Woolford first became a household name for DJs when his 2005-6 slow-burning hit "Erotic Discourse" was launched into the airwaves via the Leeds label 2020 Vision. Initially inspired by the constant throb of the radio throughout his childhood, the seeds of his future endeavors were sown by the time a full-on record-collecting addiction kicked in during his teenage years. This insatiable appetite for musical stimulation has driven him to explore far beyond the cutting-edge house and techno that is his stock-in-trade. His aesthetic embraces aspects of improvised jazz (through his collaborative work with Paul Hession) and takes huge inspiration from the modern compositions of Steve Reich.

Woolford’s output as a techno producer is affiliated with both Carl Craig's Planet E label in Detroit, Scuba's Hotflush imprint, and London’s Phonica; Special Request, though, serves as a channel for a much more physical, rough sound. In Woolford’s own words, "Special Request is the ruffage, the rowdy younger brother" of his previous material under his own name.