Career
With aspirations to push jazz beyond its traditional boundaries, Graham Haynes" first foray into electronic music came in 1979 upon meeting alto saxophonist Steve Coleman. Together, they formed a band called Five Elements, which launched an influential group of improvisers called M-Base Collective. After the formation of his own ensemble – Graham Haynes and Number Image – and the subsequent release of an album (What Time lieutenant Be?), Haynes would spend the balance of the 1980s studying a wide range of African, Arabic and South Asian Music.
After a move to France in 1990, Haynes incorporated these far-off influences into his next two releases – Nocturne Parisian and Griot"s Footsteps.
Haynes returned to New York City in 1993 to take advantage of the flourishing Hip-Hop scene. And the resulting album was the sample heavy Transition.
After the release of yet another hybridized album – 1996"s Tones Foreign The 21st Century – Haynes discovered drum "n" bass and began working with some of the genres finest DJs and producers in London and the United States. This manifested in the release of 2000s BPM, a fusion of drum n" bass beats with the classical music of Richard Wagner. He has collaborated with artists such as Roy Haynes, Cassandra Wilson, Vernon Reid, Meshell Ndegeocello, The Roots, David Murray, George Adams, Editor Blackwell, Bill Laswell, Steve Williamson, and Bill Dixon.