I love garage music if it’s the right kind. The cheesy pop 2 step of the early noughties is a world away from the diverse, funky, bass heavy genre that I would listen to. Yet even the most radio friendly 2step has the catchy melodies, swinging drums, and fresh basslines of the older, underground stuff.
Todd Edwards is a great example of how garage music can sound. Unlike many artists in the scene, Todd is an American. American garage house was certainly a big scene and an important influence on the U.K garage scene, but it never had the funkiness of the British version.
Todd’s music generally lays down a choppy, smooth drum beat typical of 4×4 garage, with a catchy, flowing bassline. And then he uses manipulated vocal samples and other sampled instruments to great effect.
I can’t even find the original, but the other remixes suggest that Todd Edward’s version is basically a brand new song.
“As I Am” is a quintessential Todd Edwards beat. Released in 1998 on the famous Locked On record label, it is such a joyful song. The shuffling drums work so well with the melodic bassline, with the main riff keeping everything sounding incredibly. The vocals aren’t used as much as some other Todd songs, but the trademark bounce is definitely there!
Todd the God!