The Sabres of Paradise

A major reference in British electronic music, The Sabres of Paradise made the transition from acid house to IDM, leading to abstraction. Formed in 1992 by DJ/producer Andrew Weatherall and sound engineers Gary Burns and Jagz Kooner, the project is considered a pioneer in exploring the links between techno, dub, ambient and acid house in the UK electronic scene of the early 1990s. In 1993, the band released their debut album Sabresonic on their own label Sabres of Paradise Records, which reached No. 29 in the UK charts. The album features a fusion of slow, hypnotic techno, dub rhythms and ambient textures, in a post-rave spirit influenced by London's sound systems and underground club culture. In 1994, their second album Haunted Dancehall (No. 57), critically acclaimed for its dark, cinematic atmosphere, was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, before being included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It contains such iconic tracks as "Smokebelch II" and "Theme". Their third and final album, Sabresonic II (No. 88), released in 1995, consolidated their cult status in the history of British electronica, with a sound more oriented towards experimentation and industrial ambiences. The band also released several EPs and remixes, notably for Björk, Primal Scream and Future Sound of London. After the band's dissolution in 1995, Andrew Weatherall pursued an influential solo career and other projects, such as Two Lone Swordsmen with Keith Tenniswood, while Kooner and Burns formed The Aloof. After his death from a pulmonary embolism on February 17, 2020 at the age of 56, SOB reformed and took part in various festivals, including Primavera Sound in 2025.

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