As one of the most talented and extraordinary artists from UK Drum & Bass paradigm, Delta Heavy are making their way to India this month, we give you an in-depth tour to what they are about and to their music. Believing in the norm of telling a story with a context through their music, London-based Ben Hall and Simon James have always delivered a unique take on Drum & Bass music. Since their start in 2009, their sound has evolved quite a bit. With multi-textured composition and heavier sounds, Delta Heavy have catered Bass-heads and song-oriented listeners alike.
Simon James and Ben Hall met at Nottingham University in 2003. After dipping the toes in the sea of city’s Drum & Bass scene, they connected on their aligning interests. While Simon was one with a musical background, Ben had the knack for sound engineering. Certainly, it was a match made in heaven! After graduating, they got into making music full time. The name, “Delta Heavy” was interestingly taken from Sasha and John Digweed‘s 2002 tour title.
Their debut release was ‘Galaxy‘ which was included on Viper Recordings‘ 2009 compilation, Acts of Mad Men. In June of 2010, another one of their tracks ‘Abort‘ made its way to another one of Viper Recordings’ compilation, Headroom EP (Part 3 & 4). The atmospheric intros and mind blowing drops had an inherent concept to them. Portraying the soundtracks of space and time, these tracks go way beyond than just being club bangers.
As you go ahead listening to their music, Sci-Fi influences on Delta Heavy will only become more apparent. In the same year, the duo released “Space Time” / “Take the Stairs” on the Drum & Bass mogul, Andy C‘s label, RAM Records. The debut RAM release only cemented their position in the scene as one of the best new talents. “Space Time” was nominated as Best Track at the 2010 Drum&Bass Arena Awards while earning Simon and Ben nominations for Best Producer and Best Newcomer DJ. 2010 proved to be one of the biggest stepping stones to establishing their name in the Drum&Bass scene.
Getting signed with the same label as the idols like Chase & Status and Sub Focus was clearly an accomplishment but Delta Heavy was just getting started. In 2011, they toured worldwide, remixed the artists like Avicii, Chase & Status, Example and more.
Their next release “Overkill” / “Hold Me” got them the attention of an even wider audience with their innovative sound design. They became ones to watch out for with their never ending drive and dedication which was showing through their music.
2012 brought the release of a stunning new EP “Down The Rabbit Hole” on RAM Records which included their breakout song “Get By“. It peaked at no. 37 on UK Dance and at no. 30 on UK Indie charts, making it a huge hit. Defining their genre as “Everything between 110 to 174 BPM“, Delta Heavy became a force to be reckoned with. They also remixed the likes of Rita Ora, Nero and Maverick Sabre that year.
Their remix for Nero‘s “Must Be The Feeling” was an instant hit with Youtube video hitting over a million views in a short time and 100k downloads on Soundcloud. It was a refreshing sound from the duo which people had not heard before. The Bass music promotional channel, UKF heavily supported Delta Heavy music with millions of views on their music. UKF certainly has a big part in bringing their music to masses.
Continuing on the releases, 2013 brought the single ‘Empire‘ and remixes for Zomboy and DJ Fresch. That was all for the year but focusing on quality over quantity, Delta Heavy had already started working on their debut album.
The release of a sonically charged Apollo EP in 2014 further explored Delta Heavy’s space influences. Giving the grander taste of their epic intros and massive drops which drove the crowds crazy, things only got bigger for Delta Heavy.
Delta Heavy unleashed the first single ‘Reborn‘ off their album “Paradise Lost” in November of 2014. It was followed by the release of ‘Ghost‘ in July of 2015. ‘Ghost’ went viral with its animated video and soon more singles followed.
Delta Heavy’s debut album “Paradise Lost” was released in March of 2016 via RAM Records which peaked at no. 15 on UK dance chart. With songs like “City of Dreams” and “Punish My Love“, the album is an absolute treat for bass-heads and general audience alike. As the duo mentioned, they started focusing more on producing song-oriented music rather than dishing out dancefloor anthems. Taking their “Impact-driven music with a twist” to a new level, Delta Heavy aim to deliver meaningful and imaginative music. Their grand intros will easily remind you of movie scores and their bass heavy drops will keep you jumping and dancing. Isn’t that one of a kind and mind blowing experience?
In their recent releases, Delta Heavy dropped “Kill Room” / “Bar Fight“, two astounding singles which take influences from heavy metal and hard rock guitars with their ever-evolving sound. Following them, a stunning new vocal single,”Kaleidoscope” makes its way to the listeners. The blend of atmospheric feels and heavy bass drops is compelling in the song.
With a cinematic and theatrical take on Drum & Bass music, the UK-based duo, Delta Heavy is undoubtedly one of a kind artists. With their quality music and dynamic style, they have won millions of hearts around the world. Giving rest to the words, here we give you the Artist Of The Month for March of 2017, Delta Heavy!
To give India a taste of Delta Heavy, they are making their way to the country during the upcoming Holi weekend. Check the details below and make sure to see them live in the nearest city!
Leave a Reply