Source Direct began as the studio partnership of Jim Baker and Phil Aslett, two friends from St Albans whose records became a distinctive part of 1990s jungle and drum and bass. Their productions combined exacting breakbeat work with atmospheres that could be warm and expansive or dark and unsettled.
The contrast is clear across the early catalogue. Secret Liaisons on Good Looking Records represented a more spacious side, while releases for Metalheadz and their own imprint explored tighter, more menacing arrangements. Their work under other names, including Sounds of Life and Hokusai, adds further detail to that development.
The 1999 album Exorcise The Demons took that darker writing into a full-length setting. Contemporary criticism connected it with the emerging techstep sound, while also noting how much the arrangements relied on development and atmosphere. It belongs to the original duo’s catalogue, rather than to Baker’s later solo period.
The partnership ended around the turn of the century. In a 2014 Quietus interview, Baker reflected on their studio methods, the value of working together, and his return to music. Source Direct subsequently continued under Baker, making it important to distinguish the original two-person project from later activity when following releases and credits.
