FWD>> launches record label with new Slimzee, Boylan and Riko Dan collab
The first release from the pioneering London institution's imprint is titled 'Mile End'
FWD>> has launched a record label.
DJ and producer Slimzee, his old rave and pirate radio comrade Riko Dan and protégé Boylan team up on 'Mile End', the first release of the dubstep institution's new record label.
FWD>> as a label promises to champion a lot of the original sounds that were played during its club nights over two decades ago, while also bringing in a lot of new, leftfield and experimental sounds.
Read this next: 10 venues where genres were invented
'Mile End' is just that, as Slimzee notes, speaking to Mixmag, "the track's got dubstep elements, but it's still quite grimey with a bit of a psycho thing going on too."
The song came about from one of Slimzee's regular jams at Boylan's house, however with 'Mile End' they made a concerted effort to try something different.
"This was our first trappy sounding tune, you can hear it in the strings and the sub-bass," he adds.
Read this next: New photobook Drumz of The South will celebrate the golden years of dubstep
The FWD>> release is the latest collaboration between the Rinse FM co-founder and MC Riko Dan, who have been performing with each other before garage, grime and dubstep were even separated from one another. Once the instrumental was ironed up, Slimzee called up Riko "he wrote some lyrics and the tune was done."
"About a year ago, I gave 'Mile End' to Youngsta, and he showed it to his sister, Sarah [Lockhart]."
The FWD>> founder liked what she heard and from there, "everything happened very quickly."
Read this next: Grime: the complete history in 10 perfect tracks
Since then, the song has been doing the rounds with Youngsta playing it as his last tune at FWD>>'s recent Printworks party shortly after it was signed.
"It's really nice to see videos of it doing damage in the rave," says Slimzee, "Mala's been playing it as well."
Buy FWD>>'s new release with Slimzee, Boylan and Riko Dan, 'Mile End', here
Tibor Heskett is Mixmag's Digital Intern, follow him here
To listen to this audio clip, view the full mobile website.