Daniel Bell

Daniel Bell is best known for a record he made under another name. "Losing Control," released as DBX in 1994, stripped Detroit techno down to a handful of clicks, blips and a bassline, and it became one of the defining minimal records of the decade. Bell then spent the 1990s running labels and a distribution company, moved to Berlin in 2000, and has been a working DJ and live act ever since.

From Toronto to Plus 8

Bell was born in Sacramento, California, and grew up outside Toronto, according to Wikipedia and a Ransom Note interview. Some profiles describe him simply as Canadian, so it is worth noting that the sources point to a California birth and a Canadian upbringing. In the late 1980s he moved to Toronto to attend film school, where he met Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva, as a Higher Frequency profile recounts.

In 1990 the three released "Technarchy" under the name Cybersonik, a record that helped launch Hawtin's Plus 8 label. Bell's own account, given in an interview, is that Cybersonik was a rave act he was only briefly involved with at the start of the nineties, while Wikipedia credits him with three years of work with Hawtin on Plus 8. The success of the record drew him to Detroit, and bio sources describe a 38-date American tour in 1991 and 1992 opening for Moby and The Prodigy.

Accelerate, DBX and "Losing Control"

Most sources say Bell left Plus 8 in 1992 to found Accelerate, though Wikipedia gives 1991. Under the DBX name he released a short run of records that reduced Detroit techno to funky, streamlined grooves, which AllMusic credits with helping to launch a minimal aesthetic in techno and house. "Losing Control" arrived in 1994 and became an international underground hit; Peacefrog was among the labels that issued DBX records that year. Bell has said it is probably the record people remember him for.

Labels, Distribution and Detroit Roots

Success on record turned into a business. In 1994 Bell set up Seventh City Distribution to carry small American techno and house labels overseas, and he co-founded labels including 7th City, Elevate (with Theo Parrish) and Harmonie Park. He also helped finance the start of Frictional and Dataphysix, and co-owned the Rotate record store in Windsor, Ontario, across the river from Detroit, for two years. Sources disagree on when the distribution company ended: Wikipedia and Bell himself in a Higher Frequency interview place it in 1998, while the Ransom Note says it wound down in 2000. Running it meant his own production slowed for several years.

Berlin and the Button-Down Mind

In 2000 Bell released his first mix CD, "The Button-Down Mind of Daniel Bell," on Tresor, and moved to Berlin. AllMusic describes him as the first North American DJ to take up permanent residence in the city. A follow-up, "The Button-Down Mind Strikes Back," appeared on the Paris label Logistic in 2003, the same year Logistic issued the compilation "Blip, Blurp, Bleep: The Music of Daniel Bell." In Berlin he restarted his recording career with remixes for artists including John Tejada, Akufen and Anthony Shakir, and he also recorded for labels such as Perlon and ~scape. AllMusic notes that in 2008 he took a solo live show on tour built around vintage synthesizers and drum machines rather than a laptop. His official biography has listed a residency at Robert Johnson in Frankfurt and Offenbach, though that text is dated and may no longer be current.

Sound and Influences

Bell has named Chicago house as his main starting point, alongside the minimalist composers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, whose "Music for 12 Parts" and "Electronic Counterpoint" he discovered around 1986. The influence shows in the work: short loops, small shifts in rhythm, and very few elements doing a great deal. He describes DBX as the more tracky and minimal side of his output, mostly on Accelerate, and KB Project as a more house-oriented alias that appeared on Elevate.

Live at RTS.FM

RTS.FM recorded Bell's DJ set at its Berlin studio on January 14, 2010, a decade after he settled in the city. The set runs just over an hour and has passed 31,000 views on the channel.

FAQ

Who is Daniel Bell?

Daniel Bell is a techno DJ and producer who records as DBX. Born in Sacramento, California, and raised outside Toronto, he is associated with the Detroit minimal techno sound and has lived in Berlin since 2000.

What is Daniel Bell's best-known record?

"Losing Control," released under the DBX name in 1994, is his best-known record. It became an international underground hit and led him to found Seventh City Distribution.

What is the connection between Daniel Bell and DBX?

DBX is Daniel Bell's main production alias. He released it on his own Accelerate label from the early 1990s, with "Losing Control" its signature record.

Did Daniel Bell work with Richie Hawtin?

Yes. In 1990 Bell, Richie Hawtin and John Acquaviva released "Technarchy" as Cybersonik, an early record on Hawtin's Plus 8 label. Bell later left Plus 8 to start Accelerate.

When did Daniel Bell move to Berlin?

Bell moved to Berlin in 2000, the year his first mix CD, "The Button-Down Mind of Daniel Bell," came out on Tresor.

Has Daniel Bell performed at RTS.FM?

Yes. RTS.FM recorded his DJ set at its Berlin studio on January 14, 2010. The hour-long set has more than 31,000 views.