Baby Ford

by Sean CooperPeter Ford is one of the most recognizable names in current dancefloor techno and was one of the founders of the U.K. acid house scene. Hes released records under a slew of pseudonyms, including Casino Classix, El Mal, Solcyc, Simprini Risin, and his most frequent, Baby Ford. His early work — heavily influenced by the late-80s acid house sound, as well as Chicago producers such as Marshall Jefferson, Ron Trent, Armando, and Larry Heard — appeared primarily through the Rhythm King label, and included classic cuts such as Oochy Koochy, Children of the Revolution, and Fetish. Material has also appeared on Sire, Source, and Insumision/Transglobal. Hes released four full-length albums to date, including the debut Fordtrax (a staple of most techno DJs) and 1997s Headphone Easyrider, one of his more listener-friendly albums. His recent work has appeared mostly through Trelik and Ifach — two of the U.K.s most highly regarded experimental techno labels, and both of which Ford has a hand in managing (Trelik together with Eons Ian Loveday; Ifach with Mark Broom). Hes also collaborated with Ian Loveday on a number of projects (including Minimal Man), both for Trelik and for William Orbits Guerrilla label. Less active as a remixer, Ford has reconfigured tracks for Stefan Robbers Florence project and pop techno group SExpress, among others.