Aperture @ Buffalo, Cardiff
Fri 18 Mar
We all know that scene from Human Traffic, so let’s pay tribute to the capital’s drum’n’bass pedigree. Med School spun off from the classic label, Hospital, and both have strong Cardiff connections. One of the most successful artists to find a home on Hospital was Lincoln Barrett of Penarth, better known as High Contrast. The curly-haired prince of liquid, or liquid funk –the happier, shinier strain of drum’n’bass – broke through into the mainstream proper in the early 00’s.
Med School found one of its own heroes in the city too, in the form of Lung, who released his debut album on the label in 2013. He was a big part in forming the sound of the label, with a penchant for mixing rhythm and tempo more than the rigid constraints of modern drum’n’bass allowed – his tracks often stray from the 170BPM template, taking in swooning, swung 2-step garage and breathy, emotive dubstep-influenced forms.
Lung’s joined by Keeno [pictured], who recently released his second album, Futurist, with a medley of live vocalists and MCs and a focus on melodic, sweeping songs that go beyond the bassy bangers for which drum’n’bass is typecast by the ignorant. Also headlining is Anile, producer of subtle, modern riddims with r’n’b vocals for the most soulful of junglists. MC Ruthless, on the mic, will be keeping the crowd bubbling, and label manager Mullett scrubs up for the early doors.