TODD EDWARDS - The man and his music.
Colin Williams, May 2000

For 20 years I have lived and loved the music industry. I am a club DJ, Photographer, an Entertainment journalist, and anything else that fuels and fires me. I have met countless prominent and influential people, many of whom have become firm friends. Some may say I have been there, done it and got all the T-shirts. I would say possibly, but still continue to search for the next best thing.

Well back in June 2000 I gained personal pleasure conducting an informal and impromptu interview with a true icon of current UK Garage scene. A quiet unassuming man, who has single-handedly (along with the other immortals "Grant (Bump N Flex) Nelson", and TMVS (Tommy Musto / Victor Simonelli) done more to help shape the underlying sound and mood than he realises.

His influence has reduced more recently as the new crop of UK producers re-engineer the UKGarage identity, but for me along with Grant, and Victor, is the catalyst that helped to ignite the entity we have today.

This article is the summary of Colin Williams meets Todd Edwards:

It is late on a Wednesday evening. I have travelled at high speed through London under the instructions of Karl "always too damn busy" Tuff Enuff Brown. I had spoken to Todd on the phone at the weekend, and he had agreed informally to tell me a little about himself. "No Interviews, we're too busy" were Karl's instructions. Todd had flown over for a studio crammed fortnight to collaborate with Karl "Tuff Enuff" Brown on yet another at the time unnamed mega project.

Anyway, I reached Karl's studio base deep in London Bridge to be confronted (I have to admit to being quite speechless) by a smiling Todd Edwards and Kelly Le Roc. "You must be Colin", said Todd before being wrestled back into the studio by Karl. I must admit the schedule was tight, they were running out of time (due to a million people dropping in to try to gain minutes of Todd's time), and the mix in real time with Kelly, had hit a few creative stumbling blocks.

Now I have been in many studios over the years, but rarely one as vibrant and oozing with creativity as that one. Todd would play a chord, Karl would add to it, Kelly would sing a bar change a bar, sing a bar, change a bar, it was great. For the first time saw how free form music was made, as opposed to the continual regurgitation of old sounds and words. And Yes, I was still speechless. After an hour or so, I got into the swing of things, nodding in approval, submitting my knowledgeable, but somewhat irrelevant view. I had been accepted as one of the team (albeit a temporary secondment), so the forum was ripe to find out more about the man and his music.

I took a deep breath, and dived straight in.

Todd's influences were Masters and Work and MK (Marc Kitchen), in fact some of his earlier musical experiments were using MK's rhythms and Enya's (yes, Enya) voice. "She uses her voice as an instrument," said Todd, so if you wanted a view on where those crazy stretched and chopped vocals came from, this is probably it.

Begging to know Todd's favourites, uncovered some of my own. "Saved my Life, Vida Simpson, the legendary Sample Choir", Todd seems to be quite oblivious to the almost magical position he holds in the minds of many of the UK garage DJs. "I don't get bothered by the hype, but am so encouraged by you guys". "I only want to create good music, so the feedback I get from you guys keeps me humble".

Its great to talk to a music purveyor who still lives for the music. Admittedly bills have to be paid, but if they become paramount, the musical delivery will suffer.

Unlike many of today's music wonders (even though this is changing fast), Todd is a trained pianist. "I had a very good piano teacher, but I dropped out after 18 months. I wanted to be original, but he only wanted me to copy the works of others". Todd holds this fierce desire to be original, to push the boundaries, to always do something different. "The vocals and music have to move you, or don't do it" is the almost obvious response he gave me on more than one occasion.

Alabama Blues was a key track in the Todd Edwards evolution. Todd was a 19 year old (now 27) still at school and approached by a French record company to deliver a remix. "Would you turn it down", he says. The rest is history. I remember train spotting (searching for records and sound bites) many years ago with Karl "Tuff Enuff" Brown, when we spent a lot of time searching out the early Todd epics, way before they became public domain favourites.

I still get emails today from people searching for Alabama Blues, the one sided Saved my Life release, or the extremely hard to find Beloved remix, 1000 years from today.

"Where does I Recordings fit in", is my next question. "Joe (I Records) is as much a friend as a manager". "He's been there through thick and thin". "We are a team at I Records". "I can concentrate with the engineers in the studio, whilst Joe looks after the business side of things". "People mention Todd Edwards, but as much of my success is due to having good people around"

"Samples are key to my music. Whilst the arrangements can change, samples are something special, they almost have a life of their own". Todd is a sample master. There are many who have now adopted the style he pioneered, but few have mastered it and can deliver it with such energy or intensity. Some of the UK producers, Karl "Tuff Enuff" Brown, Sylvester (half of Club Asylum), Curtis and Moore, all have now incorporated "Todd Type" moves and motions in their music to great effect. The resultant has been a Todd Edwards type sound with a UK flavour (usually a great use of Bass), giving us another devastating musical footprint. I can still vividly remember the "Saved my Life" early days when we all struggled in vain trying to work out exactly what was being said (we still have no idea).

Todd Edwards, (and Todd Terry) have at times been nicknamed "Todd the God", it is intriguing to note that Todd Edwards is one of the most deeply religious individuals I have met in a long time. "I believe that God has blessed me with a special talent". "The ability to listen to the same things as everyone else, but hear something different". Todd has a firm belief in the role God, plays in his life. An avid churchgoer, but still a realist at heart. Following God helps to give Todd focused, and listening carefully to the words of many Todd records (try it, in between jumping around) will uncover many references to God or Jesus. Did you know the "Lil Louis" inspired "Saved my Life" (in my opinion, the best and most compelling Todd Edwards record ever) is about a man who seeks and finds God.

Todd has heard so much about London, and the London scene. As a close friend of Karl "Tuff Enuff" Brown, and Matt "Jam" Lamont he has been to London before but only again on a whirlwind working visit. "I really want to sample the London atmosphere", he says quite forlornly, "but I doubt we will have the time".

It would be great for Todd to see the two extremely successful, but extremes of London club land. Twice As Nice, and Garage City will both be playing Todd Edwards records, but the delivery and audience is so different. It would have been an experience to view the reaction of someone so influential, but not from our native shores. I doubt anywhere in the world "feels" the Todd Edward sound like London (not even New Jersey). Todd Edwards you will always be welcome here, as you have more than earned your honorary place.

So that's phase one. The interview that never was (sorry Karl), of Todd Edwards at Karl's London studio base. Can I say thanks to Todd for his time and honesty and hope to speak to him again, to the lovely and supremely talented "Kele Le Roc" who spent hours in the studio working to microscopic detail on a secret to be released project, and to my friend Karl "Tuff Enuff" Brown for allowing me to gatecrash his musical world and such short notice.

Todd Edwards, a musical inspiration to me and judging from my Email inbox to many of you. Not just a passing musical fad (8 years at the top is a long time in this game), but also a purveyor of milestone musical masterpieces. We will be listening to these records for years to come.

Todd Edwards - Don't stop the music.

Colin Williams - May 2000. Not to be reproduced in full or part without the authors written consent.