Only Child

Producer Justin Crawford's musical experience began as a member of the band the New Fast Automatic Daffodils. When the band broke up, each member received a piece of the studio — Crawford walked away with the sequencer / sampler. A couple of years of toying around and the addition of more equipment eventually resulted in the sublime, soulful funk that is associated with Only Child's productions. Before his debut album, Satellites and Constellations, Crawford's singles appeared on several well-known electronic music compilations.

Crawford moved to Manchester to become a student in the late '80s, conveniently at the start of the city's house music explosion. After acquiring the sequencer from his breakup with the New Fast Automatic Daffodils, Crawford started experimenting with house, hip hop, and P-Funk-oriented tempos. An unexpected meeting with head of Grand Central Records Mark Rea led to the addition of Crawford to the label's roster.

Shortly after, the single Rain (with Buffy Brox) appeared on the well-respected compilations Central Heating 1 and Freezone, Vol. 4. The recognition of the single paved the way for the debut full-length Satellites and Constellations in early 2000. Crawford has also participated in remixes for St. Germain, the Freakniks, and F.U.N.K.

by Diana Potts
All Music Guide