UK drill book, Woosh, documents the genre’s evolution

A new book documenting the evolution of UK drill has gone on sale. 

Tim & Barry Present Woosh features a collection of photos from the recent archives of cultural documentarians Tim & Barry, who have been covering underground music culture for more than 20 years, including Portuguese Batida, Chicago footwork, and grime. Focusing on the present, rather than the past, images were captured between 2016 and 2022, while the creatives were immersed within the drill community. 

During this time, the genre has become one of the most visible sounds in the UK and beyond. This is despite coming up against major obstacles, including demonisation by police and powerful sections of the media, with authorities even moving to ban some crews from making music and forcing YouTube to remove scores of videos, which are a vital driving force behind drill's popularity. 

Originally presented as an exhibition at the Laz Emporium located in the heart of Soho, Woosh deals with this largely through the visual representation of themes such as surveillance, censorship and criminality, but also emphasises aspects of the scene that don't always make headlines, like humour, friendship, and grassroots creativity. Artists including London's 67 collective and chart-topper Headie One feature in the pages, with words provided by renowned music and culture writer and historian, Ian McQuaid.

You can grab a copy here.

Read DJ Mag's 2020 feature on the evolving sound of UK drill here and about the rise of drill in Ireland here.