Redlight
about the artist
When it comes to creativity and self-expression, freedom is the most essential component. For Redlight this means producing music with no fixed plan but simply create. "The plan is to have no plan," he says. With over two decades experience in electronic music, Redlight is well versed in dance floor-ready rhythms that evoke the diverse spirit of British club culture. He has become one of the most consistent and respected artists in the UK, constantly delivering fresh riddims to dance floors up and down the country, and overseas. London born, Bristol raised, the city's rich and vibrant culture permeates through…
MoreWhen it comes to creativity and self-expression, freedom is the most essential component. For Redlight this means producing music with no fixed plan but simply create. "The plan is to have no plan," he says. With over two decades experience in electronic music, Redlight is well versed in dance floor-ready rhythms that evoke the diverse spirit of British club culture. He has become one of the most consistent and respected artists in the UK, constantly delivering fresh riddims to dance floors up and down the country, and overseas. London born, Bristol raised, the city's rich and vibrant culture permeates through his music, from his 4×4 productions to his output as Clipz, the DnB alias that launched him into the limelight. Prolific, industrious and highly creative, Redlight has built up an extensive and diverse discography over the last 20+ years…
In 2023 Redlight's endeavours are split into several avenues; Production-wise it's Clipz for DnB, Cash For Chaos and Redlight while he also runs his labels Lobster Boy and Dream Vision Future. Each channel gives him the space to have fun with rhythm and sound in different ways; embodying the diversity that has always been at the core of his inspiration. A quick glance at his recent releases demonstrates the broad, yet cohesive nature of Redlight's productions. 'On Repeat' with Elf Kid, which landed in 2022, along with 'Massive,' 'Moontrip' and 'Sweat,' on his Lobster Boy label.
All four cuts epitomise Redlight's no rules policy. It's "a bassier, housier sound encompassing anything from 120 – 140bpm." Within that spectrum he is free to experiment and explore, which has led to a variety of flavours emerging from his audio lab. For instance, 'Regulate,' his collaboration with Totally Enormous Extinct Dinosaurs, a synth-heavy, vocal banger that landed on DFTD in March 2023. With each DJ set he goes deep into preparation, locking himself away to create edits and dig for tunes that will make the performance a special one. No half measures here, it's dedication to the cause every step of the way.
On the Clipz front, it's DnB business as usual. With the pathway already carved out by the pioneers, Clipz's drum'n'bass pushes around the edges of the genre's predetermined framework. "We're all guests in their house," is the way he sees it, which means working to a formula of sorts while still innovating and producing dynamic cuts that cause havoc on the dance floor. Where Redlight is anarchy, Clipz is part of something bigger – a university. In summer 2022 he dropped 'No Time' (Feat Nia Archives, Beenie Man, ShaSimone and Cristale), followed by a raucous rework of Four Tet's 'Looking At Your Pager.' Not forgetting a full reinterpretation of 2020's Saturday Specials LP by Everything Is Recorded (AKA Richard Russell), which landed on XL Recordings.
Drum'n'bass remains one of the most fiercely independent and staunch electronic music genres, and, as Clipz, Redlight can dip in and out with ease, thanks to his decorated history with the genre, going way back to his connection to Full Cycle in the early 2000s. Coming from Bristol, too, his understanding and interpretation of DnB has that distinct West Country DNA. Behind-the-scenes Redlight also finds time to produce music for other artists and vocalists. His depth of experience and prolific output mean he is perfectly poised to lay down beats and bass for a diverse range of acts, including Rudimental, Nia Archives and Finn Foxell.
Though there may not be a strict plan, Redlight does have a priority… Above all else, it's to create the best quality music he can. With a shift in his approach to DJ bookings and touring after a serious health issue, his focus is making music, and lots of it. Deeply committed to his studio endeavours, while maintaining a positive outlook and a high work ethic, Redlight has earned his stripes several times over. A UK stalwart, his energy and enthusiasm for production is still as unwavering and contagious as it was when he first started over 20 years ago. Watch the ride, as he continues to roll the beats out relentlessly, with no plan but to keep the fires of creativity burning brightly…