Label Lockdown: DJ EZ’s NUVOLVE

Unique in the industry for building and maintaining peerless respect and reputation for his skills on the decks alone, DJ EZ introduced his new imprint NUVOLVE towards the back end of last year which aims to encompass his love for all forms of electronic music from garage to bass and everything in between. 

Now, no fewer than thirteen releases later, NUVOLVE’s evolution continues, with the aim of showcasing the brightest and best artists of the future alongside those of the past, bridging the gap and completing the evolutionary circle of everything that is NUVOLVE. 

We chat to some of the labels contributors including SHOSH, MPH, Smokey Bubblin B to get their thoughts on the current state of affairs in the world of UKG

Tell us a bit about the process of getting signed to NUVOLVE?

SHOSH: Well it was all very new and mysterious! We didn’t really know much about it except that it was DJ EZ’s latest, most exciting project and I felt honored to be considered for the launch release. There were some preliminary enquiries about me as a female producer, the Nuvolve team invited me to send any unreleased music and once they heard ‘Feel Me’ the rest was history!

MPH: So they got in touch with me around March last year, i sent a few different ideas across and “Breeze” really stood out to them. I was so excited to tell people but had to keep things quiet until the announcement

Smokey Bubblin B: It was a bit of a whirlwind to be honest, I saw that DJ EZ was setting up a new label & making a huge statement with the 1st release in terms of artists on there. EZ has been a long time supporter of my music & I was just in the process of finishing ‘Tell U’ so sent it over to the NUVOLVE team and it was signed within a few days I was ecstatic!

SHOSH ‘Feel Me’

Did you go through the same writing and recording processes knowing that this was going to be heard by one of the soundest minds and ears in UKG? Did you try anything new for your single or stick to what you know?

SHOSH: I actually wrote ‘Feel Me’ with Kelsey (the vocalist) way back in January 2020. We met out in Ibiza and connected immediately, promising each other we’d write a UKG banger when we returned to the UK. A few months later Kelsey sent me the foundations for the tune and I rolled it out into the full track overnight! It was such positive, organic energy between us that it just came together instantly. We loved the record so much that we sat on it for about 6 months before sending to labels. We wanted to find the right home for it. We were absolutely delighted when Nuvolve took interest, we couldn’t imagine a better home for it with DJ EZ spearheading the UKG sound. 

MPH: For “Time” i really wanted to bring back that classic speed garage sound with a modern twist, mixing the new sounds ive been making recently with the old classical synths that make speed garage what it is. I very much stuck to what i know as both Paul and EZ seem to love what im making

Smokey Bubblin B: I’m always trying new things when producing a track, but the only focus I have when making music is how I think the crowd would react & would I dance to it. I have my tried & tested methods on how I got about the fundamentals which I stick too.

MPH ‘Time’

NUVOLVE is building momentum with a great roster of talent having released on the label now – is there a strong contingency of young UKG / bass music talent out there?

SHOSH: The new UKG movement is getting stronger and more dominant by the week! I’m so excited for 2021 because the quality of music and talent behind the scene is really strong right now; it has great foundation and a healthy variety of outside influences. We also have brand new producers mixing with legends from the genre, which is only going to accelerate the success of UK Garage in 2021.  Seeing internationally acclaimed artists like Rudimental and Anne-Marie release new UKG hits that go straight to the top of the charts is also really inspiring and encouraging for up and comers like myself. 

MPH: Yeah its a really sick time for UKG/Bass. Alot of sick producers such as Oppidan, Sampladelic, WZA and Shosh are really pushing this new blend of UKG & Bass and its very exciting to see where the genre will go

Smokey Bubblin B: In my opinion Garage is as strong as its ever been! There is much new talent out there which is fantastic especially with tracks making the national charts again. People will always say ‘its never as good as the good old days’ but for the young DJ’s/Producers/Ravers these are thier ‘good old days’!

Smokey Bubblin B ‘Tell U’

How has the pandemic affected you? What positives can you take away from this?

SHOSH: Well obviously I lost all my bookings, which at the start of Lockdown was my sole income. I went from finally having a viable career after years of being underpaid, to suddenly being jobless again. It broke my heart to watch the events industry go unsupported, to watch UK venues close up. But there have been some huge silver linings and as an artist I’m proud of how resourceful and adaptable I’ve been to create new opportunities. I think joining KISS FM as a weekly resident presenter, and working with artists who I might never have connected with otherwise are the biggest components. Everyone has been brought down to a humbling level, so there has been a new energy of mutual support and love for the music which I’ve really thrived in! 

MPH: The pandemic has deifnitely helped me find my sound. As i had no distractions and so much free time it really helped me create a whole new sound in comparison to before the pandemic hit

Smokey Bubblin B: It’s been tough, but the blessing of being able to focus more on production has definitely been a positive to take away from it. It’s kept me focused, and there’s probably a good chance none of this music would have been made if we wasn’t locked down.

Your dream first gig out of lockdown and why?

SHOSH: Ibiza please!! I try to get out there every year with the crew and this lockdown has made it even more of a fantasy I want to get back to!  I think a DJ EZ Ibiza Rocks takeover should defo be a thing in 2021! 😉 

MPH: I would love to play a terrace party in the sun, just to test out all these new tracks i have been working on. Seeing the crowd reaction to each tune and hearing it on a soundsystem makes it all worth it 

Smokey Bubblin B: I don’t care if there’s 1 person or 10’000, to be out playing music for a crowd will be amazing and something that won’t be taken for granted. I can’t wait to be amongst it once again. But I’m very much looking forward to festival season if I had to chose, as I love playing doors in the sunshine 🙂

For more info on NUVOLVE head to here