Selections: More Time
In our new regular feature, Selections, we invite DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share recent additions to their Bandcamp collections. This week, More Time Records’ co-founders Ahadadream and SNØW select five gems each, spanning percussive club heft, grime, gqom and jungle hybrids, and 140 bpm bass weight
Record stores and clubs around the world are shut, and opportunities to find new music out in the wild have been ripped from under our feet as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. While hearing new music played out by your favourite DJs will have to be put on hold due to these unprecedented circumstances, it’s never been easier, or more important, to support the artists and labels putting out EPs, albums and compilations in the midst of all the madness.
With tour cancellations and festival postponements leaving many members of the international electronic music community out of pocket, Bandcamp has become an even more vital platform for supporting the music you love, with 80% of all sales from the online music store going directly to artists and labels. Last month, the platform announced it would be waiving its revenue share for all sales for one day, and on 20th March, took no cut from purchases made. In total, $4.3 million was spent on music over the course of 24 hours, all going straight to the creators. On 1st of May, it will waive its revenue share again for 24 hours, with some additional plans for the day set to be announced next week. Time to start adding releases to your Wishlist to grab on the day to ensure all of your spending goes directly to the artists and labels you love.
In our new regular series. Selections, we’re inviting DJs, producers and label heads to dig into their digital crates and share recent additions to their Bandcamp collections. In lieu of opportunities to discover new records on the dancefloor, Selections – along with radio shows and mixes – will give you the chance to nab new sounds from the crates of tastemakers, and support the artists behind them while you’re at it. Win-win, right?
This week More Time Records’ co-founders Ahadadream and SNØW step up with five gems each from their personal collections, spanning percussive club heft, grime-jungle hybrids and 140 bpm bass weight. Since launching in 2017, More Time has become one of the foremost champions for UK club music, providing an essential platform for dancefloor-focussed sounds with roots and influences from across the Global South. Having released EPs from emerging names such as Bala Bala Boyz, Leila Samir and DJ Polo, More Time has shone a spotlight on a wealth of exciting sounds in its early years, and things are only looking up for the label and its leading duo. This week, Ahadadream and SNØW are celebrating the label’s third anniversary with a new EP of their own, ‘3:33’. A thrilling encapsulation of their individual production styles, the EP captures the irresistible energy of their infamous b2b sets, which were lucky enough to catch at festivals like Glastonbury and Kallida last year.
Dig into Ahadadream and SNØW’s Selections below.
Ahadadream: "Noia & Torres of XXIII have been active since 2015, throwing parties in Porto and putting out great compilations including an amazing look into São Paulo's raucous megatron funk last year. This is my pick from their most recent compilation 'Volume 8'."
Ahadadream: "This was my secret weapon throughout my recent tour of Asia and Australia earlier this year before lockdown and always got the biggest reaction as it unexpectedly transitioned from 140 bpm to jungle. SNØW finally let it out into the world for the last Bandcamp Day, play it loud in your headphones and try to imagine being in a dance again."
Ahadadream: "Another absolute staple of my recent sets pre-CoVID times from Accra's Gafacci who's Bandcamp output is very regular and consistent, so make sure you keep an eye on his page."
Ahadadream: "An up and coming producer based in Coventry who fuses sounds from his birthplace Pakistan with UK sounds. Looking forward to hearing more of his productions in the year ahead."
Ahadadream: "One of my favourite songs of the year taken from DJ Tess & Nan Kolè's collaborative EP "Homemade" (name as such because they were housemates throughout the time they wrote the EP), features the vocals of NyNy who is definitely a voice I'd love to hear on more records this year."
SNØW: "Give thanks for Swing Ting! Swing Ting have been putting on dances and pushing forward thinking, globally focussed dance music for 11 years now, they are a big inspiration for what we do with More Time and they have just dropped their debut album. This is one of my favourite cuts from the record featuring the amazing Shanique Marie from the Equinoxx crew outta Jamaica."
SNØW: "This one has been a go to in my DJ (+ radio) sets for a few months now. Its been that tune recently that if I don’t know what to play, I just draw for it. A solid, drum heavy roller that can mix with just about anything. Exactly the kind of groove I like to DJ with and rave too. The whole EP is very tight and it is released on DJ NKC’s hugely influential Even The Strong imprint."
[Check out Syn's DJ Mag Fresh Kicks mix/interview here]
SNØW: "More Time family member Bamz has been mashing up our partys with their highly infectious vibes since our very first rave. They have stepped up on Jamz Supernovas Future Bounce club series with a couple of techy tribal stompers that perfectly encapsulate their amazing energy as a DJ."
SNØW: "When I think of Bandcamp I think of Scratcha, Over the past couple years Scratcha’s output has been relentless, dropping EP after EP of club gold as well as his quirky projects like Interludes and Intros. This Wiley sampling, UK Gqom heater from the latest in his Drumtrk series is for me one of the baddest tunes around at the moment."
SNØW: "London Label 22a have been been consistently putting out quality jazz and experimental club music since 2013 and I have been a big fan of a lot of their releases. The latest EP from label boss Tenderlonus is one of their more dance floor focussed offerings and it's a massive vibe whether you are chilling or raving. Love the rolling bassline, dreamy pads and subtle flourishes of his signature flute on the title track, but like all of my choices the whole project is fire."
