Ian O'Brien

Originally a UK music scholar, O'Brien was deeply influenced by Detroit techno, especially by Underground Resistance's "Jupiter Jazz," a sound that inspired him to start recording his own music. This feverish Mad Mike disease had him producing tracks first in conjunction with Asad Rizvi under the Memory Tree moniker and then on a solo basis for a variety of UK techno imprints. 1997's "Desert Scores," the man's masterpiece, is still considered a landmark release by those who cherish the kind of tech-jazz pioneered on UR's "Galaxy 2 Galaxy" EP.