Celebrated for his groundbreaking releases on influential labels such as Hospital Records, Metalheadz, and his very own DARKMTTR Records label, S.P.Y has solidified his status as a drum and bass don for nearly two decades. As a Brazilian-born artist who has found a home in Bristol, S.P.Y brings a unique perspective and an authentic connection to the rich and diverse musical heritage of Brazil. As the rhythmic heartbeat of Brazil echoes through the streets, the drum and bass movement has found a fertile ground to flourish, evolving into a genre that not only captivates the soul but also pushes the boundaries of exploration
Tomorrow November 24. S.P.Y finishes his XOYO November residency and to celebrate the moment S.P.Y shares with UKF his top ten Brazilian drum and bass artists.
Alibi – Soundsystem
Alibi started out as a duo, comprised of Level 2 and DJ Chap, however Level 2 has now returned to solo production and DJ Chap has taken over the Alibi name and has really taken things in a cool new direction. The Alibi sound ranges from dark, tech heavy drum and bass to really uplifting and atmospheric tunes with a true Brazilian flavour. Soundsystem, which was one of their last releases as a duo, was released on DARKMTTR and has deep, rolling drums overlayed with a heavy baseline and touches of the dub sound. This one always smashes the dancefloor.
L-Side & GQ – Zaga Dan
L-Side is probably one of the most prolific drum and bass producers from Brazil. He’s had so many quality releases over the years and has created some really outstanding remixes. The L-Side sound is really unique and heavily influenced by hip hop, reggae and dub, which I love. It gives a deep, rolling edge to his tracks and he produces everything from jungle to groovy, bass heavy tracks. His tracks all have a really good vibe.
Level 2 – Purple Haze
Level 2 used to be one half of Alibi, but has now returned to his solo project and it’s exciting to see what this is going to bring. A key part of the drum and bass scene in Brazil, Level 2 has always been at the forefront of the minimalistic, rolling flavour of drum and bass.
Urbandawn – Come Together (feat. Tyson Kelly)
Urbandawn is an absolute genius in the studio. He is technically one of the best producers I know and his sound design is incredible. He has a really varied background in the music industry and has worked across a range of genres, but I’m so glad that he settled on drum and bass for his production project. He produces a mix of beautiful, liquid drum and bass and euphoric dance floor tunes.
Bungle – Cocooned VIP
Bungle has been a part of the Brazilian drum and bass scene from the early days. He’s a really talented musician and while he’s now working on a separate tech house project, Bungle has maintained his unique gritty drum and bass sound. While his tracks are quite atmospheric with a strong techno influence, they all have this incredible throw back texture, capturing the flavour of the underground sound of drum and bass.
Acuna feat. Spyda – Don’t Stop
Acuna’s tracks always sound great when I play them in a club. He is a really creative producer and has some crazy combinations of sounds in his production that just work so well. Acuna has a heavy jump up influence, while also incorporating elements of dub step and EDM. His music always has such a great energy.
Dunk & Theoretical – Transition
Dunk was formerly one half of Jam Thieves, but has now embarked on his own solo project. He produces a mix of dark, minimal jump up interlaced with atmospheric, dub sounds. Dunk has recently featured on the ZeroZero Brass Disk EP on DARKMTTR and it was great to have him working on the project.
DJ Andy & Acuna – I Wanna Feel (feat. Heloá Holanda)
One of the pioneers of jungle and drum and bass in Brazil, DJ Andy is one of the hardest working producers in the scene. Back in the early 90s when I first started going to drum and bass nights, DJ Andy was one of the first people I ever saw DJ. He is such a legend and his sound has evolved over the years. These days he’s producing some really quality jump up tracks with heavy house music and rave influences.
Jam Thieves – El Patron
Jam Thieves started out as a collaborative project between Dunk and Guilherme Garcia, with Dunk now working on his solo project and Guilherme taking over the Jam Thieves name. Releasing on a really varied range of labels, Jam Thieves’ sound is minimal jump up with layers of dub influences.
Critycal Dub feat. Mc Foxy – Out
Critycal Dub has been a big part of the drum and bass scene in Brazil for a long time and has one of the most unique sounds in drum and bass. While he has always produced music with a heavy jungle influence, he is now making half time and liquid drum and bass with a strong Brazilian flavour. It’s really vibey to listen to.
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