Heist
Been making Drum & Bass as Heist for about 4 years now and I've been DJing 13 years. I also make tunes under the alias Strider for Valve, Test and Beatz and my own label Co Lab. Have released tracks on labels like MetalHeadz, Co lab, Play Musik, Grid, Horizons Music, Beatz, Creative Source, Calypso Musak and Mac 2 Recordings. I also have forthcoming music on Full Cycle, Metal Headz, Valve, Digital Sound Boy, Rufige, Grid, Co lab, Calypso, Creative Source, Liq weed Ganja and more...... Recently had alot of my music played on BBC Radio 1 and BBC 1Xtra by Dj's like Bailey, GrooveRider, Fabio, DJ Flight, Goldie, Krust, TC, L Double, Sappo, DJ Hype and Ray Keith (Kiss 100 FM) and Bryan G (Ministry of sound radio). I've also done 2 small Interveiw's with knowledge magazine and ATM, and interveiwed live on ministry of sound radio with Bryan G and 1 Xtra with Bailey.
More Recently I have joined Forces with Goldie. We have been working hard in the studio as Rufige Kru and have completed the new Rufige kru album, and It's Called 'Malice in wonderland'. Tracks include Malice in wonderland (played by Mary Anne Hobbs) Scar (being championed by the mighty Bailey), Special Request (Total Science Favourite), Monkey boy (Getting massive support from Groove Rider, Krust and fabio), Pest control, Grouper and Infamous and many more. The Album is due April.
Benny Colab
I love music full stop! From an early age I was playing guitar, listening to my parents music and spending my pocket money on records which was followed in the early nineties by rave tapes passed around at school.The dj bug hit me in 1995 when I whent to the legendary Quest with mates and I havent looked back since. I whent halves on a pair of old turntables with a mate which didnt even have pitch control and somehow managed to bodge a mix tape together which after a trial run with friends at a local bar which we promoted ourselves earned me a gig with local night LIFTED <run by daz e + emille > that led to a residency and my hook up with soon to be dj partner Emille < aka Goat + Aries > I ran a shop in Stourbridge called JUST FLEXIN which lasted 18 months and started playing radio on Underground Fm with Goat in 98. That led to bookings all over the midlands and a residency at Prosession < which became Autumn + now Break Thru > Big shouts to Shaolin + Pace for giving us our break in Birmingham, anyone weve ever played for and of course the Stourbridge crew for there support over the years < you know who you are :)! Nowadays we are residents at Break Thru which is now run by Dan B Blindside + Reaction and Atomic Jam. We also play out regularly all over the country and I cant wait for the first gig abroad!
While Goat <now know as Aries > got the producing bug and is now signed to Digital Soundboy, Lion Dubs + Co-Lab I was more interested in the label management side of things and dealing with artists so after a cd found its way to me of up and coming producer Heist < thanks sam caution > back in 2001 I saw potential, got in touch and a partnership was formed that became Co-Lab Recordings. With Co-Lab ANYTHING goes musically and we have released the full spectrum of dnb over the 10 releases currently in its discography.
Late 2005 another close friend DY8 showed interest in starting a label representing the more jump up sounds so we decided to join forces, started Calypso Muzak and it became part of the Co-Lab music group. And finally in 2006 I decided to get on the more dancehall tip so Aries and I started Pure Vibez Recordings to cater for that kind of flex. All 3 labels between them now represent everything I / we love about D+B and the concept is that even though they all sit under the Co-Lab Group they all stand up in there own rights as great labels releasing great music.
I am always looking to support new artists and try to bring people through who I believe have talent and are genuinely nice people to work with so hit me up with some beats please!
Aries
Aries (aka The Goat) has been into rave music since 1991 and hasn't looked back since. He was immediately hooked by the fresh sounds and new music that stood out from anything else he had heard before. Still at school and to young to go out to the nights he got his fix buying tape packs which soon progressed to DJing, pirate radio, promoting events and writing the music itself. After being involved in the early nineties pirate radio station scene it was through promoting with friends "Lifted" in 1996 that his dj career really started to take off and in 1998 the dj partnership with Benny who ran the local record shop was formed . Benny + Aries have been residents for Autumn (formerly Prosession, now Break Thru) in Birmingham since 2000, Aries promotes his own event with friend Solution 'Above & Beyond' and are regulars on the midlands dj circuit playing all of the main nights in the area including Atomic Jam, Flashback and Accelerated Culture.
Meanwhile, Aries has been producing Music for just over a decade but more seriously over the past 4 years. He takes his name from his star sign and his main influences are Roots and Dub Reggae which will come as no surprise if you listen to his music. Artists he is currently into are Heist, Shy Fx & T power, Visionary, Benny Page, Skitty, Bcee + Lomax, Calibre, Digital and many more.
His first outing on vinyl was in April 2005 on Co-Lab Recordings (owned by dj partner Benny + Heist) with the heavily supported "Herbsmoke" which was championed by Bailey and even made it onto the daytime playlist of BBC's 1XTRA. It was around this time that Shy Fx became aware of his music and asked for a promo of Herbsmoke. The link was forged and the next two pieces of music that were completed "Ala Ala Bama" and "Smokers Delight" (with Brothers Bud) were snapped up for Digital Soundboy. Also about on vinyl is "Nuff Reggae Music" on Visionary's Lion Dubs label. (click links below profile).
His music is very unique and offers soul and depth that not only makes people think and listen but holds its weight and has maximum impact on the dancefloor. Looking to the future, Aries intends to concentrate on his music and see what the future brings. This artist has already given 14 years of his life to the music he loves and fully intends to give many more!
Visionary
Marcus Visionary and Dave Whalen have been together as Visionary for the last 11 years.
2005 was a great year for the duo as they set up two labels via Load Media in the U.K; Dance Rock and Lion Dubs. In 2005 they were also fortunate enough to be noticed by Shy FX and T Power and picked up as resident artists for the new Digital Soundboy label. Check out the website at www.digitalsoundboy.com.
In the last decade Visionary have been featured on many premiere labels including: Play:musik, 31 Records, Revolve:r, Trouble on Vinyl, Horizon Music, X tinction Agenda, Shout, Flex Records, Hustlin Beats, On Point, Nice and Smoothe and of course Digital Soundboy, Dance Rock, Lion Dubs and their brand new label Rock & Groove via Nu Urban Music. Watch out for 'Dub Rock Sound' coming to a soundsystem near you.
DJ Connecta
DJ Connecta was born in 1981 in Mannheim. He started DJing around 1998 and naturally progressed to production in the year 2000.
He has had releases on Formation and remixes for XS and Advisory which will be shortly followed by his huge remix of WHAT HAPPENS HERE (The Force) for us on CALYPSO which is currently being caned by anyone lucky enough to have it!
Keep your eyes and ears open for this artist in 2007!
IMP
Somewhere in the heart of Essex there lives an IMP. He spends all day making sick tunes but never comes out to play! His identity needs to remain anonymous for legal reasons!
Look out for his debut 12 on Calypso soon!
Funsta
Fusing his talent and experience with a love of both Drum n Bass and Hip Hop, MC Fun has developed a style which is always mesmerising, sometimes thought-provoking and uniquely his own. Fun entered the scene from a Hip Hop background but quickly established himself within the underground D&B circuit. By the mid to late 1990s he was playing on radio stations such as Kik F.M., Ruud and Rude Awakening and at raves like Desire, Heat, Pure Science and High Velocity.
This radio exposure along with regular appearances at T.O.V, Movement, Legends of the Dark Black, Innovation, Chatterbox, Fever and One Nation to name but a few, have led Fun to become one of the most established and respected players in the underground D&B scene.... His work has taken him all over the world; to Greece with Kool F.M.; Brazil with Urban Takeover; France for N.Y.E.; America, Germany and most recently Spain and Portugal alongside D.J,s Mickey Finn and Andy C respectively.
He is part of the governments Dont Shoot campaign touring schools promoting anti-gun violence, and as a leading member of the Uncontrolabelz he rhymes alongside fellow lyricists and has even started building his own beats. Not only can he rinse it out high-energy style at a rave, he can also captivate the audience with his deeply-inspirational words of wisdom, on the underground, mainstream and global circuits. His appeal lies in this versatility, this fresh and often challenging perspective and, as his name suggests, his commitment to getting down and having Fun.
Majistrate
Watch out for Cakeface forthcoming by Majistrate on 'Calypso Muzak'. This label has already had big releases from Heist & The Force. Also don't forget you can catch Majistrate & DJ Nicol B2B on Kool 94.6 NAM Musik show every other Wednesday 7-9pm with guest MC's passing through.
Full biography coming soon.
Malfoy
Malfoy are a new jump up duo comin straight outta Bristol! Their first release for Calypso BEAR HUNTER back in August '06 smashed dancefloors worldwide!
We have also signed SLYTHERIN SOUNDCLASH which will see a release Summer 07.
We expect big things from these boys this year!
DJ Pleasure
Hailing from North West London, DJ pleasure started listening to jungle/DnB in the early 90’s. He was instantly hooked by this new sound of the electronic underground, especially the dark side B-lines on tracks like “Lord of the null lines” and “Dark stranger”. His love for the music grew at an enormous rate and he was soon going out to all big raves in the capital and further a field, just to soak up the vibe and see where it was going. But it wasn’t until the year 2000, when a mate went on holiday and lent him his decks for the summer, that he picked up a pair of headphones and took to launching an assault on a pair of turntables.
Mixing came very easily to him, he seemed to understand the beats and feel the music instinctively. Things seem to always move very quickly for this highly talented dj/producer/promoter. After just a few weeks he had secured a set on the local pirate radio station Jive fm and it was here that he meet Dj’s Origin and Frosty. They realised they shared the same tastes in music and passions for other common interests and all immediately became close friends.
It wasn’t too long before he had his first play out and what a play out it was. He had a prime set in the Jungle room of Garage Nation at Club Collesium. As always, he tore it up and the crowd loved him. The buzz he got from this one set alone, lead him to seriously think about pursuing a long term career in Jungle/DnB.
Over the next few years Pleasure started fighting his way up the Dj ranks, quickly gaining a reputation for his super tight mixing skills, churning out locked up mix after mix, in every single set he played. In 2002 he became a member of the Freeze fm team and mashing up London and beyond with his regular Friday night show and not to mention the bookings that carried on piling in. Within a year of learning to mix, he had regular sets at some of the biggest raves in the country including One nation, Slammin vinyl, Area nightclub and other various venues around the capital. Things were moving quickly and Pleasure was eager to prove himself to the DnB community, but nothing could prepare him for what happened next.
In 2005 pleasure fulfilled one of his life long dreams and became a member of the international brand that is the Kool fm hit squad, with the blessing of Eastman and the help of his friend Dj Verb, he secured a late night Saturday set on the multi award winning station. Whilst also caning up the airwaves on Freeze, Pleasure was fairly content with the direction his career was going, but yet again, his career was about to grow and head into unchartered territories…
In February 2006 Pleasure got hold of a bootleg copy of Reason after a friend recommended that he try moving things forward and getting into production. Like most things musical that he’s dabbled with, he was a natural and became instantly hooked. The idea and possibility that he could create his own brand of music and see a warehouse full of ravers having it to one of his tunes, gave him the drive to knuckle down and start learning at an immense rate. By the end of the year he had already gained the attention of Dj Brockie, who snapped up “Hey Homie” for his world renowned label Undiluted.
2007 got off to a flying start with the signing of two tracks, “Answer me” and “Sonic boom” to Logan d’s label Low Down Deep, which received support from artists such as Hype, Micky Finn, Ruffstuff and all of the Kool fm hit squad team. It wasn’t too long until the kings of jump up, G dub, heard the rumbling beats and ultra-cool samples coming from this up and coming producer and snapped up one of his new tracks “In the Dark”. The cream of the industry such as Hazard, Hype, Heist, Ruffstuff (and any one else who could get there hands on the track) are rinsing this warehouse banger like cooked food at a BBQ.
So that’s where we are at now and the future is looking very bright indeed. He’s secured a new more audience friendly slot on Kool fm(tues 7-9pm), the tunes keep getting banged out from the Pleasure conveyor belt, with that comes more attention and in turn more growth, spiritually and musically. Finally, he has recently signed to Heist and Benny’s collaborative project entitled, the record label Calypso and also with an impending signing on Kool fm’s label K Power in the pipeline, the future seems bright for the Dj Pleasure.
The Force
Based in the West Midlands (UK), consists of two like minded DJs (MOOD & BURNS) who, after meeting through a mutual friend at a record shop, decided to join forces and collaborate in the studio, this was in January 2002. Five years later, after a lot of hard graft in the studio and after signing to the D STYLE camp (home to Distorted Mind's & TC), The Force are slowly but surely beginning to make a name for themselves in the worldwide Drum & Bass scene.
After sending out their first Demo CD in 2003, which received some interest from a number of smaller labels, THE FORCE got their first release ('The Subject') on Sudden Def records in September 2003. No sooner had they signed The Subject to Sudden Def when Mickey Finn (after hearing the same Demo CD) phoned up showing an interest in what they were doing. This lead to THE FORCE releasing two 12"s with Urban Takeover in 2004, the second of which, ('Invasion') received a lot of support from the scenes top DJs, including Mickey Finn, Aphrodite, Grooverider, Nicky Blackmarket, Darren J, Kenny Ken and Peshay to name a few. Also in 2004 THE FORCE signed two 12s to Intercom's New Skool Blazers series, a label that was set up to showcase new producers that the Ez Rollers were into at the time. Their first release of the series, ('Tripswitch') got a lot of support from Krust and Clipz and got played on Grooverider's Radio 1 show.
In 2005 THE FORCE mainly worked with Mickey Finn & Aphrodite's URBAN TAKEOVER label and it's sister label SHAKEDOWN. They had several releases with them over the year. Three well received tracks were 'Dibby Dibby Sound' which featured on the 'Dibby Dibby Sound EP', a remix of Mickey Finn & Aphrodite's classic 'Arsonist' (which also received good support and some airplay on 1xtra) and 'MURDER SOUND' which came on SHAKEDOWN at the tail end of the year.
2006 saw THE FORCE build up a working relationship with the D STYLE camp, something which will continue into 2007 and onwards. 2006 also saw THE FORCE continue to build their profile, with releases 'Keep Rockin', 'War Games', 'Dub 2 Africa' (on Stereotype – sister label to D Style), 'What Happens Here?' (on Calypso Muzak) and 'Faithless' (on Infrared) all of which have been creating quite a buzz in the D&B scene; something The Force hope to build on in 2007 as they, only now, feel their productions are getting to a level they are happy with.