Straight out of Bristol… We speak with rising star Kendrick to find out more about his latest release with D&B legend MC Eksman…
You’ve been hard at work the past few years building your reputation as a DJ / producer, where did your journey start?
I remember going to One Nation as an 18 Year old, then Westfest and RUN and got absolutely hooked on the idea of becoming a DJ. Bought a pair of decks and then it was a long old journey in the bedroom of learning to mix. A few sets came along at the late great Blue Mountain Nightclub (RIP). Brands like Innovation & Lakota at the time really helped me at that point. The production came a little later.
You’re based in Bristol, were you born & raised there?
Although I spent a lot of time in Bristol when I was younger I’m not actually from Bristol originally. I moved here when I was 18, but it’s definitely my home now! I did still grow up in the beautiful West Country though.
Bristol has an incredible history of D&B / Bass music culture, do you think that had an influence on you growing up?
I would definitely say the culture leaks out beyond the cities boundaries and spills out beyond the cities boundaries.
When I was growing up there was events like BPM at Club Ice in Westbury which had a large travelling party from Bristol. So many artists from Bristol likely had a subconscious influence on me at a young age. I was always a fan of Distorted Minds.
When did you start making music?
I started producing (badly) in about 2019 and it was a slow, painful process for a few years after that. I would say that’s arguably what makes the fruits of your labour sweeter once you start to get the hang of things. I think my first release with Bites was in early 2020 which is when I would say my sound started to develop – Now that’s constantly in a process of refinement. Us producers are never satisfied!
Production Process
What’s your studio process like when making tracks?
Drums / Drop / Intro Mix it down 1,000 times!
We ask this of every producer we speak to; What’s your favourite plug in & how do you use it?
Can’t give away too much here! But Fabfilter Saturn is a go to every time. I love the brightness you can bring out in your track from it. The Slate bundle has some great bits in as well for some shimmer and shine.
Latest Release
Tell us about your most recent release ‘Cobra’. How did the link up with Eksman come about for this track?
I originally made the instrumental for ‘Cobra’ in lockdown, in like early 2021. It had the massive intro, and crazy drop, but something was missing from it. The track was getting some incredible support at the time, such as being the opening track for Problem Central’s sets in the summer of 2021. So I hit up Eksman and he just added the perfect vocal to it.
I feel massively grateful to him for blessing my music as he is a total legend.
‘Cobra’ is released on Majistrate’s Sweet Tooth label. Maji’s been very supportive of your music hasn’t he?
Maji is a total legend! The advice & support he has given me, as well as the trust he has put in me along the way is priceless. He’s always given me honest constructive feedback on my work and been there to listen to me rant and moan at him about my life dramas at times too haha! One of the realest people I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and someone I would recommend any up and coming artist to send their music to for sure.
What’s next for Kendrick? I know you’ve got a load of DJ bookings lined up! Any more music in the pipeline?
There’s releases on Sweet Tooth set to drop all throughout the year & plenty more. My next work explores totally new sonics and I can’t wait to share them with the D&B world.
More Music For You
Have a listen to all the freshest drum & bass on our very own LoveThatBass record label. Our music covers the full spectrum of the jungle / dnb genre with tracks from the likes of Kleu, Waypoint, Glitch City, AKAS, Jaydan, Georgia Phoenix, Oversight & more!
