dtmsdtmsdtms
dtmsdtmsdtms
DO THE MOST SQUAD
15 posts
MISCHIEVOUS GROUP OF PHOTOGRAPHERS CAPTURING PIONEERING UK CREATIVE CULTURE. @_dtms_ 🌹📷V I P 'TIL WE D I E💀🌹
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 2 months ago
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DTMS x "I PRESENT TO YOU, SLAWN" @ SAATCHI YATES
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Slawn is a 24-year-old Nigerian-born artist hailing from Lagos. For three months toward the end of last year, I worked as his studio assistant, which gave me the opportunity to write this article. Not to dull down all his achievements and the many massive projects he’s done, but I’d prefer to use this piece to illustrate how much of a positive influence he has on anyone around him—especially if you're someone striving to be creative.
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Influenced by greats such as Basquiat, Andy Warhol, and Keith Haring, he blends street art and tagging into a high-class context, reworking what can be done with paint and pens while pushing the boundaries of how far his name can reach across every art form imaginable. He is constantly a beacon of inspiration to anyone who wants to be creative. He puts everyone around him on art game, and spending time in his studio was the beginning of a whole new era of creativity for me.
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It all began when I ran into Slawn at the Always Do What You Should Do skate jam earlier that summer. I approached him and told him I was looking for new opportunities, as I had just resigned from my last gig running a café for a year. He responded excitedly, “Really? I’m looking for someone to run for me to get art supplies and be my studio assistant.” In that swift moment, I knew there was an opportunity for change. We exchanged numbers, and I told him I was available to start first thing Monday morning.
Fast forward—Monday morning hit. I woke up, made myself a coffee, checked my emails and phone, hoping the interaction had been legit. Sure enough, about an hour later, I got a text: “I’m at the studio, come through.” Not knowing what to expect, I got ready as quickly as I could and caught the fastest train to Holloway. After a short stroll from the station, I arrived at his colour-drenched, canvas-filled studio and was introduced to the team for the first time. It was at that moment I knew I was in for one big creative rollercoaster over the coming months.
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The energy in the studio was electric. Everyone was either working on a project, fulfilling orders, or scheming on what to get next for Slawn to paint. In every corner there was laughter, and the line between work and play was beautifully blurred. It felt like a whole new world. Once I began to settle, Slawn told me we were about to work on his biggest exhibition yet: I Present to You, Slawn.
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Four paint-fume-and-Hennessy-filled days later, 21 canvases had been produced and were sitting pretty at Saatchi Yates for a few weeks in October. The energy behind the paintings came straight from a genius. Slawn’s painting style is chaotic yet deliberate—every piece began with a trip to the astral realm, as he would nap deeply before rising and creating three to four paintings in a single sitting.
I Present to You, Slawn was a beautiful encapsulation of his personality: colourful, playful, mischievous, and family-oriented. It felt as if this exhibition was ushering in a new wave of creativity, a reminder of what’s possible when we fully commit to our visions.
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Slawn has worked tirelessly to elevate street art into a high-class setting and stands as one of the catalysts for where contemporary art is headed. His future looks even brighter as he moves toward branding nearly anything. His long list of ventures includes designing shoes, painting luxury bags, airplanes, boats, fashion items, and household objects—many of which are accessible at reasonable prices, allowing all of us to share in the hype that refuses to fade.
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While working with him, I saw how deeply he carried inspiration from Virgil Abloh. He constantly mentioned him in interviews, honouring his legacy through fearless creativity and collaboration. Virgil laid the blueprint for Black creatives stepping into white-dominated spaces while staying true to themselves.
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I believe Slawn is carrying the torch—building bridges for others, inviting younger artists into his studio, guiding the next generation, and showing us how to be our best creative selves as we begin building our own worlds.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 2 months ago
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DTMS X KEKOTO - K-19 LISTENING PARTY @ THE HANWAY SOCIAL CLUB
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I first met Keko at a DXVL headline show. I took his photo, and the first thing he said to me was, “When are you going to develop those pictures?” Funny thing—those photos wouldn’t be developed until three years later. By then, he had dropped multiple EPs and played countless shows.
It felt like the universe knew something was going on because somehow, miraculously, we managed to cross paths in Slawn’s studio when I worked for him and Teoni. Turns out, him and Detroit were tight and were constantly completing missions together. The energy in the studio when this link-up happened was insane. I didn’t know a crossover episode like this was even possible, to be honest. For the next few sessions, we just gassed each other up, reminiscing on our quests from the past few years and positively pushing each other's work forward.
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That’s when I started diving into Keko’s early music. He first popped up on my SoundCloud during the underground heyday of 2018–2023—dropping heaters with UK underground production boss Many Dubbs and featuring names like the one and only Kibo. It just hit right. The sound had that fast-paced, Ritalin-focused, ends energy. I knew Keko was about to shift UK Underground Rap in a new direction.
Then in 2024, just as I was flying out, he dropped his debut EP inthemeantime... I remember hearing it on the plane—it just made sense. Sure, “Triplet” had Carti-inspired energy, but the whole project stood on its own. Boom Bap on “B58” with Aonenine, Jungle on “Ain’t Cheap Interlude,” Garage on “Luv In The Ends.” It was genre-fluid but deeply UK—especially in dialect.
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The EP felt both sedated and hyperactive at once. On “Who Knows,” Keko questions existence in a way that’s oddly beautiful. The whole thing felt soaked in Harrow love, like a hyperspeed sonic jugg through the ends.
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Inthemeantime.. laid the groundwork for 2L2Q—a rapid-fire mission to get the bag by any means. Keko comes in sharp, flexing across tracks while keeping that playful but laser-focused energy. The EP pulses with the streets—genre-blending again, leaning toward cloud Rap, Trap and even Grime. It hits quicker, harder. Bass-heavy, hat-scattered, Ritalin-drenched again. “Unuh Kyan Tell” with Ciel and “Fuck a Therapist” stood out, showing range and rawness. “Gyallisthenics” with Aonenine was definitely one big teaser for what was to come next.
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2 months ago, Keko dropped an open invite on Instagram for a listening party celebrating K-19, his latest collab with Aonenine. Easily the most underrated event of the year. They previewed the whole tape, then handed the decks off to a lineup of DJs. The vibe was about the community.
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Creatives connecting, plotting and vibing. Keko and Detroit even spray-painted a lime bike chrome outside just for the moment. Mellozwrld, GYPTXVN, and more came through—it felt like characters were spawning in real time.
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K-19 feels like a sonic evolution. It’s from a wavey realm UK Underground Rap hasn’t touched yet—higher frequencies, smoked-out production, but still grounded in familiar themes. Keko and Aonenine have found their own lane, floating over Lairofnv’s hand-crafted beats. When this drops, I swear it’s exactly what London needs. Tap into “White Gold,” “Booker T,” and “Push Start.” You’ll feel it.
Shot by Tre'Bore & Princess808.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 4 months ago
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DTMS X TEONI - "HONEY"
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Teoni, a positive and creative force, is making her own wave in fine art. I had the pleasure of working alongside her for three months in 2024 as her personal assistant, and I felt truly blessed to be surrounded by such a welcoming and warm presence every day.
Teoni is naturally the kindest, most emotionally intelligent, funniest, and most playful person I met in 2024. A day in the studio with her is nothing short of a wholesome, creative party. She can go from being non-verbal, focusing on each stroke as if she were intricately rewiring a circuit board, to becoming the life of the studio.
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Memories of Teoni in the studio include her taking us down memory lane with anecdotes from her past. Some stories were light-hearted and funny, while others were based on very real experiences. However, no matter the nature of the story, you were always gripped and on the edge of your seat. Other memories include her performances of Amy Winehouse’s greatest hits. She would parade around the studio, using a paintbrush as a microphone, as if on stage in front of one hundred thousand people.
Whatever mode you caught Teoni in, it would make your day. Teoni has a way with words, which I feel she channels into her paintings, welcoming us into her world with open arms, canvas by canvas. Her main intent is to spread love, light, warmth, and positivity. I believe she accomplished this with her first solo exhibition, Honey.
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In this exhibition, Teoni focused on her loved ones. Each painting depicted a member of her family or friends, capturing lovable moments or showing them being truly themselves. Her medium is oil paint on canvas, and I believe she is one of the greatest in our generation to ever work with it. She plays with the illusion of colors and impressions more than anything.
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The closer you get to her paintings, the more you see. Hues of brown and black are suddenly complemented by purples and pinks. Colours continuously shimmer through, and gaps are left on purpose, revealing the honey undertone to portray the illusion of space, creating almost a dreamscape for your imagination.
The biggest effect of her paintings is their ability to bring people together. The works reel you in and make you want to understand the story being told or start a new one as you stand in awe.
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Her works are timeless and will forever have the ability to bring people together, as you can see from the photos taken. There is an abundance of light in every individual, and you can feel a sense of belonging in every image. I highly advise you to make yourself a part of the family and go see some of Teoni’s work.
Shot by Tre’Bore.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 5 months ago
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DTMS X DXVL HEADLINE SHOW @ BRIXTON JAMM
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I was invited to DXVL’s headline show at Brixton Jamm in 2022 by Luke Warm, who has spent countless years producing and DJing for the UK Underground Rap scene. It had been a while since I had seen him play out, and after recently spending time in his studio listening to his unreleased music, I knew this event was surely not to be missed.
With a jam-packed lineup, UK Cloud rap king DXVL headlined with support from South-East London rapper Le3 Black, House of Pharaohs frontrunner BlazeYL, long-standing UK Underground Producer/Rapper tn_490 back-to-back with Luke, and UK underground rap queen Scuti. With a roster so big, I knew this function was one not to be slept on.
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Located deep in South-West London, I remember making the pilgrimage from the East to Brixton Jamm with nothing but my Cherry B and camera at the ready. I really didn’t know what to expect. However, as soon as I got to the venue, there was a queue flowing from the front to the back since the doors opened.
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I made my way inside and I felt the vibes bubbling with heaters being spun in the garden to prepare everyone for an experience they would not forget. Before heading in, I managed to grab some snaps of the squad socializing as they prepared to take over the stage. One of the best features of the night was the fact that the lineup never felt 100 percent complete. More homies, such as Kekoto and Artyn spun by just to support the cause.
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It was at this moment that I could sense the backstage antics. I found my way back to the green room using nothing but my sense of smell, as the first thing that hit me was loud escaping through the back door. I knew I was in the right place.
The energy in the room was nothing but good vibrations. You could sense the community consensus backstage as gang caught up on their weekly updates of football, lore, and just general back-and-forth banter. It was good energy seeing so many underground UK rappers in one space, and I felt blessed to be able to experience such a legendary link-up.
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I found my way to the stage to catch Luke Warm warming up with a fistful of new tracks. The rest of the night was history, with every artist after him absolutely bringing their own unique vibe and tearing down the venue. We did have footage, but I got stupid drunk and lost my laptop coming back from BlazeYL’s headline show.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 1 year ago
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DTMS x NTN/ NEGROPOP @ ICA
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I first met the NTN family in 2014 at a party in an abandoned warehouse somewhere in South London. It was thrown by our good friend Misbah who runs the blog/ music platform Misdigest. Members of NTN include the likes of artist/ lyrical genius Jawnino, UK underground rap prince JP, lyrical antagonist ESSEM, vibe creator Teddy Bones & more.
What struck me about NTN was the energy they created. In this abandoned and desolate space I could feel an abundance of light beaming off every single member as they laughed, joked and bantered together. It reminded me of taking a lunch break at my school playground in Hackney, with endless high jinks and silly games to test a teachers patience.
A little later on set, everything changed. NTN was sonically electrifying, sticking to their originality with hints of Grime, Drill, Trap and leftfield electronic influences. There was no more laughing or joking, but an illustration of mob mentality. Every member attacked every riddim with the coldest bars or thought striking/ coded lyrics that took you out of your body. I instantly saw the authenticity and knew the potential for the clique to grow was unlimited.
The event in 2014 was definitely a foreshadow of events. Fast forward to 4040, I met the newly branded Negropop at the Institute of Contemporary Arts. NTN underwent a significant name change and were invited by Boiler Room and Nine Nights to open up for Skribz (67). 
The name change reflected expansion and growth at a untameable pace with new members such as, multi disciplinary artist PK BRKO, UK alt rap trailblazer Ryoko Virgil and Grime ambassador CHAMBER45. Despite the name change, the crew made sure they stayed true to themselves, even though this link up was in one of the most prestigious venues in the country.
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I was blown away by their presence. Not much had changed and I could tell, because the gang was still backstage laughing, joking and running the same playground banter. However, this time I could feel they were sitting on music that was in its own league.
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There was a buzz in the air and I could tell each artist had a bond between each other that nobody could break. Everyone backstage had something special to bring to the table and you could see it in the way each member presented themself. Every time I moved my camera and snapped a subject, it felt like I unlocked a new character in a fighting game.
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It had been many years since I had seen these people together, but the feeling was familiar. There was a synergy happening and the first few minutes of the footage illustrates that.
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Up until the time for their set, the feeling in the venue was vibrant. I followed the gang coursing in and out the venue about 15 deep. They were covered in some of the coldest fashion, individual style and accessories I had seen in a long time. Each member's individuality complemented their collective energy and each moment backstage felt like a pre-show ritual.
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As soon as CHAMBER45 had his USB plugged in, I knew I was about to witness something special. Every member had their own unique vibration and each artist that jumped on mic had a different flavour to add to the melting pot. A song that stood out to me was “4040 Mode '', which led to special guests jumping out the shadows and joining in the mosh pit. Guests included Kibo, Bunny and Edgarthedyke. Watch the evidence below:
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Shot by Tre’Bore.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x 160 FT DEEP
Shot by Tre’Bore.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x CULT STUDIES 2018
Shot by Tre’Bore.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x DUMMY MAGAZINE x THE GREAT ESCAPE 2016
https://www.dummymag.com/features/photo-report-dummy-earth-agency-at-the-great-escape/
Shot by Tre’Bore
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x SLUGABED x IGLOOGHOST x SAMUEL ORGAN x FRIENDS 2017
Shot by Tre’Bore
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x DENZEL CURRY x AJ TRACEY
Shot by Vinkele
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x PRINCESS NOKIA 2017
Shot by Vinkele
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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FEELING GOOD w/ MALL GRAB & CO
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This February just gone we managed to invade Patterns, one of Brighton’s most noted nightclubs by the seafront. Patterns has been a legendary venue, ever since taking the space from previous owners “Audio” a few years back. It is constantly visited by a range of young - middle age audiences seeking an easy going positive club vibe, with groundbreaking electronic music and euphoria.
Our visit was for exactly the same reasons as everyone else and we couldn’t have timed our visit more perfectly. Mall Grab and Co’s “Non Stop Feeling Tour” was the occasion and it did exactly what it said on the tin. Mall Grab is a London based Australian producer, putting fun back in House music by doing everything in Lo-Fi.
Within a genre where artists and audiences are constantly taking themselves way too seriously, Mall Grab is breaking the pretentious bubble by staying true to himself and having much fun as he can.
His music is a reflection of this, using grainy internet video rips, throwback samples, euphoric house chords and chunky house drums within his productions. It’s a very simple formula, however it is very difficult to not to be opened up to Mall Grab’s floaty and heavenly world created by his tracks.
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He often presents his music in a nostalgic way, with one of his most popular Youtube videos being chopped up VHS footage of LDN OG’s cutting shapes. The video is called “I’ve Always Liked Grime” and Mall Grab gets away with ripping probably one of the U.K’s most famous Eski beats using nothing but tongue in cheek behaviour.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8v7Agx74gsU
On entry to the club we instantly started sweating our souls out of our bodies. It was very clear that people had already been hooked into the “Non Stop Feeling”. The vibe was real and the energy in the room was righteous. As soon as we caught a tingle of that 4/4 beat, we couldn’t escape.
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Without the aid of club candy we instantly felt the atmosphere of feeling nothing but collective love and gratitude. We then began lurking around revellers, capturing as much as we could.
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We ended up with lots of snaps of the audience loosing themselves in the sea of feel good House provided by Mall Grab and co. The DJs definitely created a platform for every member of the audience to be a star of the night.
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As the night progressed everything began to blur, with a constant supply of alcohol flowing down our faces and euphoric house taking us to another dimension. By about 4am the night began to come to a close.
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The drinks flowing had slowed & all the undercover joints being passed in the smoking area had died down.
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We thoroughly enjoyed our time with Mall Grab and Co. Our only criticism is that we need longer than a 4am close. However, we still highly recommend a night with Mall Grab.
Dear Mall Grab, please come back to Brighton with your homies and don’t stop spinning till we feel good face down on the floor.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x ACCLAIM MAGAZINE x THE GREAT ESCAPE
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http://acclaimmag.com/music/event-recap-the-great-escape-2017/
Shot by Louis Osorio & Tre’Bore.
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS X CULT STUDIES 2017 
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dtmsdtmsdtms · 3 years ago
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DTMS x SMHO WAL
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For our first ever DTMS interview I managed to meet up with a newly formed experimental Record Label based in Essex called “Smho Wal”. The label is run by the very creative duo: Dusty Ohms & Supasaiyan aka G.Lux. Dusty and Supasaiyan are both beatmakers, who focus on pushing the boundaries of electronic music. They mainly focus on Hip-Hop in an electronic sense, but for a while have found themselves mixing everything that influences them from Trap, Drum ’n’ Bass and Glicth to get to this big melting pot of sounds, that eventually come together to make up who they are.
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Dusty Ohms is a beat maker and DJ based in Essex who is pretty much a Veteran of beatmaking and DJing in the area. He has been uploading wonky Hip-Hop compositions consistently for the last 3 years. He has also delved into other genre’s, such as Footwork and Drum and Bass working with other labels, such as Experimental 160bpm pioneers “Medallion Sounds”.
It doesn’t matter what genre he fucks with. The sound he produces is always huge and glitched out in the best way ever. Dusty also runs a radio show alongside the crew “Fly High Society” with their Mixcloud branch off that is “Fly High Radio”. “Fly High Radio” has featured some of his favourite artists and homies, such as Macabre Unit, Crypticz, label partner Supasaiyan & more.
The radio show is definitely worth a listen because of Dusty’s diverse genre selections. Some of his shows are solely 160 dedicated for the ravers and those prone to gun fingers. However, other weeks, his choices in rhythmically loose and sample based tracks, make it perfect for a lazy Sunday afternoon.
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Supasaiyan aka G.Lux is the second half of the duo. He is Essex’ finest young artist with an SP404 addiction. Under G.Lux he draws some of the most amazing characters. Influenced by London’s graffiti scene and 90’s hip-hop, he is definitely one of London’s most humble & talented artists.
When it comes to music he is a very talented beat maker, focussing on dusty sample based tracks with huge drums that snap at you, making sure you always paying attention while you drift through nostalgic radio waves.
The label first drew my attention with their new LP “Trap Door”, which is an amazing 12" that catches your eye with a lovely double sided piece of him & Dusty on the moon, drawn by G.Lux himself. Once you get the 12" out of the lovely sleeve it is covered in, and place it on the turntable, you are instantly drifted away to a land where, loose, yet heavy drums & floaty vintage samples are the currency.
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The LP is riddled with cheeky vocal samples that guide you on your journey. As you progress through the LP it gets progressively heavier. The duo begin to play with heavy 8bit synths and then continue to progress with a wavy track that features talented UK based rapper “Onoe Caponoe” who hop, skips and jumps over the track effortlessly. As you get to the end of the LP it progresses genre wise, into a heavy smoked out Trap influenced piece, which is a nice contrast to the calm that we heard before the storm.
After a heavy weekend of partying, I journeyed all the way up to Upminster to meet the pair, with what was probably one of my worst hangovers of 2016. As I landed I was greeted by both Dusty & G.Lux.
After a trip to the off license they wasted no time in welcoming me into their beautifully spacious apartment, that shouted creativity at me as soon as I walked in.
We sat down, grabbed our rolling utensils, smoked one, and pressed record on my i-phone.
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So you guys, tell me a little about this release?
G. LUX: Well it’s taken two and a half years to make.
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah we started it in 2012.
G.LUX: Yeah it wasn’t like set a date and that was it, stick to it. We just started making beats and was like alright should we make an EP? We kept going and made loads of beats and just kept whittling it down.
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DUSTY OHMS: Yeah then we had the concept of doing one side more sample based, but used similar samples within the interlude to tie in to the other side, which is more electronic.
G.LUX: Yeah it’s two different styles really. My style is more Hip-Hop and Dusty’s is more electronic.
DUSTY OHMS: It’s what we want to push with our limited 7”. We only got 11 of them done.
Looking at your new releases vinyl cover, it looks sick. Do you guys plan to expand after this release?
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah for sure. We plan to keep it like this. We plan to get mail (what are this?) artists we know to artwork for us. For example gaz. There’s never going to be any text. That is like the art. Your 12” is going to be your 12”. I also think we are doing a cassette next or a 7″. Haven’t really planned it really.
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Who would you say influences you guys?
DUSTY OHMS: One of the main ones for me is Samiyam.
G.LUX: Definitely.
DUSTY OHMS: When I hear his tunes I just think I wanna make music like this.
G.LUX: For me it’s Madlib. That’s my like main influence. If I could sound like anyone, it would be him.
DUSTY OHMS: And Knxledge.
G.LUX: Like when I listening to Knxledge I still don’t understand what he does. I just wonder how he makes it good every time? It always sounds like his.
Ok let’s sway away from Hip-Hop for the moment. Who else are you guys digging at the moment?
DUSTY OHMS: My roots were in drum and bass and then I got into Hip-Hop. I started doing the whole Grime/ Dub thing before I started doing this. I like Hip-Hop, but sometimes it doesn’t do it for me. I like the stuff that 22A are doing. Another label I like is Astral Black. They have a lot of Hip-Hop stuff like Jaisu, but they also have bits for the dance floor.
G.LUX: The boundaries between all the genres are blurred. Feels like a big mass of electronic music.
Views on bullshit happening in Society now? I’m talking major bullshit. For example, Trump. Also do you think the political system taking a sharp turn to the far right is pushing you in an artistic way?
G.LUX: I feel like the world is just going mad. I think anything can happen now, I can’t believe it. I remember going to bed and thinking this whole trump thing is so funny. I thought it wasn’t gonna happen. Then I remember waking up and just thinking “I can’t fucking believe it”. It’s like Alan Sugar becoming prime minister. I mean it’s funny, but it’s scary at the same time. All the bullshit is mainly pushing my art.
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Tell me more about your art & how what is going on influences that?
G.LUX: I like to make music and then do art thinking about what I was thinking about, making that piece of music. Just linking the two. I’ve always drawn. It’s something that I’ve always done. It’s hard to balance music and the bullshit though.
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah it’s hard to balance everything. I always manage to make music though. At lunchtime I take my stuff to work and just make beats.
G.LUX: Yeah I take a SP-404 to work. I just take it out during my lunch break.
We then moved onto the studio where the boys gave me a tour of their cosy spare studio room, where they showed me all the gear that they had been collecting.
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DUSTY OHMS: Cool little room innit. Like we have got some stuff we haven’t even used yet. Normally we just pick up cheap bits and bobs and utilise them. Sometimes you get really nasty sounds from all the used stuff, but sometimes using the nasty sound is something I quite like. It’s the same with the MPC. When we first got it G.lux was in here playing with it for ages.
G.LUX: My set up is a little smaller than this. SP, MicroKorg, Mac and Monitors, that’s it.
DUSTY OHMS: We’re gonna do a beat tape though. We’re not really gonna master it properly. Just saturate the shit out of it using a compression unit going for a brash sound.
I think it’s mainly about getting ideas out. Sometimes you can just over cook everything. That’s the thing with music, drawing a line on finishing a track is the hardest bit.
G.LUX: It’s never done, it’s just when you choose to stop. Sometimes I’ve just got to go back and add a bit more, because sometimes you gain more knowledge on what you want to do. It’s good when you’re a bit stuck for ideas.
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah sometimes you get inspired to make something new from what you were already making and then you realise you have to go out, but really wanna finish the tune.
We made our way back to the front room and rolled another Joint. At this point I began to feel really queasy from the hangover, but pressed on.
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Do you guys like Essex?
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah I used to live in Romford, which is down the road.
G.LUX: For me it’s all over essex, but I went to school in Romford. All the areas are like post-industrial towns that don’t really have much going on. There’s not really any reason to come here.
G.LUX: It’s not even far, but every time I go to London people are like “oh you’ve come all the way from Essex?!” and I’m like “It’s not that far”. It’s honestly just because they have no reason to come here.
DUSTY OHMS: I do love living out this way. I like to dip in London and dip out again. We call it entering the matrix. We went to The Lurkers London launch. We went and got a few drinks, grabbed a book, chatted and were back in Essex before we knew it. Just chilling. It’s convenient, bit expensive, but I just work loads.
G.LUX: I dunno how he does it. He goes out all night then goes straight to work.
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah you gotta be mindful though. Sometimes you can find yourself over doing it and getting anxieties. You get stressed, but most of the times when it is out of my hands I just think “is there anything I can do about it?” and if there isn’t then it’s just pointless in me being stressed. Music helps though.
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If I’m ever feeling a bit shit I just turn to music. I’m so thankful that I can turn to something creative I like doing. I have some pals and they aren’t really interested in anything. They find themselves with no passion for anything, except getting pissed.
G.LUX: Yeah round here alcoholism is mad. You just see people passed out at bus stops. Went to the Chinese the other day and walked passed a bus stop and there was a woman passed out fucked. Everyone was going up to her, seeing if she was alright and we came out of the Chinese shop to see a paramedic shaking his head as rolled up chips fell out her bag.
DUSTY OHMS: People are just wasting paramedics time. Romford is a place where everyone goes to get drunk…
You never get stoned and do things like that though. Dunno how they think we’re gonna smoke a spliff and like rob people. Don’t get me wrong though it can twist you up, but you just need to respect it.
G.LUX: Just control yourself. There’s been so many situations where I’m like “I can’t believe this is happening”. Sometimes I think people around me are just going nuts
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah the characters in Essex. People round here say “be careful up in London”, but really when we walk round London people accept us. However, If you walk around here and you have like a strange coloured shirt on or something out of the ordinary, they are like “oi what the fuck you wearing that for mate?!”
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So I’m guessing you guys have a thing for the 90’s with all the Hip-Hop influences?
G.LUX: Yeah there were so many things that came out of the 90’s. Musically and visually, so much happened in that time.
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah a lot of my favourite Hip-Hop was from the 90’s. 94 onwards.
G.LUX: It didn’t feel like the 90’s had it’s style at the time, but when you look back on it now and people start to show you stuff, you remember it all. For example the Nike TN hats. You think to that and say to yourself “maybe it did have a style”.
DUSTY OHMS: Yeah you don’t notice it at the time, because it’s just happening. It always comes back around again. For example games consoles.
At that moment I pulled out my gameboy.
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DUSTY OHMS: *Gasps* Is that a gameboy?! They are expensive now, because they have got a bit older. They’re wicked man. I’d much rather play that than a phone game. Nintendo always make fun games. Anyone can pick it up. I’m not much of a gamer. I mean it’s definitely better than sitting there tweeting everyone.
DUSTY OHMS: That’s another thing that gets us. When we were going out in the late 90’s everyone would be having a good time, but now whenever there’s a good night everyone is just staring at it through their phones. I find it takes away from the vibe.
G.LUX: plus it sounds awful in the videos too. It’s calm to get a quick video to say you were there, but when I see people videoing their whole night I’m like “???”.
At this point the hangover began to take it’s toll and after all the weed I began to fade to black and so did this interview. It’s needless to say that you need to keep your eyes on Smho Wal, because what the future holds for them is definitely bright.
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