Frank de Groodt

Frank De Groodt records dark, minimal electro, acid, and techno under the names Sonar Base, the Operator, Urban Electro, and Optic Crux, among others. His records have appeared through such powerhouses of European dance music as Djax-Up-Beats and U-Trax, as well as smaller, more experimental outlets such as Detroit's Monoplaza. Born in 1974 in Holland, De Groodt's electro roots stretch far beyond the style's mid-'90s resurgence; he grew up breakdancing in a working class suburb of Utrecht. De Groodt began making music in the early '90, and through his Operator and Urban Electro projects (the latter together with Arno Peeters, a.k.a. Spasms) has become one of the style's more respected dancefloor innovators, combining thin, driving beats with sharp synthetic textures and bizarre arrangements.