Photography: Georgina Cook. Chances are you’ve seen West Norwood Cassette Library’s name springing up all over the place, including a recent interview in Dummy Mag and a visionary mix for Modifier. A remarkably gifted DJ/producer, as well as the founder of WNCL Recordings, WNCL (born Bob Bhamra) recently gave away a new track entitled “Drop.” This rugged, high-speed stomper of a production is a bit more stripped-down than the style we’ve come to expect from Bhamra, but we love it all the same! Listen to “Drop” and grab the download below:
Last month, Boiler Room recruited Bhamra to re-inaugurate their dormant Nothing New mix series, which features DJs crafting mixes out of their big influences and old favorites. For “Feeling Moody,” the fourth installation in the series, Bhamra takes it back to the mid-90s and pays homage to house duo Mood II Swing. In his words: “Their impact on the UK underground may not be as pronounced as, say, Todd Edwards or Masters at Work, but nevertheless they were, and still are, just as influential. You can hear it in their bass lines and samples, even the choice of notes and chord progressions. When people talk of UKG being spawned from dj’s playing NY House trax at +8, you know they’re talking about Carol Sylvan’s ‘Closer’.” Indeed, this 15-track mix showcases the smudged rhythms, itchy syncopations, and burned-around-the-edges production value that have crept their way into the productions of current artists like DJ Dom, Bakey Utsl, the 100% Silk camp, and, well, WCNL himself. Stream it below, and check out what else Bhamra has to say about Mood II Swing over at Boiler Room.
NOTHING NEW #004/ WNCL presents ‘FEELIN’ MOODY’ by BOILER ROOM
Turns out that Bhamra has also kept himself busy at the helms of his eponymous imprint, which has just released a new 10″ from Don Froth. Following in the wake of the sensational, widely-acclaimed “Lifted” single, “Balboa/Von” further solidifies WNCL’s reputation as a purveyor of rule-bending, genre-hopping dance music. The clipped kick drum of “Balboa” hits you hard in the chest while seesaw synths combine with loose-swinging percussion, giving the track a distorted rhythmic sensibility that feels unexpectedly natural. On the flip side, “Von” sounds like vogue house’s hyper-active and slightly off-center cousin, boasting percolating synth fragments and a deftly-spliced vocal sample. This one’s out on vinyl now, but the previews will have to hold you over for the next few days if you’re looking for digital. Either way, don’t miss out!
