For much of 2011, a year that saw newcomer Gerry Read release a defining trio of singles for the Fourth Wave imprint, the shadowy producer from the North of England was a mere 19 years old. In the current era of electronic music, a time when it seems like ever-younger artists are apt to make waves, this may not be the most surprising of facts. However, when listening to the six sides of vinyl Read was responsible for last year, it's not obvious that the music is the work of a young artist finding his step. On the contrary, it sounds like something put together by a mature producer, one who has perhaps seen the trends and thought better of following them, instead choosing to forge his way with a different sound. "I was bored of trying to come up with post-happy-future-garage bollock step," says Read, so he didn't, and because of that, the electronic-music community has taken notice.

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