Mind Vortex

Mind Vortex are Laurie Carroll and Stefan Anfield, two school friends whose musical training took an unexpected turn when they heard Resonant Evil’s Troubleshoot. Laurie played clarinet and saxophone, Stefan piano; drum and bass gave them a different use for that background, with years of experimentation following their first encounter with the music.

After an early release on Plush Recordings, RAM Records became their home. Now It’s Time and Onslaught appeared on Andy C’s Nightlife 5, introducing both the melodic and darker sides of the partnership. Hotbox followed in 2012, with Alive and Arc arriving as another contrasting pair in 2013.

Those records established the combination heard across their dancefloor catalogue: strong musical hooks alongside basslines with enough weight for a large system. The two producers worked by exchanging ideas and knowing when to let the other take the lead, drawing on soul, jazz, funk and classical music as well as D&B.

Music Is My Life, made with Adam F and Yolanda in 2017, put a full vocal at the centre of that approach. Laurie’s wider studio work has included sessions for other artists, but he has described choosing projects according to what he can contribute creatively. That care helps explain the balance between songcraft and impact in the Mind Vortex records.