Through 2008 and 2009 there can’t have been many electronic music disciples that have not been totally captivated and blown away by the rise and rise of Dubstep, but while this overwhelming bass driven cloud of filth has been looming over head devouring our souls, and spitting them out in a great mass of wobbling bodies all over dance floors from underground warehouses to big room superclubs, little attention has been given to the silky and sophisticated sound of liquid drum and bass. Ok so this might be somewhat of an overstatement, what with the total domination of dance floors by heavy hitters such as High Contrast and Chase and Status, but still the genre of Liquid has been greatly overlooked and disregarded as the most popular dance music sub-genre going into 2010.
Whilst big wig Dubstep artists, Skream, Benga, Caspa and Rusko etc… etc… have had electronic music in the UK in firm grasp, Drum and Bass bosses such as Tony Colman aka London Elecktricity have been working flat out battling to keep up healthy competition between dubstep and drum and bass, constantly whipping up new and intelligent liquid delights for our musical pleasure.
So you’ve heard from High Contrast, Chase and status, Sub Focus, Logistics and Mistabishi… all hailing from our British Isles and all displaying obvious talent merging heavy big beat drums with luxurious deep bass and synths teamed with stabs of melodic grace from strings and piano…. but reach beyond the obvious and make way for young Belgian producer Netsky!
Not very often do we see drum and bass talent brandishing the Belgian flag but mark my words, Netsky has raised the bar within liquid, displaying all the obvious before mentioned characteristics of the genre and then some. In less then 12 months Netsky has risen from unknown Belgian producer to Hospital Records super new kid on the block, with releases along the way on some pretty impressive and well respected labels, Liq-weed, Ganja, Spearhead and Talkin Beatz.
Netsky began to catch UK attention early 2009 with his Track ‘Smile’, an uplifting combination of melancholic melody and deep dancefloor sub bass, featuring a perfectly crafted vocal sample, the track raised much hype between drum and bass legends Hype, Friction and Fabio, and Netsky began receiving mainstream play on Radio 1’s drum and bass show.
What this young Belgian producer does so well is effortlessly create the generic liquid sound but with an added wow factor, the piano and string riffs he creates are mesmerizingly dreamy whilst still in tight grasp of that dancefloor electricity. He manages to include luscious vocals perfectly, without making the sound overdone or cheesey. Take his remix of Mike Snow’s Black and Blue, the very thought of a dance remix of this track conjures up all sorts of dreadful visions, what could have been an overdone chart friendly block of revolting cheddar, becomes intelligently worked drum and bass heaven.
Netsky has certainly made a name for himself and I’m sure 2010 will be his year to remember, his schedule is jam packed for the year, playing everywhere from Portsmouth to Poland. He will begin his UK tour early March where he kicks off the Easter Hospitality specials in Manchester and Birmingham, Check out his Myspace for more dates and new tracks.
Line BreakAuthor: Mickey B A (27 Articles)
Say hello to Mickey BA. He be a ghetto blasting, boom shaking, music making livewire of a geeza! Bringing you the lowdown and true heads up on all your music, film and partying needs! Mickey is editor of music and events.
