You’d be hard pressed to call yourself a true jungle or drum n bass fan if you didn’t know the Metalheads / Rufige Kru track “Terminator”, an early hardcore/jungle classic which is credited as being the first tune of its kind to use pitch shifting on the breakbeats. Since there’s no entry exam for reading this blog, here’s a quick refresher:
“Terminator” is quite well known, on countless comps, in countless mixes, was a ringtone on my phone for a few years, etc. However, hidden on the B side of the EP was a similar sounding track which is nowhere near as popular. Incorporating most of the elements of “Terminator” minus the movie samples, “Knowledge” adds in quite a few other bits and pieces – reversed pianos, horns, vocal snippets (Is that KRS-1 saying “Knowledge”?), and additional pitch shifted breaks which sound even more robotic and alien than the ones in “terminator”.
In general, “Knowledge” is much more of a hectic hodgepodge of samples than “Terminator”, which probably explains why it was never anywhere near as popular. Listening back now though, there’s tons of stuff to like in it (those breaks at 2:35!!) and part of the charm of hardcore for me is the hectic hodgepodge approach, so this one is clearly still a winner. Also, regardless of which tune you prefer, the entire “Terminator” EP is a must-own, in fact try to nab two copies so you can beat juggle those pitch shifted breakbeat breakdowns…
Metalheads – Knowledge
this is by far my favorite track of the EP..it’s so urgent and agressive. way better than “Terminator”
i remember hearing on ciut 89.5 when i was 12!
I think I have every version of Terminator etc. But you are right, Knowledge is a much overlooked cut.
Nice, do you have the alternate versions of it? I think Randall had a dubplate only alternate version, which some serious collectors online seem to also have.
such a baaaad e.p in my alltime top 10 fer sure##
didnt i watch somewhere goldie saying about EQ`ing the snares on terminator while rushing on 4 E`s hahah :0
hah yeah forget which docu it was in but something about that + climbing on the mixing console etc
lol
it was in the uh.. “a london something” one
….we rock da hoooussse…. awesome tune, although that EP was all about Sinister and Kemistry for me.Didnt pick it up till late 93 and it still blew everything out of the water.Classic shit.