High Rollaz Recordings is a brand new Drum and Bass label coming straight outta Peterborough with hometown legend Nick “Sincere” Porter at the helm. The High Rollaz name was originally given to Nick’s club night that began its life back in the mid-nineties and after a lengthy layoff, it made its comeback a couple of years back. With a taste of delivering the music he loves so much to the masses, he decided it was time to up the ante and High Rollaz Recordings was born.
Nick’s love for DnB knows no bounds and in particular, it’s the soulful, funky and liquid branches of the DnB family tree that he really likes to hang around in. As well as those being the types of sounds you can expect to hear on his new label, Nick will also be focusing his efforts on what the city has to offer the world of DnB by showcasing its talented pool of producers.
The first roll of the dice for High Rollaz is its “Rolling High” EP which features four tracks from three more bona fide Peterborough legends. The first of those is DJ Quest, whose music work has seen him heavily involved with numerous sound systems over the last three decades and taken him to America to work for Def Jam in LA and because he is a colossus of a man, he can be found snapping locks in his role as Mini Mile on Storage Wars UK. On the EP, he opens with the deep, dark and intense “Stinkin’ Bass” and closes it with an eye-fuzzing bassline, haunting piano and toughened drums in “High Rollers”.
Caught in a DJ Quest sandwich are Rayan Gee and Instant. When it comes to raving, Rayan has completed it mate! This is largely down to the fact he is master of ceremonies for rave legends Shades of Rhythm and is the chap who sings “Every time I see her, every time I see the girrrrl” on possibly their biggest hit of all time “Sound Of Eden”. I’d have enough for a damn good night out if I had a pound for every time I’d sang along to that tune during my partying career! As well as whipping up a frenzy amongst the ravers, Rayan has also dabbled with music production for a good few years now and because he and Nick are brothers from other mothers, he cooked up something a little special for this one. “Know Her Smile” is a lush slice of Liquid Jungle that features a beautiful female vocal, an old skool approach to the drums and softened keys in the first half of the track that are then replaced by spine-tingling synths.
Last but by no means least comes Instant. For the last 16 years, Instant has been keeping the cities Drum n Bass fans entertained by bringing together talented local DJ’s and MVP’s of the scene at his always popular night “Strictly Soulful”. He also produces top-notch DnB too and aside from his release on High Rollaz, he has also had music land on Technique Recordings, Rogue Beatz, Breakout Recordings and Horizons Music. His track on the EP is a remix of Rayan’s “Know Her Smile” and because everyone’s friends here, Rayan put in a polite request to Instant asking for one of those naughty basslines, to which he duly obliged. You’re going to feel the bass anyway, so why not go all out and make sure the neighbours feel it too and then everyone can enjoy this the extremely crisp and slightly filthy DnB roller he’s brought to the party.
Word from Nick is that there is plenty more in the pipeline of High Rollaz. More original music is on the way, plus they’ll be a few cheeky bootlegs dropping and possibly a few more High Rollaz nights after the resounding success of the label launch party a couple of weeks back. Get following on the relevant links if what you hear here is your thang!
Buy all of the music here on Bandcamp.
Links for High Rollaz Recordings :
