Redpine & Solo (aka: John Stuckey & Sam Moss) return after a brief hiatus, although they’ve been far from absent from the wider drum & bass scene.
Solo joined the License to Jungle crew following a plethora of performances at the renowned venue The Old Red Bus Station in Leeds. Playing host to the likes of Fracture, Om Unit, Dom & Roland, J Majik, Mantra, Dillinja, Klute and Ant TC1, it was inevitable the club night would go on to announce their own platform for releasing music. And whilst Solo may have been keeping the world of music entertained, Redpine was living in sonic solitude to work on his own Workshop and Design Studio. However, they now join forces once more for their collaborative effort Redpine & Solo, which sees them pulling together their immense skillsets for a brand-new EP on Studio Rockers. A place both artists have frequently called home.
To celebrate its release, we’ve asked Solo to give us the top ten tracks in his playlists this week. Take a listen and see how these artists have helped influence their brand-new EP, which you can buy now.
Instra:mental – Pacific Heights
The Autonomic era was hugely influential for me. It encouraged me to explore more melodic ideas and opened my eyes to half-time drums and a whole host of amazing rhythms. This track by Instra:mental is one of my favourites from this period and I feel it’s a great example of the sub-genre.
Kid Drama – In Mind
‘In Mind’ by Kid Drama (one half of Instra:mental) is another superb piece of music. The breakdown, consisting of those melancholy synths, is one of the most emotive sections of music I’ve heard. I still love it as much as when I first heard it.
dBridge – Rendezvous
I couldn’t talk about the Autonomic sound without including its other originator, dBridge. ‘Rendezvous’ is another great example of this hugely influential sub-genre. The detuned synths, call-and-response melodies, and drum work are all elements we draw from in our Redpine & Solo compositions.
Roni Size & Reprezent – New Forms
I was 10 when the New Forms album came out, which helps to explain why it wasn’t on my radar until the early 2000’s (when I was about 13/14). This album opened the door to Drum and Bass for me, so its essential to recognise its huge influence. The track ‘New Forms’ is a beautiful example of the melting pot of different styles, which is something we aim for with our own music.
J Majik- Your Sound Remix
It was hard to narrow down which Metalheadz tracks had the biggest impact on me, but the remix of ‘Your Sound’ was so mind-blowing when I first heard it that I think it stands out. Everything about the track, from the drums to the bass, to the atmosphere is shockingly good.
Seba & Paradox – Fire Like This
Another hard one to narrow down was which Paradox track to include, and to be honest it could have been nearly any of them! He is the undisputed king of breakbeats in my eyes. ‘Fire Like This’, with long-time collaborator Seba is one of many great examples of how to manipulate a break. Highly recommend seeing Paradox live too – you will not be disappointed.
Cliff Martinez – Don’t Blow It
Cliff Martinez’s soundtrack for the remake of Solaris managed to turn a very average film into something far more engaging. The OST is a really good listen from start to finish and I would highly recommend it. I think my love of melodic percussive instruments like Gamelan’s developed from listening to this soundtrack.
Hot Water Music – Drunken Third
To pay homage to my influences outside of electronic music I’ve picked Hot Water Music’s ‘Drunken Third’. A lot of this sort of angsty punk rock shaped my early teenage years and developed my interest in songwriting, which led me to get a shit PC and a cracked version of Reason. There aren’t that many bands from those early years that I can still really enjoy, but HWM is one of them. Honourable mentions include Fugazi, Snuff, Guns N’ Wankers, and Leatherface.
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