Spectre is Skiz Fernando, head of the Wordsound label, in his
record producer
A record producer is a recording project's creative and technical leader, commanding studio time and coaching artists, and in popular genres typically creates the song's very sound and structure.Virgil Moorefield"Introduction" ''The Producer as ...
,
rapper
Rapping (also rhyming, spitting, emceeing or MCing) is a musical form of vocal delivery that incorporates "rhyme, rhythmic speech, and street vernacular". It is performed or chanted, usually over a backing beat or musical accompaniment. The ...
and
electronica
Electronica is both a broad group of electronic-based music styles intended for listening rather than strictly for dancing and a music scene that started in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom. In the United States, the term is mostly used to r ...
artist persona.
Career
He is known for dark, brooding compositions inspired by
illbient
Illbient is a genre of electronic music and an art movement that originated among hip hop-influenced artists from Williamsburg, New York City around 1994. DJ Olive, and DJ Spooky, pioneers of the genre, have both claimed to have coined the ter ...
,
trip hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
,
industrial music
Industrial music is a genre of music that draws on harsh, mechanical, transgressive or provocative sounds and themes. AllMusic defines industrial music as the "most abrasive and aggressive fusion of rock and electronic music" that was "initiall ...
, and
horror film
Horror is a film genre that seeks to elicit fear or disgust in its audience for entertainment purposes.
Horror films often explore dark subject matter and may deal with transgressive topics or themes. Broad elements include monsters, apoca ...
s, and has been described as "the Nosferatu of underground horrorcore".Bush, John " Spectre Biography, Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation (also published in All Music Guide to Hip-hop ' By Vladimir Bogdanov, Chris Woodstra, Stephen Thomas Erlewine, John Bush, Backbeat Books, 2003, , ) His first album was '' The Illness'' (
1995
File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is O. J. Simpson murder case, acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the 1994, year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The ...
), which drew comparisons with the
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan is an American hip hop group formed in Staten Island, New York City, in 1992. Its original members include RZA, GZA, Ol' Dirty Bastard, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, and Masta Killa. Close affili ...
and
Lee "Scratch" Perry
Lee "Scratch" Perry (born Rainford Hugh Perry; 20 March 1936 – 29 August 2021) was a Jamaican record producer, composer and singer noted for his innovative studio techniques and production style. Perry was a pioneer in the 1970s development o ...
,Bush, John " Spectre - ''The Illness'' (review), Allmusic, Macrovision Corporation and cemented his reputation in the musical community. He soon began collaborating with Prince Paul (on his ''Psychoanalysis'' album),
Techno Animal
Techno Animal is an electronic duo formed in 1990 in London, England by British musicians Justin Broadrick (of the band Godflesh) and Kevin Martin (aka the Bug, of the band God). The duo released six LPs beginning with their 1991 debut '' Ghost ...
(''Vs Reality''), Sensational (on Spectre's 2001 album ''Parts Unknown''), and others.
Spectre also released a 90-minute mixtape, ''RuffKutz'', which showcased his new label, Black Hoodz, and featured tracks by Dr. Israel, Sensational, Mr. Dead, and the Jungle Brothers. His second album, ''The Second Coming'' was released in 1998, with a third, ''The End'' following in 2000.
''Psychic Wars'' was released in 2003, with reviewer Mason Jones commenting "Spectre's world is a dark, dank back alley, with echoes of doom-laden bass pulses and the distant clanks and thuds of a factory on the outskirts of town".Jones, Mason (2003) Dark Beats and Dank Sounds From the Other Side (''Psychic Wars'' review), Dusted German magazine ''Skug'' described the album as "Gnackwat for the brain cells".Deisl, Heinrich (2003) Spectre / Mentol Nomad , ''Skug'', Issue #55 The album featured vocals from Honeychild and was mixed by
Pere Ubu
Pere Ubu is an American rock group formed in Cleveland, Ohio, in 1975. The band had a variety of long-term and recurring band members, with singer David Thomas being the only member staying throughout the band's lifetime. They released their d ...
's
Tony Maimone
Tony Maimone (born September 27, 1952) is a bassist, producer, and recording engineer, who lives in Brooklyn, New York.
He was a member of Pere Ubu from the mid-1970s to the early 1990s, often playing with drummer Scott Krauss. The duo were dubbe ...
In 2000 while visiting family in Sri Lanka, Fernando wrote the script for a movie called ''Crooked''. The film was shot in 25 days in April 2001 then edited and put through post production through the summer and winter of the same year. It was released on the Wordsound label as a soundtrack and a two disc DVD set in 2002.Bret McCabe
Other aliases
*The Eye
*The Ill Saint / Tha Ill Saint
*Minister Fernando
*Wordsound I-Powa
*Slotek
*Skza
*SK1
Discography
Film
Several tracks from '' The Illness'' and ''The Second Coming'' were used in the film ''
The Mindscape of Alan Moore
''The Mindscape of Alan Moore'' is a 2003 documentary film that chronicles the life and work of Alan Moore, author of several acclaimed graphic novels, including ''From Hell'', ''Watchmen,'' and ''V for Vendetta''.The Mindscape of Alan Moore at allmovie