjashop), a massive—and limited—box set that includes six CDs, six 7"s and the hardcover biography Ninja Tune: 20 Years of Beats and Pieces. Christmas has come early for those who like their music on the bleeding edge. To help you slice ’n’ dice your way through the label, we profile five of its hit-making hit men.

Slabs of beat

More than hip-hop’s wordplay, it was sampling and turntablism that captured the minds of budding DJs in the U.K. in the ’80s. Coldcut’s Black and More were two of its earliest adopters. Pioneering their sample-heavy cut-up breakbeats on their Solid Steel radio show—which streams on the Internet to this day—the duo caught the ears of Island Records, releasing a chart-topping remix for Eric B. and Rakim before moving into original jams with guest vocalists as varied as Queen Latifah and Junior Reid. Black and More continue to release music and cut it up live.

Roots to the fruit

The distinctive voice of Roots Manuva is the cornerstone of Big Dada, Ninja Tune’s hip-hop offshoot. Informed by the golden age of American rap, the island culture that’s manifested in the U.K.—his parents are from Jamaica—and his eccentric personality, Manuva is distinctly British but not so much that U.S. audiences aren’t equally enthralled with his unmistakable flow. His music presages grime, the U.K.’s homegrown hip-hop movement, further testament to Ninja Tune’s influence over British electronic music.

Cinematic effect

A 180-degree turn from the brash bass music that dominates Ninja Tune’s output, the Cinematic Orchestra creates lush and sprawling sounds that borrow from jazz, classical and downtempo. Centered on visionary frontman Jason Swinscoe, the group’s numbers sometimes swell to more than 40, including a full string section. The Orchestra’s work is unrivaled in its scope, often deserving a film to help flesh out its soundtrack qualities, something the group has been doing more often, most recently for Les Ailes Pourpres, a documentary on flamingos akin to March of the Penguins.

The sound smith

With his dapper Victorian-era garb—top hats and tails included—Daedelus is one of the imprint’s more eclectic artists, and one of the few Americans. His music has an experimental bent to it, but the glitches and distortion are tempered with an array of ear-pleasing samples that span jazz, folk, world, soul and who knows what else. The results, while not exactly catchy, are captivating nonetheless. Spanning tempos and styles, he’s a sight to see live: He looks like a crazed conductor onstage as he triggers beats and samples on his grid of buttons, called a Monome. The gadget is an open-source sequencer that he’s helped pioneer.

Ghost in the machine

Ninja Tune’s newest signing, Eskmo also hails from the States. Part of the West Coast abstract beat movement that’s having such an impact on the British dubstep scene, Eskmo lands somewhere in the middle of it all. His tracks have that telltale dubstep stomp (and bass warbles for days), but they take on an ethereal moodiness that sometimes borders on haunting. This guy’s not mimicking, he’s innovating. Who better to lead the charge as Ninja Tune creeps toward its next milestone.

Ninja Tune XX is out now.

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