FROM his roots in underground Drum and Bass outfit Bad Company to catapulting himself to mainstream success, DJ Fresh is one of the most prolific pioneers of the genre and has helped guide D&B to a wider audience and to chart hit recognition over the years.
Having notched up numerous top 10 singles and two UK no.1s, whilst collaborating with the likes of Diplo, Rita Ora, Ella Eyre, Dizzee Rascal, Ellie Goulding and more, Fresh is back with new single Higher, a collaboration with in demand producer Used and featuring Nikki Ambers, it’s out now on his Breakbeat Kaos label.
We caught up with DJ Fresh this week and he’s put together a playlist of great tracks for us including the new single. Listen to the music and read what he had to say about the tunes below.
DJ Fresh & Used featuring Nikki Ambers – Higher
We originally wrote this at house speed just because it felt right, when we realised we sped it up and thought, wow that’s fast.
DJ Fresh – Golddust (Bou & Used remix)
One of my favourite 2022 remixes of Golddust, this has been tearing up clubs and festivals, feels like a great 2022 relick that keeps the elements of the original intact.
DJ Zinc – Super Sharp Shooter
I was just starting to go out raving when this was new. This was everywhere, it was one of the first times I noticed a D&B track coming out of car windows.
Macky G – Tour
Macky G has turned the jump up sing-a-long bassline into an art. There’s nothing that feels as good when you’re performing live as hearing the whole crowd singing your bassline in between tracks or sets.
MK – 17
Another big influence for Higher. I love this track, super catchy and simple, the hook is just perfection.
Tiesto, Dzeko, PREME, Post Malone – Jackie Chan (Holy Goof Remix)
Holy goof has taken the D&B jump up sound and created a whole genre out of mixing it with 4/4 beats, big fan.
Pendulum featuring Freestylers – Fasten Your Seatbelts
You can’t say jump up and not mention a Pendulum tune, the boys took the jump up riff to another planet, and Fasten Your Seatbelts was a gamechanger for both breaks and D&B.
Used – Mistakes
This was one of the first tunes of Jo that got him on my radar, it’s an awesome track, super catchy.
DJ Fresh, DJ Phantasy & Macky G – Civilisation
I wrote this track with Macky G during my break from DJing, although I’m still only doing a very small number of select shows, it’s been a new experience for me to actually play this track out, and amazing to see how it goes off!
DJ Fresh vs Doctrine – Control
Like Civilisation this was written without a chance to hear it live, which was a new experience for me. Doctrine is a big talent and we’ve worked together on a number of projects.
B-Jam – Funkula (DJ Hype Remix)
This is a classic, Hype was the original jump up instigator and one of the most talented DJs on the planet, big up Hype!
DJ Fresh & Erik Arbores – Elevator
Elevator was an experiment for me adding the jump up bass lines I’d made and loved in D&B to a 4/4 track, was very useful at the time while i was touring with people like Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Nervo, Stevo Aoki and Diplo round the release of my track Earthquake.
