Project 51 Presents Autopsy
The Dissection of Drum n’ Bass by AK1200 and Gridlok
Drops Worldwide August 12, 2008

Smashing the Drum n’ Bass Archetype and Building it Back Up From its Roots

The album title, Autopsy, is a nod to a theme reinforced throughout the two disc set.  Disc one, The Examination, is a bi-coastal studio collaboration, in which AK1200 and Gridlok used Ableton Liveto create a mix set of handpicked gems from the Project 51 (P51) back-catalog, piled high with remix, edit, and effects treatment exclusively for the purpose of this project.  Disc two, The Diagnosis, is the duo’s response to the current state of drum n’ bass – ten tracks, brand new in every sense.  Breakthrough elements include collaborations with George Clinton (Parliament Funkadelic), Shy FX(Digital Soundboy), JO'b of LA Riots (Fools Gold), and Pendulum (Ear Storm).  Autopsy will be available in stores and online through retailers in certain areas as early as August 12^th, with worldwide release by September.

AK and Gridlok will be touring in support of the album, from mid-June through the end of 2008.  The vast “Autopsy CD Release Tour” will last for the better part of four months, including stops inNYC, Baltimore, Miami, Denver, Dallas, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Seattle, Portland, and Los Angeles.  From September through November, Gridlok will continue on for European, New Zealand, and Australian legs of the tour.  Meanwhile, fall 2008 finds AK1200, along with heavyweights Dieselboy and Dara, embarking on the ninth annual Planet of the Drums (POTD) tour – the most successful electronic music tour in history.  AK, a founding member of POTD, was directly responsible for its rise as the only North American tour of DJs that has lasted nine consecutive years, each year adding more dates and enjoying larger attendance.  The team was finally forced to make the decision to cap their bookings at a respectable thirty dates per tour.

Project 51 will be conducting a remix contest, providing fans with loops and samples from the single “LABRAT.”  Participants will be invited to submit remixed versions of the track until the end of year, for consideration on an upcoming Project 51 12”.  By inserting disc two into a computer’s CD-ROM drive, fans can access the material, along with other exclusive content.

AK1200 (Dave Minner), an Orlando, Florida-native, widely recognized as The Godfather of drum n’ bass in America, has the longest running career of any drum n’ bass DJ in the US - the first to give exposure to hundreds of UK based artists in the states. Truly an asset to the electronic dance music community, his lengthy list of credentials speaks for itself.  From his writing background with UK and US-based music magazines, to his A&R work for Moving Shadow, all elements have served to create incredibly high demand for his performances and production work, taking him to all corners of the earth.  AK’s extensive discography includes collaborations and remix work with talent quite diverse in range - from electronica greats Rabbit in the Moon and Crystal Method, to hip hop’sTribe Called Quest.  His classic remix of Cleveland Lounge's "Drowning" is one of the most widely recognized drum n’ bass songs in America.  His works have been released on labels such asMoonshine Music, FFRR, Jive Electro, Moving Shadow, and Breakbeat Science.

Gridlok (Ryan Powell), one of America's hardest working producers and DJs, has charted a steady, methodical path into the vanguard of drum n’ bass. Currently based in Los Angeles, but having called every corner of the country “home,” his tracks have earned the support of the scene’s finest. The once classically trained violinist turned hard-rocker turned dancefloor-shocker, has made it his business to break ground, rules and borders.  To that end, Gridlok’s productions have appeared on labels otherwise preciously reserved for the UK elite that spawned them - from Andy C’s RAM Records to Ed Rush and Optical’s Virus Recordings. His work ethic and tireless efforts to advance the sonic breadth of the music have yielded tremendous dividends for fans of the genre, worldwide.  Not to be missed, is Gridlok’s forthcoming venture, a rock band featuring collaborators from the drum n’ bass world – yet another brilliant play to expand the range of his sonic output.

Initially conceived as a sinister plot against “all things mundane and unchallenging,” Project 51 provides worldwide access to music designed to rock dance floors and synapses with equal ferocity. P51's focus is presenting drum n’ bass that is unafraid to shatter boundaries and create musical situations unavailable from any other label.  From its beginnings as an outlet for Gridlok's more esoteric material, the label has evolved into an underground powerhouse. The label is distributed by ST Holdings throughout UK/Europe and recently inked a deal with IDC and INgrooves/Universal Music Group in the states.  P51 features world-renowned artists such as Dom, Hive, RymeTyme, Silver, Echo, Controlled Substance, The Upbeats, Origin, and Gridlok himself.  To learn more about Project 51, please visit http://www.gridlok.net.

The artists approached Autopsy with a goal of introducing the American mainstream to a sound that has dominated European pop culture for nearly two decades.  Aside from the drum n’ bass sound enjoying a massive underground following in the US, it has surely seeped into the country’s collective conscious, as the backdrop for countless television shows, advertisements, and retail shopping environments.  AK1200 and Gridlok’s presentation of Autopsy, has prepped drum n’ bass for the limelight.  It’s ready for its close-up, Mr. DeVille.