- Rockwell constructs his drum & bass out of tiny noises that circle and pick at the song's foundation, always fluttering in some minuscule motion. The London-based producer is a hot commodity in the d&b community after only a few releases, and his first release after signing an exclusive deal with Shogun Audio only serves to intensify his personal quirks. It's not hard to see why he's so in demand, as his productions are dynamic and resoundingly clear, every element individually tangible in a genre where the basslines and thrashing drums often compete for which can cause the most hearing damage.
Rockwell is different from other d&b innovators, though. He doesn't make a self-conscious attempt to slow down the tempo or smooth out the moods. Rather, his subtlety lies in something more cerebral, something not readily apparent. His latest EP is actually a bit of a head rush: "DJ Friendly Unit Shifter" races by so fast that its elements seem to hit some invisible windshield and vibrate before flying away in a flash. "Fakin Jacks" feels slower but hits harder, the pounding drums ramming through euphoric techno pads and a glimmering synth motif. The central percussive devices in both tracks are clicks and whirs that spiral and crash, yet Rockwell keeps his tunes from seeming overstuffed. More importantly, he keeps those nasty techstep basslines away from typical obnoxious territory, blending subtle LFO in with the frenetic sounds.
What makes him such a promising producer—with a debut album in the works for Shogun Audio—is his tendency to escape from a close-knit scene and make tracks that don't quite fit in with any particular subgenre. Is it minimal? Is it techstep? Is it atmospheric? Is it liquid? I can't say anything for sure, other than that it's exciting.
Tracklist A1 DJ Friendly Unit Shifter
B1 Fakin' Jacks