Uniting for a legendary collaboration, Drum & Bass Arena Awards’ Best Newcomer nominee Gray and UK underground icon Donae’o bring the heat with new single ‘Can’t Put Out My Flame’ via Born on Road.
From attending squat raves at 13 to gracing the main stages at the UK’s biggest festivals and clubs including Boomtown, Glastonbury, Warehouse Project, Printworks and more in the pipeline, London based producer and DJ Gray’s rise has been nothing short of astounding.
Infatuated by music from a young age when a family friend introduced him to the otherworldly sounds of dubstep pioneers Caspa & Rusko, Gray has since channelled his early immersion in the UK’s ineffable rave culture into dizzying hits like One Spliff, which currently sits at over 18M Spotify streams and Rubadub, which amassed over 3M Spotify streams and firmly put the young producer on the map.
His recent single with Bristol’s rising A Little Sound Twilight amassed over 2M Spotify streams and saw extensive support from KISS FM whilst last year he also dropped a viral bootleg of Arctic Monkey’s When The Sun Goes Down that became a mainstay in DJ’s sets.
Meanwhile, producer, songwriter, singer and rapper Donae’o has carved out legendary status collaborating with names like The Streets, Giggs, Ms. Dynamite, Dizzee Rascal, JME, Fredo, Calvin Harris, and more whilst releasing on his own label Zephron Records. Mastering UK funky, grime, and R&B throughout a career that has seen a no.5 hit on the UK Independent Chart with Giggs’ single Lock Doh and millions of streams on singles such as Blessed, which currently sits at over 13M Spotify streams, Donae’o is a highly respected name and powerfully talented musician who continues to make an impact.
The two staples of their respective scenes now intertwine, coming together for a “dream collaboration” as described by Gray who shares, “The release is the first manifestation of my collaboration with Donae’o who is a talented producer and songwriter and someone who is also very prolific in the UK music culture. This particular track is interesting because whilst we find a middle ground in our styles, the vocal itself is very different to what he would normally do.”
He describes the collaborative chemistry that arose from the track, “Being pushed out of his comfort zone and creating a much more commercial styled vocal was a very interesting process and one that came naturally to us working in the studio. Another element of the collaboration is that it is a result of us just naturally striking a friendship and agreeing on many things.”
Finding a harmonious middle ground between two distinctly different styles, Gray and Donae’o bring a floor rattling, crossover D&B heater that pairs airy breakdowns with earth-shattering drops and soaring vocal melodies with filthy basement sound, built for club floors and radio airwaves alike.
Gray & Donae’o – ‘Can’t Put Out My Flame’ is out 30th June via Born On Road.
