In Session: Tessela

Arriving with his first full release in 2011, Ed Russell aka Tessela began tearing up the scene with volcanic force. Records landed through dubstep imprints such as Punch Drunk and 2nd Drop Records, and as the genre began to lose steam, Tessela’s hardcore-channeling, broken style of production invigorated dancefloors looking for something new.

The inauguration of his Poly Kicks imprint in 2013 with the anthemic ‘Hackney Parrot’ produced the year’s biggest track, cutting Kathy Brown’s diva vocals above a foundation that saw the fresh-faced artist fearlessly merge influence from 90s warehouse rave tapes with his own contemporary spin.

Signing to R&S in the same year resulted in the release of three ferocious EPs coursing with earth-shattering low-end rumbles, pneumatic percussive hits and glossy, palpitating synths. ‘Gateway’ on the debut three-tracker stands out among the most impactful dancefloor records in recent memory, preluding each drop into battering-ram percussion with a canon-like bass hit that knocks clubs sideways, while ‘Bottom Out’ on the latest R&S release took a more skewed approach that was equally powerful, touching upon electro.

Despite growing up with a classical-obsessed father who inducted his son into music with lessons on a variety of orchestral instruments, Ed looked more to his ten years-senior brother Tom, aka Perc Trax producer Truss, for cues, hearing a variety of electronic music through his bedroom walls. Aged 11 he bought a pair turntables and began to experiment mixing with records he’d pinch from Tom’s collection, recording ramshackle mixtapes to sell at school.

While studying GCSE music Ed’s influential sibling bought him a copy of the production software Reason, calling it an “investment”, and the pair have maintained a close partnership over the years, releasing and playing live as TR//ER and Overmono, and now running Poly Kicks as a joint venture following a relaunch in late 2015. Five outings have come out since, seeing Tessela focus his sound to a more down-the-line techno approach while still keeping it bass-heavy, and Truss and Haroon Mirza both experimenting with locked grooves.

As a DJ Tessela has grown into one of the UK’s finest selectors, with a Radio 1 residency, shows on Rinse and NTS, and regular tour dates across the globe under his belt. His sets are crafted to be raw and explosive workouts. Listen to his In Session below for a thumping and at times disorientating trip through muscular drums, bassweight techno and propulsive acid.

Patrick Hinton is Mixmag's Digital Staff Writer, follow him on Twitter