Belgium‘s heaving with talented producers, DJ’s and MC’s at the moment. You already know Netsky, and Alix Perez, so maybe it’s time to introduce some more of them to you.
5. Hypoxia
2 Guys from Antwerp, City of Diamonds (and a guy that threw a hand in a river), make up the combo called Hypoxia. They already released on Radar, Bad Taste, Audioporn and Eatbrain, and played Let It Roll, Rampage, and Tomorrowland. If Hypoxia doesn’t ring a bell, the names Athys & Duster and Syntopia might. Being both skilled Sound and mix engineers, expect a high quality sound, with dark and organic vibes.
Check out their first release on Titan Records:
4. Bredren
Who says belgians can’t be efficient? This 3 for 1 deal hails from Lennik in the province of Flemish Brabant, world famous for the Gaasbeek Castle Museum (Even I had to look that one up). Known for their dark and minimal style, this trio has already released on Dispatch, Critical and Hospital (to name but three) and played the biggest festivals and clubnights like Outlook, Sun & Bass and Rampage.
Be sure to check out “Razors“, out on Flexout Audio:
3. Doctrine
Willem Vanderstichele is another young’un on this list. He calls Kortrijk home, a hip and trendy city in West-Flanders near the border of France, also known as the place we Flemmish kicked some French ass. Doctrine started out as a Dubstep producer, but soon saw the light that is Drum and Bass. He released on such heavy-weight labels as Ram-Records and Noisia’s Invisible imrint and played legendary parties as Noisia’s “Machtig”, and Murdock’s “Rampage”.
His track “Airlock” (Invisible) is still one of my most favourite Drum and Bass-tracks coming out of this country:
2. Phase
Young talent from Wetteren, a municipality located in the province of East-Flanders, renowned for it’s ornamental plants and flowers. I kid you not. You’d think a kid growing up between all this flowery goodness would grow up a florist, well you’d think wrong. Phase at the age of 22 already has releases on Hospital, Metalheadz and Dispatch, and has played Sun and Bass and Liquicity, among many others.
Check out his love for another famous Belgian product: “Duvel” along with his Dutch neighbour Nymfo, out on Dispatch:
1. James Marvel
Not a big surprise here. James Marvel (born Jens Blaute) has been on a roll for a couple of years now, releasing bangers as “Trump“(Audioporn), “Dominator” (with June Miller) (Ram Records), and “Way of the Warrior” (Audioporn), all of them with the more-than-excellent vocal work of his long-time friend MC Mota. Coming from our small nation’s capital Brussels, known for its statue of a boy pissing 24/7, he finds himself in the center of the Belgian Drum & Bass scene right now, Having played events like Tomorowland, Rampage, Rock Werchter and Let It Roll, we can only guess what big things are next for this talented Marvel.
Check out June Miller’s remix for Way of the warrior, out now on Audioporn:
Bonus: Murdock
I couldn’t really end this list without mentioning the Don of DnB in Belgium. Murdock (Born Hans Machiels) sure likes it when a plan comes together and is head-honcho of Radar Records and Rampage (the world’s biggest Drum and Bass party with around 15.000 ravers from around the globe). He discovered and pushed most of the artists in the above list, including Netsky, and had a weekly Drum and Bass show on the belgian national radio (Studio Brussel).
Check out his live set from Rampage 2016:
Know any more? Let us know, so they may end up in the next list(s)!
