Arcon 2

by Sean CooperBest known for his alternately jazzy and uplifting drumnbass and extreme, focused darkcore, Leon Mar (aka Fink, Noel Ram, Oil, and Arcon 2) has been producing dance tracks for the better part of a decade. At first little known in the jungle community (though his roots, like many of jungle propers biggest names, lay firmly in hardcore), Mar rode a fast track to notoriety through a string of acclaimed releases for 4Heros noted Reinforced label, recording such tracks as Liquid Earth, Silent Running, and The Beckoning under his own name and as Arcon 2. Mar was also included on the tough-as-nails Reinforced compilation, Above the Law next to such noted artists as Goldie, L Double, and Dillinja. Although Mars earlier Reinforced material, as well as a scattering of tracks and remixes for Echo Drop and Selector mined a softer, more fusion-fueled vibe, Mars work since The Beckoning (also Reinforceds first CD-EP) has tended toward the darknhard, with thick, warbling bass set against snapping breaks and ominous atmospheres. Released toward the end of 1996, The Beckoning in particular cemented Mars name as One to Watch in the 9-7, and subsequent work (including a jaw-dropping remix for Neotropics Riz Maslen on her 15 Levels EP, as well as a pair of mixes on the Future Sound of Londons We Have Explosive maxi and the first non-FSOL release on the latters Electronic Brain Violence label) proved as much; Mar nailed a recording deal with Warner Bros. in 1997 and released his self-titled first album later that year.