His education is listed as Enfield Grammar, and a work base in the Home Counties, which includes London; I will postulate that this artist’s origins are from this vicinity. This week I bring you artist Leigh Dickson.
With over twenty-five years’ experience in the domestic Audio/Visual industry, including parallel experience in studio production and pro audio, specialising in high-end hi-fi Installation, isolation, speaker positioning, and system tuning, and as an experienced AV Senior Installation Engineer. Trained as an Audio Engineer and a published musician and producer, he has in-depth knowledge of music, recording, and mastering, which helps him understand every stage of the musical process. He also had his own Radio show for five years. An important note: part of this chapter involved being entrusted with another person’s creation.
Starting on the ‘Static’ show at Hoxton FM, he moved to Soho Radio, where he covered ‘The Remix’ show, which ran for at least 21 months, from October 2017 until July 2019. You can find some shows from both ‘Static’ and ‘The Remix’ here. The Remix began on XFM, created by Eddy Temple-Morris, and moved to Soho Radio after the move was announced in September 2015.
The music is Techno, Electro, Electronica, Ambient, amongst other styles; however, his playlists show that he selects carefully, and there is only one theme: it is all incredibly well-crafted music, and these productions are represented by the word deep, or what I like to refer to as connects to the heart.
This undying ‘quality’ choice in music, coupled with his professionalism in the Audio/Visual industry, shows his utmost passion, attention to detail, and care with equipment and its output, achieving the best sound from physical audio playback; these are, without doubt, foundations that have filtered down to his music productions. I think these are incredibly important points, and critical to understanding his music output.
Known for emotive Techno and Electro, Leigh has released three solo EPs; one includes a remix by Peter Frank Adshead. Additionally, two releases are remixes of ‘Praise ’ by other artists. Leigh appears on a various artists EP on Verdant Recordings, releasing one track alongside John Shima, Plant43, and Mihail P.
PRODUCTIONS
In order, his first production came in 2002, on Cube with his seminal release ‘Praise’.
‘Praise’
Accompanying the Dub Plate on Verdant Recordings of ‘Praise Reprise’ (by Andy Green and Joe Sowrey) & Detention Centre, the 2026 release notes state, ‘ Summer 2026 marked the 30th anniversary of the writing and production of Praise…’ which places the track’s writing origins approximately in 1996: a time when electronic music was being pushed into unexplored territory by artists determined to challenge convention, where rhythm and texture became cinematic, atmospheric and full of emotion.
The original was released in 2002, including Baby Ford’s ‘Heavenly Circuit Mix’, and has resurfaced on Ben Boe’s For Those That Knoe in 2014, and as versions on Pariter, a subdivision of Sushitech Records, in 2013 and 2023. And Verdant in 2026
A timeless track that has kept drawing attention since 2002, and rightly so. This is a phenomenal achievement for a first-time production; it shows Leigh’s commitment to hard work, bringing the same attention to detail and care from other sound endeavours into his writing, and it shows incredibly well-thought-out processes.
Included is ‘Baby Ford Heavenly Circuit Mix’
With the Heavenly Circuit Mix. It is 9.30 minutes of hypnotic, minimal groove with subtle changes. The first is a low-pitched bass key that comes in at the one-minute mark, adding depth; the other is a clap which appears and disappears. The beauty of minimal, which does not always capture people’s attention, shines in full glory on Baby Ford’s incredible version of Leigh’s track. A track that certainly makes me lose time and place.
Praise’s enduring lifespan is perhaps the strongest testament to the original work’s quality.
Aerobatics and Praise that appeared on Cube are incorporated into the two releases that came out on Ben Boe’s ‘For those that Knoe’ label in the summer of 2014, selected from tracks that were on Leigh’s SoundCloud page. Aerobatics features on Knoe 3/1, and Praise, an unheard and unreleased extended version of the electro classic, closes out the second EP, Knoe 3/2.
Knoe 3/1
Tracks ‘Chimera‘, ‘Aerobatics‘, and ‘Sketch Form’ are at those links. I want to focus on the last track on the EP:
‘Closed Box’
A stripped-back breakbeat, with heartwarming melody lines that interweave and harmonise. At 5.05, a high- to mid-range whirring synth line enters, giving the piece a slight oriental feel; an absolutely gorgeous track.
Knoe 3/2
From this EP, tracks ‘At One’, and ‘Praise 2014’ are at those links.
‘Cresnet’
From the outset, crisp percussion is accompanied by a sound that suggests an air current. At 0:15, this sound is enhanced to introduce the melodic line. At 0:53, this wind-like sound is used to great effect and enters quietly, grows louder, then stops, launching the bass with the melody. At 1:30, a single medium-pitch, emotive, heartwarming held-melody synth line enters, adding further depth until 1:58, when percussion pauses momentarily; mid-high-key stabs with a slight echo/reverb are added, accompanied by the reintroduction of the held-melody synth line; percussion re-enters, and everything comes together. At 3:12, the percussion pauses for the final time, and everything re-enters, creating a burst of significant enhancement from all melodies playing out until 3:56, when it’s just percussion and one melody line; at 4:25, percussion drops and the melody is changed to the melody that came in at 1.30 until it’s close. Stunning House music.
‘Ion’
Futuristic space exploration mixed with a slight oriental feel comes to mind from the opening melody line and continues until 5:00; here, it changes, and the opening melody line pauses; the dampened kick, the low-end bass, and one high-pitched melody line take its place, then the original melody returns at 5:25 until its conclusion. Echoey percussion comes in at 0:30, low-end bass is added at 1.00, and a hollowed-out/dampened kick appears at 1:14. A track with many textures, lovely string melody lines, and interesting sounds that add to the explorative feel, giving it immense depth and a style all its own; a unique, beautiful track.
Leigh certainly has a passion for how sound sounds. Part of this is looking after hi-fi lovers’ systems, alongside his other endeavours in sound and vision work, studio production and pro audio, and radio broadcasting. With his impeccable taste in music, listeners to Leigh’s shows will recognise and appreciate his selections and know he championed older electronic music and ran a vinyl- and collector-oriented show. Notably, he followed Colin Dale’s Kiss Show from age 14.
All of these things, in parallel, have shaped him, leading him to produce arguably a track that belongs at the pinnacle of timeless classics, alongside other impressive electro and techno tracks from the ‘golden age’ of these styles (1982 to 1999).
This is far more than just ‘Praise’. Over the past 15 to 20 years, he continued to refine his sound and went on to produce a wide range of tracks, some picked up by Ben Boe for his label For Those That Knoe. As far as I am aware, there are still around 40, possibly more, unreleased tracks.
There is no doubt Leigh is incredibly talented. His productions show careful thought, care and attention to detail. His sound is texturally rich, and it does cocoon you: the melodies and key work transcend, connecting directly with the heart.
His productions show an unfading commitment to quality; they also demonstrate perfection, and I suspect his work ethic, along with his other sound and vision work, is the reason. This is his trademark in everything he does, and it’s not only wonderful to see it come through, but it also attests that doing everything from within produces solid results.
This is what makes electronic music so special; for me, it is about people like Leigh, the important ones, the fundamental layer that holds everything in place. This is what keeps everything true. No trends, no hype, no underhanded nonsense, just good old-fashioned hard work to produce honest, quality music that comes from the inside.
Until the next one, I will leave you with this track from ‘Emerald City’ EP.
‘Follow’
A lush electronic track at 120 bpm, starting with a warm, mid-range synth key. A dampened kick and hi-hat are incorporated shortly after. Wooden percussion slowly comes in from 0:40, increasing in volume. At the same time, another warm-sounding synth is introduced to add depth and create a lovely opening sequence until 1:55, when a different synth line takes over: one which comes in softly, increasing in volume, pitch and oscillation, and at 2.43 it is accompanied by a violin melody, giving the piece a unique yet distinct Japanese feel. Beautiful.
Please check out the other tracks on the Emerald City EP; they are all wonderful.
Be Safe.
Peace and Love.
Stef