Both Ed Rush and Optical are the co-heads of a drum and bass record label called Virus Recordings, based in London, UK.
Both have earned acclaim separately, with Optical engineering tracks on Goldie and Grooverider’s albums and releasing some excellent solo tunes on the likes of Prototype, 31, and Metro. Ed Rush also has countless releases, notably on No U-Turn, where he and Nico first emphasized the dark era of drum and bass with the masterpiece album Torque, and Metalheadz, where he produced such classics as “The Raven” and “Locust”.
Their 1998 debut album Wormhole is considered a widely respected genre classic. Their second album The Creeps (2000) became reknowned as well. Their third album The Original Doctor Shade (2003) still garners massive applause on dancefloors. In 2004 they released a mix CD release Out of The Box, which captured the insides of their vinyl bags in those days and included a DVD with interviews and videos. In 2005 they released Virus Vaults, a compilation of unreleased tracks, capturing years 1996-2005. In year 2006 they finally released a new album, Chameleon. It used a new concept; they wanted to play the new tracks live. Live performance was something completely new to the whole virus crew. They still headline festivals and events playing solitary or together as DJs.
It is commonly said that their best work is done together, although there is a vocal minority of fans who will loudly state that their career took a creative nosedive after Wormhole. |
