HAZZARD

ITS PRIDE

SPEAKS OUT ON

SAYS RADIO ONE

HIS CHOICES.

RESIDENT DJ.

“Its almost gets taken for granted,” says Friction, Radio 1 mainstay and head of Shogun Audio, who late last year released Rockwell’s long-anticipated debut LP Obsolete Medium. Friction thinks d’n’b has a unique ability to command a club or festival: “My career started happening about nine years ago, and over that time I’ve got to play at more and more festivals and done bigger shows. People will wait for the drum and bass. They always seem hyped, I think it’s the tempo, the energy and the production.”

dBridge, meanwhile, points out the way the genre has splintered into sub-genres. “Everyone can find their own space and niche without crossing over or even worrying about what is going on elsewhere.” Friction is equally appreciative of the sound’s diversity. “One of the beauties of the genre is you can hear a big, spanking, mainstream crossover tune and appreciate the production and weight – a Sub Focus tune for instance. Then you can go back to a dBridge tune.

“Really and truly they shouldn’t be related genre-wise – but they are because of the tempo. The dBridge tune will give you a completely

different emotion to the Sub Focus one. You may just like one, not the other. If you’re like me, you’ll like both.”

Perhaps unsurprisingly, for a genre of such rhythmic complexity, there are all sorts of ways to innovate around the d’n’b template. “The music we make and play has become some of the most technically difficult, but also exciting and powerful, of all the bass music genres to produce,” says Matt Quinn, aka Optical – head of Virus Recordings, alongside fellow DJ and production partner Ed Rush.“Also, more recently it has many unique rhythms that can’t be heard in any other music. I think the really cutting edge producers have moved away from rigid 4/4 grid based music and gone for what makes you want to really jump around in a way you have never done before.”“I think what we’re about to see is a resurgence of underground drum and bass,” adds Friction. “I’m not talking about leftfield underground, I’m talking about underground music that’s specifically built for the

dancefloor. I think that’s been missing in recent times. There’s been an underground scene, but it’s been completely

detached from the commercial dance scene that some

drum’n’bass artists fall into: Chase & Status, Sub Focus, Andy C or myself.”He looks back fondly to the days of a “missing link” between the underground and overground, citing the like of Calyx & Teebee and Fourward as bridging this gap. “Obviously people have been talking about Bad Company being in the studio again and they’ll add to that sound as well.”

D’n’b is still very male dominated… it shouldn’t be, after being around for two decadesThe capital’s most iconic venue has also been an unwavering supporter of drum and bass. “We’ve always had a spiritual home at Fabric,” says Optical, who recently mixed FABRICLIVE 82 alongside Ed Rush. But he adds that the Virus crew has played extensively across Europe, USA, Canada, Japan, Australia, NZ and even Russia.

This international community is growing, believes Khan, recalling recent standout parties in China and India. And dBridge – who now lives in Antwerp in Belgium – offers a slightly different perspective. “I could be wrong but it seems like there’s a mass exodus going on,” he tells us on his current outsider’s view of London, citing Mala as one of the producers now living in the same city as him after escaping London’s ever rising cost of living – perhaps pointing to the shape of things to come.

“London is always the flagship for d’n’b,” says Fabio, one of jungle’s founding fathers. His continued partnership with Grooverider has seen the duo playing six gigs in the month before we speak, though he adds that Bristol and Birmingham also have healthy scenes. “There are not so many weekly events like there used to be, but Bailey’s Soul in Motion night on a Wednesday is smashing it.”

“London is the one,” agrees Friction, citing Shogun’s own event and regular parties from labels like Ram and Hospital Records, while also praising the Warehouse Project in Manchester, where he played to a capacity crowd of 3000 on a Thursday night.

IT ALMOST“

“

GETSTAKEN

FOR GRANTED

senseofpride

got on stage, he never let the crowd rest. If you’re a fan of solid thumping DnB and jump-up, then make sure you catch Hazard at one of his other upcoming events this year across the UK. He is part of the True Playaz and Ganja Records labels and also releases songs under his alias Dirty Harry and Vague through his own record company, Radius Recordings. Originally noticed by DJ Hype while producing tracks for DJ SS’s Formation Records he soon signed for Playaz Recordings. On the 4 March 2017, he won the Best DJ Award at the Drum and Bass Awards at Donington Park beating Andy C who has held it since the awards started in 2009.

He said that “less is more”. This has always been the case in music. But never more so than now. In an unfiltered world where there’s so much music being released each week that all of us – and our nans, and their dogs – could play a five hour set and not one of us play the same tune, why add to the noise and throw out something simply satisfactory when you could invest more time and thought into something that’s truly special to you and make it stand out from the rest?

This is why Hazard hasn’t released anything since Bricks Don’t Roll in 2014. Of course he’s written some badboy tunes in that time (if you’ve seen him DJ you’ll know a strong proportion of his set is on dub) but nothing that he feels is special enough for him to officially release. It’s not for the want of trying; he admitted in an interview recently that he’d spent three months in the studio and not been (mr) happy with anything…. So he hasn’t returned to his studio since. Gutting news for fans of his productions? Yes. But also reassuring. This is the reason why his tracks resonate with such chaotic harmony we can all sing along to the bassline: he doesn’t settle for ‘just another banger’ and will wait – for years if he has to – until the time is right.

And while that right time isn’t looking too soon, there’s a whole load of other reasons why Hazard (a self-described grumpy bastard) is actually in a really happy place right now. Thanks to the recent development of his b2b sets with Hype, he’s had to deal with an issue that’s dogged his career for years. Once unable to even think about setting foot on a plane, he’s now able to return to countries he’s not played in over a decade.

Brummie based DJ Hazard, famed for his distinctive heavy style of drum and bass and work alongside pioneering force Playaz, headlined Tuesday Club for a night of skull-shaking bass. Hazard’s relentless dedication to his art saw him shoot to fame almost overnight and become one of the biggest names in jump up. Also known for his legendary back to back sets with DJ Hype, it was definitely a treat to welcome him to Foundry. Resident DJ Andy H kicked off the proceedings, playing a slew of heavy DnB and jungle to get the growing crowd ready for what was to come.

The anticipation was building for Hazard as young female DJ, Barely Legal, who recently just launched her own record label ‘Pretty Weird’ got behind the decks. Her varied style combines a mix of electronic sub-genres, namely garage and drum and bass. She began her set with a bass-heavy, slow tempo track. The compact crowd bobbed and swayed, listening intently and waiting for the intensity to build. As she dropped a remix of Unknown T’s raw and rowdy ‘Homerton B’, the pace quickly picked up in the room. Barely moved from garage and grime to DnB. Heavyweight DJ Shy FX’s brand new track ‘Badboy Business’ completely changed the vibe. The crowd erupted as the track dropped, weaving through Jungle, dance floor and soul-laced vibes. The room lapped up the change in momentum and seemed to come alive. It was almost like this was what the crowd had been waiting for.

As Hazard took to the stage he was joined by MC Carasel who helped retain the high energy Barely left behind. The sound instantly grew darker and heavier as he started mixing. His trademark style of continuously pumping out relentless, hard hitting tracks kept this new found energy high. He kept dropping notoriously heavy rollers as his set continued. The crowd were entranced as he dropped A.M.C’s remix of ‘Tap Ho’ and as it gathered momentum into its screeching drop they exploded into euphoric screams and cheers, skanking left, right and centre.

The energy was infectious. Of course, no set from DJ Hazard would be complete without him dropping his infamous festival anthems ‘Bricks Don’t Roll’ and ‘Mr Happy’. As soon as ‘Bricks Don’t Roll’ began, gun fingers ready, the crowd began moving together as one. Everyone in the room was chanting along to the legendary bassline. Hazard moved between high tempo tracks with ease. His passion and level of skill was impressive, it’s easy to see how he has risen to fame. From the moment he

LESS

“IS BETTERTHAN MORE

hazdj ard