LD (Hyperdub, London) – 06/24/10

The most talented and creative producers can often be found lurking in the background – J Dilla, Tom Moulton, Rudy Van Gelder – and Leon Day aka L.D. is not one to buck the trend. Exposed to the sounds of Jungle through various tape packs brought back from raves by his cousin, it was only a matter of time before he was introduced to turntables and mixing records. It was this that inspired him to go to college and take up music technology, yet it was a painting and decorating job that actually got him his first break, leading him through the door of Transition Studios in 2003. Leon learnt the art and science of sound mastering under owner Jason Goz careful mentorship, cutting his teeth on 10” dubplates for dubstep producers and DJ’s Distance, N-Type and Digital Mystikz, eventually graduating to 12” dubs and mastering. From this vantage point, he could view the evolution of dubstep through regular exposure to the mutating sounds coming from the constant flow of artists coming to get their dubs cut.

It was during one of these sessions that one of the scenes leading artists, Mala (DMZ), heard Leon’s first original production Clock Watching and instantly charted it. From here Jason resurrected his old Ringo record label and released it, with Skream’s mix of Assumptions on the flip. Once firmly on the dubstep map, things began to move. His next production, Swing Dat Skirt, created in January 2007 with it’s rifle fire rhythms, filtered key lines and funky bass drop, garnered strong support from DJ Chef and N-Type on Rinse FM, once again thrusting LD into the spot light.

LD’s sound is his own. Drawing on his roots, you can hear the drum pan sounds of Jamaica resonating throughout, flashes of Soca drums, subtle tribal nuances, and the ghost of Jungle reverberating in the warm, pulsating sub bass. With tunes out on Hyperdub, Dub Police, Ringo and 2nd Drop, the man behind the legendary “King of Kong” and “Bad” with Kode9, L.D is up to full speed with more DJ dates when his productions begin to hit the shelves. It seems now is the time for LD to make the transition from behind the scenes and into the limelight.

LISTEN TO LD MIX: FOR BIG UP MAG w/ CRAZY D
Big Up Magazine

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LD will be performing at New Earth Music Hall for our pre-Wired event. Check back soon for more details!