Luke Vibert (born 26 January 1973) is a British electronic musician and producer, also known for his work under several aliases such as Plug and Wagon Christ. Raised in Cornwall, Vibert began releasing projects in the 1990s across varied genres, including techno, drum and bass, and trip hop. He has recorded on labels such as Rephlex, Ninja Tune, Planet Mu, and Warp.
Early years: 1990s Vibert's first musical output was in a variety of bands, including a punk act called Five Minute Fashion and later a Beastie Boys-esque group called the Hate Brothers, but he quickly moved into the low-cost environment of solo electronic composition.
Vibert grew up in Cornwall and attended the Wesleyan Methodist Truro School along with a number of key members of Aphex Twin's Rephlex Records crew. Luke and another school friend, Jeremy Simmonds, released an album on Rephlex under the name of Vibert/Simmonds which attracted attention from the Rising High music label. As a result of the popularity of the style in the early 1990s, Rising High commissioned an ambient music album from Vibert, who delivered Phat Lab Nightmare under the alias Wagon Christ in 1993.
Vibert pioneered the "drill 'n' bass" subgenre, which experimented with jungle and drum 'n' bass breakbeats, on his 1995 EPs under the name Plug. He would go on further over the next few years to produce more music under the Wagon Christ name for Rising High and Ninja Tune.
2000 and onwards In late 1999 and 2000, Vibert began touring with BJ Cole to promote their fusion album Stop the Panic. In 2002, he would begin a series of live collaborations with Aphex Twin. Although Aphex Twin and Luke Vibert never released an album together, Aphex Twin used the song name "Analord", from Vibert's album Lover's Acid, for a series of EPs. Vibert's later releases varied in style as he released albums under various names, including Plug, Amen Andrews, Kerrier District and Spac Hand Luke. "Amen Andrews" is a word play on the name of Irish game show host Eamonn Andrews, referring to the fact that each Amen Andrews track uses the Amen break. In 2004, Vibert explored acid disco when he remixed a Black Devil song, which was released on Disco Club (Remix) and released his first album under the alias Kerrier District.
In 2006, Vibert's song "Shadows" was featured on the DJ mix album A Bugged Out Mix by Miss Kittin, which charted at number one-hundred seventy on the French Albums Chart.
In 2007 he founded a club night with Posthuman called "I Love Acid" after his track. In 2019 it won Best British Club Event in the DJ Mag awards. A vinyl-only record label of the same name was founded in 2014, with Luke contributing two EPs and an album "Valvable" written entirely on three pieces of Roland equipment: TB303, TR808, and JX3P.
In 2015, he participated in the musical transmedia Soundhunters broadcast on the Franco-German channel Arte. For this project, Vibert appeared in the film Speak the way you breathe directed by the American film director Antonino D'Ambrosio and composed an original music of the same name.
Discography
Albums TitleAliasReleaseLabelWeirsVibert/Simmonds1993RephlexPhat Lab NightmareWagon Christ1994Rising HighThrobbing PouchWagon Christ1995Rising HighDrum 'n' Bass for PapaPlug1996Blue PlanetBig SoupLuke Vibert1997Mo' WaxTally Ho!Wagon Christ1998AstralwerksStop the PanicLuke Vibert & B. J. Cole2000AstralwerksMusipalWagon Christ2001Ninja TuneYosepHLuke Vibert2003WarpKerrier DistrictKerrier District2004RephlexSorry I Make You LushWagon Christ2004Ninja TuneLover's AcidLuke Vibert2005Planet MuAmen Andrews Vs. Spac Hand LukeAmen Andrews, Spac Hand Luke2006RephlexBenefistThe Ace of Clubs2007First CaskChicago, Detroit, RedruthLuke Vibert2007Planet MuMoog Acid Jean Jacques Perrey and Luke Vibert2007Lo RecordingsRodulateVibert/Simmonds2008RephlexRhythmルーク・ヴァイバート2008Sound of SpeedWe Hear YouLuke Vibert2009Planet MuToomorrowWagon Christ2011Ninja TuneBack on TimePlug2011BEAT RecordsRidmikLuke Vibert2014Hypercolour4Kerrier District2015HypercolourBizarsterLuke Vibert2015Planet MuLuke Vibert Presents UK Garave Vol. 1Luke Vibert2017Hypercolour RecordsSmell The UrgencyBluke (Luke Vibert and BluRum13)2017Besides RecordsSense The UrgencyBluke (Luke Vibert and BluRum13)2019RopeadopeValvableLuke Vibert2019I Love AcidLuke Vibert Presents Amen AndrewsLuke Vibert2020Hypercolour RecordsLuke Vibert Presents Modern RaveLuke Vibert2020Hypercolour RecordsLuke Vibert Presents Rave HopLuke Vibert2020Hypercolour RecordsRecepticonWagon Christ2020People of RhythmGRITLuke Vibert2022Hypercolour RecordsMachine FunkLuke Vibert2023De:tunedPlanet RollWagon Christ2025De:tunedVariety MagicPlug2026De:tuned
EPs TitleAliasReleaseLabelSunset Boulevard EPWagon Christ1994Rising HighAt Atmos EPWagon Christ1994Rising HighRissalecki EPWagon Christ1995-03Rising HighRedone EPWagon Christ1995-09Rising HighA Polished SolidLuke Vibert1995Mo' WaxMe & Mr. SuttonPlug1997-07Blue PlanetThe Power of LoveWagon Christ1998-06-02AstralwerksLovelyWagon Christ1998-08-25Astralwerks'95-'99Luke Vibert2000-06Planet MuHomewerkLuke Vibert2002-05-10Planet MuShadowsWagon Christ2004Ninja TuneSidthugSpac Hand Luke2006-06-06RephlexMoog AcidJean Jacques Perrey and Luke Vibert2006-06-26LoEBKerrier District 2Kerrier District2006-07-11RephlexHere It Comes EPPlug2006-11-30RewindRubber Chunks EPThe Ace of Clubs2007-06-04First CaskMate TronLuke Vibert2007-07-02Planet MuInstant VibeLuke Warm2014-04-21Blueberry RecordingsNews of the WorldAmen Andrews2014-11-10Blueberry RecordingsTurn EPLuke Vibert2018-01-19People of RhythmArcadiaLuke Vibert2014-04-12De:tuned
Compilation albums TitleAliasReleaseLabelDrum 'N' Bass for Papa/Plug EP's 1, 2 & 3Plug1997-09-09Nothing/InterscopeNuggets: Luke Vibert's SelectionLuke Vibert2001-08-07Lo RecordingsFurther NuggetsLuke Vibert2002-05-20Lo RecordingsLuke Viberts Nuggets 3Luke Vibert2013-10-14Lo Recordings
Singles TitleAliasReleaseLabel"Plug 1 Visible Crater Funk"Plug1995Rising High"Plug 2 Rebuilt Kev"Plug1995Rising High"Plug 3 Versatile Crib Funk"Plug1995Rising High"Do Unto Others"Luke Vibert1997Mo' Wax"Drum 'n' Bass 'n' Steel"Luke Vibert & B.J. Cole1999-11-01Law & Auder"Spring Collection"Luke Vibert & B.J. Cole2000-10-31Cooking Vinyl"Receiver"Wagon Christ2001-02-20Ninja Tune"Ataride"Wagon Christ2001-06-12Ninja Tune"Classid Trax"The Ace of Clubs2002Paperplane"Vol 01"Amen Andrews2003-08-12Rephlex"Vol 02"Amen Andrews2003-09-09Rephlex"Vol 03"Amen Andrews2003-09-23Rephlex"Vol 04"Amen Andrews2003-08-12Rephlex"Vol 05"Amen Andrews2003-11-04Rephlex"Shadows"Wagon Christ2004-08-24Ninja Tune"Lover's Acid"Luke Vibert2005-03-14Planet Mu
Compilation appearances Song titleAliasReleased onDate released"Get Your Head Down"Luke VibertNinja Cuts: Flexistentialism1996"Argos"PlugMealtime (Planet μ Records Compilation)1997"Rewind Selecta"Butler Kievμ Allstars - Criminal/Hang All DJ's Volume 32000/2003
Remixes Song titleAliasReleased onDate released"Vacuum Sucker"Wagon ChristAural Expansion - Remixed Sheep1995"Turtle Soup (Wagon Christ Mix)"Wagon ChristDJ Food- Refried Food1996"The Lake of Winter (Wagon Christ Mix)"Wagon ChristNobukazu Takemura - Child's View Remix1996"The Perfect Drug (Remixed by Plug)"PlugNine Inch Nails - "The Perfect Drug" Versions1997"Radio Babylon (Luke Vibert Mix)"Luke VibertMeat Beat Manifesto - Original Fire1997"Genius (Luke Vibert Mix)"Luke VibertPitchshifter - Genius Single1998"Tank (Luke Vibert Remix)"Luke VibertCowboy Bebop Remixes: Music for Freelance1999"Shin Triad (Wagon Christ Mix)"Wagon ChristSquarepusher - Maximum Priest E.P.1999"Timing, Forget The Timing (Kerrier District Remix)"Kerrier DistrictDisco Club (Remix)2004
References
External links [ Wagon Christ Biography] at AllMusic