Origin Unknown is an English electronic duo in the genres of jungle and drum & bass, consisting of producers Andy C (Andrew Clarke) and Ant Miles. The project was active in the 1990s and early 2000s and is considered one of the key acts in the development of early drum & bass and the RAM Records label. It was under the name Origin Unknown that one of the main anthems of the entire scene was released — the legendary track «Valley of the Shadows».
Line-up and origins
-
Country: United Kingdom, England
-
Members:
-
Andy C (Andrew Michael Clarke) — DJ, producer, co-founder of RAM Records
-
Ant Miles (Anthony Miles) — producer, co-founder of RAM Records
-
In addition to Origin Unknown, the duo also worked under other aliases connected with RAM Records, and later teamed up with producer Shimon to form the project Ram Trilogy.
Project history
Early years and RAM Records
In the early 1990s, Andy C and Ant Miles began releasing music in the hardcore / breakbeat vein, very quickly shifting towards the emerging jungle sound. At the same time they founded the label RAM Records, which would go on to become one of the most influential drum & bass imprints in history.
Origin Unknown became one of the first “flagship” acts of RAM: their releases defined the sonic identity of the label and set the quality benchmark for future RAM artists.
«The Touch» / «Valley of the Shadows» (1993)
In 1993 the duo released the single «The Touch» / «Valley of the Shadows». Initially, «The Touch» was considered the main track, while «Valley of the Shadows» appeared on the B-side, but it was the B-side that unexpectedly became a cult classic.
«Valley of the Shadows» is often referred to as:
-
«31 Seconds» (after the vocal sample «31 seconds…»)
-
or «Long Dark Tunnel» (after the phrase «Felt that I was in this long dark tunnel…»).
The track combines:
-
a dark, “ghostly” atmospheric sound,
-
a deep sub-bass,
-
signature jungle breaks,
-
a minimalist yet highly memorable arrangement.
Over time, the tune became one of the most recognisable tracks in the history of jungle / drum & bass and is still regularly played in the sets of scene veterans. In 1996 it was re-released as a standalone single and entered the UK charts.
Later releases: «Truly One» and other works
In the second half of the 1990s, Origin Unknown continued to deliver strong singles on RAM Records:
-
«Truly One» / «Mission Control» (1995) — a classic techstep / DnB sound of its time, with heavy bass and the trademark RAM groove.
-
The re-release of «Truly One» in the early 2000s entered the official UK charts, cementing the project’s status as not only underground but also commercially successful.
Other notable releases include:
-
«Sound in Motion» (2000)
-
«Truly One» (re-release) (2002)
-
«Grudge Match» (2004)
Origin Unknown also recorded the track «Hotness» together with Dynamite MC, which appeared on his album World of Dynamite.
Alongside their own tracks, the duo were very active as remixers, working on music by artists such as:
-
DJ Hype
-
Dieselboy
-
Adam F
-
Adam Freeland
-
High Contrast
Connection with Ram Trilogy
Later, Andy C and Ant Miles teamed up with producer Shimon to form Ram Trilogy, who released a series of key records in the late 1990s and early 2000s. Ram Trilogy picked up and developed the ideas of Origin Unknown in a harder, more technological direction.
In this way, Origin Unknown can be seen as one of the “starting points” of that sonic lineage which, through Ram Trilogy, Sub Focus, Chase & Status and other artists, shaped the signature RAM sound.
Style and influence
The Origin Unknown sound
The music of Origin Unknown is characterised by:
-
dark, atmospheric jungle / early drum & bass
-
a strong focus on basslines and breaks
-
the use of samples from documentaries, popular science programmes and films
-
melodic minimalism combined with powerful rhythmic structure
«Valley of the Shadows» is often described as a track that:
-
captured the shift from hardcore rave to dark jungle
-
became the benchmark for the “darker” side of the genre
-
shaped the development of dark DnB substyles for many years to come.
Legacy
The contribution of Origin Unknown:
-
they laid the foundations for RAM Records as one of the leading drum & bass labels;
-
they showed how underground jungle could become a classic without losing its dark aesthetic;
-
they influenced an entire generation of producers — from the old school to the artists of the 2000s and 2010s for whom «Valley of the Shadows» is a mandatory reference point.
Today, Origin Unknown tracks continue to be reissued, included in retrospective compilations and special mixes, and their sound is quoted and reinterpreted by new artists.
Selected discography of Origin Unknown
Singles (RAM Records and others)
-
1993 — «The Touch» / «Valley of the Shadows»
-
1995 — «Truly One» / «Mission Control»
-
1996 — «Valley of the Shadows» (standalone release)
-
2000 — «Sound in Motion»
-
2002 — «Truly One» (re-release)
-
2003 — «Hotness» (feat. Dynamite MC)
-
2004 — «Grudge Match»
The project does not have traditional “studio albums” — their legacy is presented mainly through singles and compilation tracks, which is typical for early jungle / DnB of that era.
Conclusion
Origin Unknown is one of those projects without which the history of drum & bass would be incomplete. Under this name, the duo of Andy C and Ant Miles created music that not only reflected its time but actually shaped the sound of the genre itself. «Valley of the Shadows» has become an eternal classic, and the rest of the Origin Unknown discography is an important part of the golden catalogue of RAM Records and the entire DnB culture.
