DJ SS played an important role in the early-'90s development of drum'n'bass, releasing a number of formative tracks beginning in 1990 on his co-owned Formation label before returning in the mid-'90s with a plethora of productions after a brief sabbatical. Born Leroy Small in Leicester, England, SS's involvement in the drum'n'bass scene predates its development, back in the days of hardcore. In the early '90s when hardcore began to morph into what would become known as drum'n'bass, he released a series of influential tracks on Formation, including "Breakbeat Pressure," one of the style's early classics. However, once drum'n'bass traded its hardcore roots for a more ragga-inflected sound around 1993, SS retired from production, not being interested in the ragga sound. He focused his efforts during this period on other labels that he ran. He returned to drum'n'bass a few years later, though, in a big way. Throughout the late '90s he released several records on different labels under a number of monikers (Keen, Tekniq), becoming one of the more recognized producers in the U.K. drum'n'bass scene. ~ Jason Birchmeier