Hailing from Glasgow, the two producers—real names Kemal Okan and Robert Rodgers—have a strong techno influence in their music. With releases on labels such as Renegade Hardware (where they were signed under the name Konflict), Outbreak, Moving Shadow, Underfire, Audio Blueprint and their own short-lived Negative Recordings, their reputation as producers has preceded them far and wide. Their tracks are considered by many to be among the greatest examples of the Drum & Bass sub-genre—that many fans argue to be invalid—known as “neurofunk.” In the wake of (and perhaps precipitated by) the huge success and rumours of financial displeasure surrounding their 2000 release “Messiah” (Renegade Hardware), Kemal and Rob Data left the label and the Konflict name behind, opting instead to go under their existing identities as Kemal & Rob Data. It is worth noting that though Kemal amassed a great deal of solo work as well as producing with Rob Data, he also has production credits alongside such artists as Dom & Roland, Technical Itch, Paul Reset, Black Sun Empire and Dresden Codex. Rob Data, for reasons unknown, has only ever produced with Kemal. In 2002 Rob quit DJing and production. After the 2001 closing of Negative Recordings, Kemal launched Cryptic Audio; a label which has seen four releases in the space of three years, as well as spawning a short-lived live stage show. In 2004, Kemal returned to his studies, only emerging for the occasional DJ set and to collaborate with Black Sun Empire on “Stranded” v1.0 & v2.0 (oBSEssions Recordings). Progressively, Kemal moved away from the mainstream electronic scene and began to find inspiration in the diversity of the World music genre. Joining Nomad’iqa June 2004, Kemal wasted no time in adding extra oomph to live daff (frame drum), heading up the band’s progressive ‘Electronic Arabesque’ sound. In 2005, Dutch trio Noisia and UK producer Spor remixed Konflict’s biggest hit “Messiah” for Renegade Hardware much to the chagrin of many Konflict fans. In 2006, Rob Data returned to the Glasgow DJ circuit as an occasional guest at the Scottish Drum & Bass Sessions, an event loosely affiliated with ScottishDrumandBass.com — though it is rumoured his style now encompasses a far broader spectrum than Drum & Bass. Kemal has been indirectly (and possibly mis-) quoted as refusing to return to Drum & Bass while the scene remains in its current state, which may or may not be tied to an incident involving Clayton (founder and CEO of the Renegade Hardware label) over control of their hit tune “Messiah,” during which Clayton, of his own admission in an interview on Dogs On Acid, purportedly forced compliance to his ownership of the song by way of “street methods” (AKA holding Kemal/Rob Data at gunpoint and making them sign Messiah over). |
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