At The River by Groove Armada was probably one of the first tracks that got me into “Electronic” music.

Up until that time, apart from the music I grew up on, I had got into ska punk. This was due to playing the trombone, and therefore having something to relate to in the music.

Obviously the iconic trombone solo from “At The River” was a key reason I latched onto it from first listen, but repeat listens introduced me to electronic techniques that would then overtake my interest in trombone.

The sampled drum beat, synth bass and vocal melody were techniques that I may have heard before. However, in this slow tempo song, and with my undivided attention, I finally started to hone in on them from an analytical perspective.

It was a stepping stone into the ideas of electronic music production, years before I even knew what sampling or synthesis was. Looking back at this track though, it was hugely influential in getting me to understand, accept and finally use these tools in my own work.

At The River is not just a great track but an essential one for me. Introducing me into the world of electronic music that has become my main interest for many years. It’s melody still holds up as iconic for the time, but is also instantly memorable for new listeners:

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