In the last couple of years, Dan Stephens and Joe Ray (with vocalist Alana) AKA Nero’s reputation has grown massively. They followed their ‘Requiem EP’ for Formation Records with a massive single on Breakbeat Kaos – first home of Pendulum – ‘Act Like You Know’. Their first venture in Dubstep, ‘This Way (featuring Alana)’, released in 2008 is still hailed as a classic of the genre and their recent remix of The Streets ‘Blinded By The Light’ still features in the sets of DJs as diverse as Chase & Status, Diplo, Skream and Tiesto. They have recently supported Chase & Status, Deadmau5 and Zane Lowe on tour.
It is quite obvious why they have signed to Chase & Status’ new label MTA Records, with an album due later this year: they share with them the same love of all things bass, dabbling with equal ease with dubstep and drum and bass and, alongside luminaries such as Sub Focus, Skream, Jackbeats and others Redlight, they break style boundaries in their search of a perfect groove.
This single is a glorious example: ‘Innocence’ is an instant dubstep classic, a grandiose feast of dramatic keys and eerie vocals torn to pieces by a monstrous bassline, while ‘Electrons’ unleashes a raw energy reminiscent of the rave days, with an infectious hook and diva-style vocal samples.
Nero are currently in the studio collaborating with Sub Focus and putting the finishing touches to their debut album, which will be to 2010 what Sub Focus debut LP was to 2009, and ‘More Than A Lot’ to 2008.
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