Chemo (musician)

David L.G. Webb, known professionally as Chemo is an English music producer and DJ.[1] He has also released several albums under the pseudonym ‘Telemachus’. As a sound engineer he has worked at the forefront of the British Hip Hop scene, acting as chief engineer for YNR Productions and High Focus Records. Chemo was recognised by the Guardian newspaper as a man who “has helped British music move along more than most people will ever know”.[2]

Chemo
D.L.G Webb aka Chemo
Background information
Birth nameDavid L. G. Webb
Also known asChemo, Telemachus
Born (1984-09-21) 21 September 1984
OriginLondon, England
GenresHip hop, trip hop, downtempo, world
Occupation(s)Producer, Sound Engineer
Years active1999–present
LabelsHigh Focus Records
Pickwick
YNR
Associated actsTriple Darkness, Jehst, Beat Butcha, Kashmere, Jam Baxter, Verb T, Onoe Caponoe
Website

Career
Early Chemo Productions Logo

2004 – 2011

Named after a fictional DC Comics supervillain, Chemo first started as a producer and DJ for London Hip Hop group 'Frontline'. He helped found legendary Hip Hop night ‘Speakers Corner’ in Brixton. Off the back of Speakers Corner, Chemo worked on albums for Verb T, Kyza, Kashmere, Manage, Jehst, Triple Darkness and others.

In 2007, Chemo produced a compilation album titled Squirrelz With Gunz, alongside World DMC champion DJ Skully. A second compilation of his work between 2007-2011 entitled The Stomach of the Mountain was released in 2011.

2011 - present

Telemachus (born in 2011) is a pseudonym used for Webb’s solo projects and to allow him to be “a little more artful.”.[3] The debut release was a 7" Vinyl entitled ‘Scarecrows’ featuring Roc Marciano. This was taken from the ‘In The Evening’ album which was awarded album of the month by Q Magazine and named one of the albums of the year by The Quietus.[4] Telemachus followed up this album by travelling to North Africa in 2014 to create his ‘In Morocco’ album.

Chemo continued to produce for numerous vocalists and was lauded in particular for executive producing albums for Jam Baxter and Onoe Caponoe on High Focus Records.

In April 2020 Telemachus signed to High Focus Records and soon after released his latest album Boring & Weird Historical Music on High Focus Records.[5]

Style

Early productions often mirrored pioneers such as Pete Rock, Havoc, Alchemist, J Dilla, El-P and Rza - eventually evolving into a more nuanced and varied style - “From beautifully shuffling jazz drums to sinister synths to delicately plucked strings, he displays a vast knowledge of music and an ear for off the wall styles.”[6]

The birth of Telemachus gave him the opportunity to call upon far wider influences (psychedelic rock, dancehall, blues, West African Highlife) that led journalist Neil Kulkarni to describe Chemo as “an ancient, modern and unique voice in British Music”.[7]

Discography

Studio albums
  • 2007 - Chemo - Squirrelz With Gunz
  • 2010 - Chemo - The Stomach of the Mountain
  • 2011 - Telemachus - Scarecrows ft. Roc Marciano
  • 2013 - Telemachus - In the Evening
  • 2014 - Telemachus - In Morocco
  • 2020 - Telemachus - Boring & Weird Historical Music

Collaborative
  • 2008 - Triple Darkness - Anathema
  • 2014 - Jam Baxter - ...so we ate them whole
  • 2015 - Onoe Caponoe - Tales from Planet Cattele
  • 2017 - Jam Baxter - Mansion 38
  • 2018 - Jam Baxter - Touching Scenes

References
  1. "Telemachus x Bonafide Beats #40". Bonafidemag.com. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  2. Rob Boffard. "Hip-hop straight outta ... Westminster reference library | Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  3. "Telemachus- In The Evening (Review & Interview)". Broken-culture.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  4. "Features | Against The Monoculture: Counting Down The Best Hip Hop Of 2013". The Quietus. 2013-12-19. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  5. "Telemachus Joins High Focus Records". High-focus.com. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  6. "Chemo 'So We Ate Them Whole' Interview". Broken-culture.co.uk. Retrieved 2020-05-21.
  7. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2015-04-15. Retrieved 2015-04-10.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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