{{Short description|British electronic music act}} {{Use dmy dates|date=August 2015}} {{Use British English|date=August 2015}} '''Forgemasters''' was a British electronic music act composed of Robert Gordon, Winston Hazel and Sean Maher.<ref name="rob-young">{{cite book | last= Young | first= Rob | authorlink= Rob Young (writer) | title= Labels Unlimited: Warp | year= 2006| publisher= Black Dog Publishing | location= London | isbn= 1-904772-32-3 | page= 164}}</ref><ref name="vice-donaghy">{{cite web | url = https://www.vice.com/en/article/warp-25-forgemasters/ | date = 25 July 2014 | access-date = 6 March 2015 | first = Daniel | last = Montesinos-Donaghy | publisher = Vice Media, Inc. | title = We Spoke to Winston Hazel About the Birth of Forgemasters}}</ref> Their 1989 single "'''Track with No Name'''" was the first release by Warp Records<ref name="independent-2009">{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/20-years-of-the-warp-factor-1778146.html | date = 28 August 2009 | accessdate = 6 March 2015 | newspaper = The Independent | title = 20 years of the Warp factor}}</ref><ref name="guardian-simpson">{{cite news | url = https://www.theguardian.com/music/2009/apr/17/warp-records-20-years | date = 17 April 2009 | accessdate = 12 November 2019 | first = Dave | last = Simpson | newspaper = The Guardian | title = Bleep of faith}}</ref> and helped define the sound of Warp and bleep techno.<ref name="fact">{{cite web | url = http://www.factmag.com/2012/04/17/oh-my-god-what-have-we-done-the-secret-history-of-warp-records/ | date = 17 April 2012 | accessdate = 6 March 2015 | publisher = Fact (UK magazine) | title = The secret history of Warp Records}}</ref><ref name="red-bull">{{cite web | url = http://www.rbmaradio.com/lists/warp-special | date = | accessdate = 6 March 2015 | publisher = Red Bull Music Academy | title = Warp Special}}</ref><ref name="resident-advisor">{{cite web | url = http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?2349 | date = 2 December 2014 | accessdate = 6 March 2015 | publisher = Resident Advisor | title = Bleep: The story of Britain's first bass revolution}}</ref>
==History== Robert Gordon, Sean Maher and Winston Hazel were colleagues in the FON record shop and studio in Sheffield.<ref>{{cite book | url= https://books.google.com/books?id=iCPH4iyQf3MC | title=How Soon is Now?: The Madmen and Mavericks who made Independent Music 1975-2005 | author=Richard King | year=2012 | publisher=Faber and Faber | isbn = 9780571278329}}</ref> Gordon was an engineer at FON Studio and co-founder of Warp Records. The name Forgemasters was taken from a local heavy engineering firm, Sheffield Forgemasters.<ref name="fact" />
Their single "Track with No Name" was the first release by Warp Records. It was of a techno subgenre, the primarily Sheffield-based bleep techno, and written in four hours one evening at Gordon's home studio.<ref name="guardian-simpson" /><ref name="red-bull" /><ref name="independent-2007">{{cite news | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/label-profile-warp-records-398605.html | first = Sarah | last = Birke | date = 2 November 2007 | accessdate = 6 March 2015 | newspaper = The Independent | title = Label Profile: Warp Records}}</ref> Dave Simpson, writing in ''Fact'' in 2012, described it as "driven by an eerie pulse, a sound which would soon be called a 'bleep' and become the distinctive signature of hardcore northern techno and, for its first two years, the sound of Warp."<ref name="fact" /> Matt Anniss, writing for ''Resident Advisor'' in 2014, called it "one of the defining records of the era".<ref name="resident-advisor" />
==Discography==
===Singles and EPs=== * "Track with No Name" (Warp, 1989) – released in association with Outer Rhythm * ''The Black Steel E.P.'' (Network, 1991) * ''Quabala EP'' (Hubba Hubba, 1992)
===Singles with contributions by Forgemasters=== * "Network Retro #8: Back 2 Back Classics" (Network, 1993) – "Somebody New" by MK* / "Track with No Name (Communique Mix)" by Forgemasters
===Compilation album appearances===
* ''Pioneers of the Hypnotic Groove'' (Warp, 1991) – includes "Track with No Name". * ''Warp 10: Influences, Classics, Remixes – Warp 10+2: Classics 89–92'' (Warp, 1999) – includes "Track with No Name" * ''Rob Gordon Projects'' by Rob Gordon (Source, 1996) – includes "Clap Your Hands", "{{as written|Metalic}}" [sic] and "Presence"
===Remixes=== * "Man Machine (Cyber - Subsonik) mix", Man Machine (Outer Rhythm, 1989) – "Man Machine (Cyber - Subsonik)" and "Man Machine (Elektro - Genetik)" mixed by Forgemasters * "15 Inches+" (Rebuilt by Forgemasters) – The Wad (Earth, 1997). Included on ''7 Hills Clash – Rebuilt EP'' * "Commercial Rain (Rub-A-Dub Mix)" – Inspiral Carpets (Mute, 1990). Included on "Commercial Rain"/"She Comes in the Fall (Remixes)"
==See also== * Nightmares on Wax * Sweet Exorcist * Tricky Disco
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{Discogs artist|Forgemasters}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:English electronic music groups Category:English techno music groups Category:Musical groups from Sheffield Category:English musical trios Category:Warp Records artists Category:Rhythm King artists