Kid Drama feat Alia Fresco
Gloomy beats countered by shining vocals
Kid Drama is one of many aliases of Damon Kirkham. As well as this one, he's got Mikarma, has worked with Boddika as Instra:mental and goes by the name of Jon Convex to produce techno tunes shrouded in darkness.
It's Kid Drama we're focusing on this time as he lines up his third release on Exit Records. He debuted the alias on dBridge's label in 2013, serving up dark and brooding cuts like 'In Mind' and 'What Do You See'. Neither as those were quite as moody as 'Kill Time', though, the track that appeared on a joint release with the label boss the year after.
2015 saw him switch focus to his own label, CNVX, putting out three releases as Kid Drama (one including collaborations with Skeptical and Consequence), his first album as Mikarma, before welcoming dBridge and Loxy & Resound into the fold last month.
A new EP, 'Covering Ground', comes out next month, with Kirkham returning to Exit. Skeptical, Consequence and vocalist Alia Fresco all feature, with the four tracks flicking between sweet-as-honey grooves and the murkier side of drum 'n' bass.
We've got the Alia Fresco collab, 'Wasted Time', and while it's littered with tonkin' drums and cranky synths, Fresco's vocals provide the freshness and ensure there's a layer of sheen sprayed over the gloomy beats.
The 'Covering Ground' EP is out on May 4 via Exit Records. Pre-order it here
[Photo: Sarah Morris]
Dave Turner is Mixmag's Digital News Editor, follow him on Twitter