Renegade Riddims: Ben Rolo

Ben Rolo originates from Worthing, a vibrant coastal town in the UK, where he’s gained recognition for his skill as a Drum & Bass DJ and Producer. Exploring diverse musical genres during his earlier years, which included collaborations with various bands, Ben discovered his artistic niche in 2019 when he embarked on a solo venture, adopting his well-established stage name.

His rise in the music scene took a significant leap when he won the prestigious title in the ‘Pieces’ Remix competition hosted by In:Most and Soulvent Records. This achievement propelled his work onto the influential YouTube Channel of Liquicity. Ben remained steadfast in his creative journey, unveiling his debut EP on Bay 6 Recordings in January 2021. This release garnered enthusiastic support from industry heavyweights like Skank & Bass, Liquiddnbftw, and ourselves, among others.

Following this milestone, Ben’s musical footprint expanded with releases on renowned platforms such as Glitch Audio, Four Corners, Soul Deep, Headsbass, as well as the esteemed ProgRam and Galacy labels. These moments stand as defining highlights in his career. Moreover, Ben reunited with Bay 6 Recordings, achieving further acclaim, including airplay on Radio 1 Drum & Bass show hosted by Charlie Tee.

In 2023, Ben delved into thrilling collaborations, teaming up with Tengu under the banner of Georgie Riots‘ label Riot Records and extending his musical influence to High Tea. Particularly noteworthy was his distinctive remix of FooR‘s ‘Night of our Lives,’ seamlessly transitioning into the Dancefloor domain alongside YANA with the release of ‘Netrunner.’

To coincide with the release of ‘Out Of Time’ which sees Ben Rolo collaborate with the very talented Sunnie Mia (check out our premiere below and grab it here!), he joins our Renegade Riddims series with a brand new mix. The mix features music from himself (including his new release), Koven, Pendulum, Delta Heavy, Metrik, Camo & Krooked, Kleu, Koherent, Tantrum Desire, DJ Hybrid and loads more!

Check out the mix below and download it for free here!

Q&A:

Sum up this mix in 10 words…

Eclectic mix of my favourite anthems across the DnB spectrum.

What’s your personal favourite track on it?

Very hard to choose… however right now it’s got to be FooR X Maddy V X Sara – De’ja Vu, the lyrics on this are heartfelt and I’ll always have a special place for some Liquid!

What’s the special ingredient in this mix?

Tengu & Sola’s ‘The Law’ is a nice bit of spice on this mix, a tune that always hits on the big systems, the sound design is special!

Tell us about your next EP?

I’m going back to my roots with my next EP. Jack (Echo Motion) & myself have worked together for years & had a few tunes in the locker we thought were too good not to be released, so have decided to release a free download EP ourselves this December as a little thank you to everyone who’s supported us over the years, keep an eye out on our socials for those!

What have you got coming up?

Alongside our self release EP, The same week I’m playing a Liquid DnB inspirations set on December 15th in my hometown of Worthing, so if you’re in the south come and say hi! It may be my last set for a while as I’m taking a little break to write in 2024!

When was the last time you actually raved?

The last rave I went to was at the legendary Volks in Brighton, to watch FooR, Tyrone & Mollie Collins smash their sets, it was wicked, always a good time at the Volks.

And finally, do you have a special message for our readers?

I hope you enjoy the mix. I’ve tried to squeeze in as many anthems as possible alongside a few dubs from myself. Thanks for listening & give me a follow if you’d like to hear more!

TRACKLIST:

Supermode – Tell Me Why (1991 Remix)

Metrik – Immortal

Ben Rolo & Sunnie Mia – Out of Time

Sub Focus, TC – Borrowed Time

Fred again.., Skrillex & Four Tet – Baby again.. (The Outsiders Bootleg)

Chemical Brothers – Hey Boy Hey Girl (Tengu Bootleg)

Empara Mi, Sub Focus, Wilkinson – Freedom

Camo & Krooked – Climax

In:Most – Pieces (Ben Rolo Remix)

Rudimental, Vibe Chemistry, Charlotte Plank – Dancing is Healing

Nu:Logic – What I’ve Always Waited For (Flava D Remix)

Hybrid Minds, venbee – If Love Could Have Saved You

Koven – Chase The Sun

Sara, FooR, Maddy V – Deja Vu

FooR & Wavysof – Nights of our Lives (Tengu & Ben Rolo Remix)

Example, P Money, Whiney – Dead In The Eye

Sola, Tengu – The Law

Volition x A:Dan – All The Way

Gorillaz – Feel Good (Ed Solo Remix)

T Man, QZB feat. T Man – Shadowban

ID – ID

Vektral, Lucy Banks – Broken Silence

Zardonic, REEBZ – Bitter feat. Reebz

Subsonic, Flowidus – Come Around

Sub Focus, Wilkinson – Air I Breathe

Pendulum – Colourfast

Delta Heavy – White Flag VIP

Wilkinson, Issey Cross – Used To This (Logistics Remix)

Netsky, Hybrid Minds, Lauren Aquilina, Andrew Sherwin – Let Me Hold You (Grafix Remix)

Ben Rolo Feat Kintsuku – Stasis

DJ Hybrid – Warehouse

Ed Solo – Cold As Ice (Ed Solo Remix)

Delta Heavy, Valentino Khan – Deep Down Low (Delta Heavy Remix)

Kleu – Shake Ya Body Like Dis

Trex, T>I – Return To Sender

Tantrum Desire – Unleashed

Toronto Is Broken feat. REEBZ & Sebotage – Raw

Morgan, Sigma – Adrenaline Rush (Subsonic Remix)

Agro feat. Flowdan – Bad from Morning

Koherent – Stab Trilogy

Shy FX, Mr. Williamz, Becky Hill – Disconnect (SHY FX Remix)