Renegade Riddims: Vektral

Hailing from Manchester, Vektral‘s journey into the world of Drum & Bass commenced during his university days. It all started with unforgettable nights at the legendary Warehouse Project, where the pulsating beats and electrifying energy of the Drum & Bass scene left an indelible mark on him. As he traversed the dance floors of iconic venues like Motion, Fabric, and Building Six up and down the country, his passion for the genre grew stronger with each bass drop.

Around 2016, a transformative moment occurred when Vektral felt the irresistible pull to create music himself. Under a previous alias, he released his inaugural track, marking the inception of his sonic voyage. Three years later, he emerged onto the scene as Vektral, a name now synonymous with innovation and creativity.

Vektral’s musical identity is a captivating fusion of influences that extend beyond the confines of Drum & Bass. Drawing inspiration from the ethereal realms of ambient music and the emotive soundscapes of film soundtracks, he blends these elements seamlessly with the vibrant pulses of House and the hypnotic rhythms of Techno. The result is a distinctive sound that defies categorization, constantly pushing boundaries and setting new standards within the genre.

In the heart of Manchester, Vektral has carved a niche for himself, commanding stages and captivating audiences with his electrifying DJ sets. His performances are an exhilarating blend of dancefloor anthems and jump-up tracks, skillfully balancing the juxtaposition of light and dark, guiding listeners through a sonic journey that is both euphoric and profound.

Fast-forward to 2023, and Vektral’s musical journey has seen him accumulate a repertoire of singles, EPs, and an array of successful free download releases. His tracks have found a home on esteemed labels such as High Tea, DNB Lab, Yosh, Grand Theft Audio, and Dazed. Sharing stages with prominent artists like Subsonic, Joe Ford, Levela, and Gray has solidified his presence in the Drum & Bass community.

Notably, Vektral’s compositions have earned recognition from major brands, with UKF and ourselves featuring his tracks. As 2023 unfolds, Vektral stands poised for even greater achievements, with numerous solo releases and exciting collaborations on the horizon. Brace yourselves, for the sonic journey of Vektral has only just begun, and there’s plenty more to come from this prolific artist.

Today he joins our Renegade Riddims series with a brand new mix, stacked to the brim with music from the likes of himself, Kanine, The Prototypes, Sola & Kleu, Tantrum Desire, Upgrade, Metrik, Sub Focus, Madface, Junk Mail and loads more!

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

Q&A:

Sum up this mix in 10 words…

An hour of tracks that really represent what I’m about 

What’s your personal favourite track on it?

It’s a bit of an older track but it’d have to be Sub Focus – Follow The Light. Still a classic even 14 years later, that intro just has a magic about it. 

What’s the special ingredient in this mix?

Unreleased and brand new tracks combined with some of my all time favourite classics

Tell us about your next EP?

Next EP coming up is on DNB Lab, has quite a variety of styles on it – some liquid, some dancefloor and a couple of tracks that are somewhere in between

What have you got coming up? 

Got some gigs coming up – Liverpool next month which I’m really looking forward to playing and one or two more in Manchester towards the end of the year. Also just signed a couple more releases recently which I’m really looking forward to getting out there

When was the last time you actually raved?

Saw The Prodigy and Andy C whilst on a weekend away in Dublin recently which was great, there aren’t many live acts that can get a crowd going the way Prodigy do

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

Thanks a lot for checking out the mix and keep supporting the music we all love!

TRACKLIST:

Vektral & Sonication – ID

Junk Mail – Subscribe Now

Basstripper – Milky Way

Kanine – Take Me Up

Tantrum Desire – Slay

The Prototypes – Lights

Shouse – Love Tonight

Flowidus & Subsonic – Come Around

Madface – Escape

Sola & Kleu – 10 Steps

T & Sugah – Find Your Way

Toby Ernest – I’ll Be Waiting (Vektral Bootleg)

Tantrum Desire – Rythm

Sub Focus & Culture Shock – Recombine

Metrik – Hackers

Sub Focus – Timewarp VIP

Odd Mob – Left To Right (Subsonic Remix)

Upgrade – Propper

Time To Turn It Right (Jamo Remix)

LSB & Technimatic – Rotary Motion

Delta Heavy – S.T.A.Y (Tribute)

Rene Lavice – The Calling ft.Ivy Mairi

Sub Focus – Alarm ft.MC ID

Tali – Forces (Trei Remix)

Vektral – Peradam

Wilkinson – Infinity

Varski – Hypnotic (Vektral Bootleg)

Hot Since 82 – Buggin ft.Jem Cooke (Vektral Bootleg)

Magenta & Pe:te – Away

Amplify & Nu Elementz – See You

Foes – Really You

Bert H – Aardvark

Bicep – Glue (Changer Bootleg)

Culture Shock – There For You

Sub Focus – I Found You ft.Hayla

CLB & Sara Sukkha – Running Back To You

Vektral – Broken Silence ft. Lucy Banks

Nick The Lot & Pengo – Return To Life

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

ALB – My Time

Commix – Be True

Break ft. MC Fats – Natural Way

Vektral – Perception

Metrik – I See You ft.Kathy Brown

Notion – Hooked (Grafix Remix)

Sub Focus – Follow The Light

Vektral – Lightspeed ft.Luke Coulson

Delta Heavy – White Flag VIP

RL Grime & Nero – Renegade (Vektral Bootleg)

Kleu – Fading Away

Burt Cope – Higher Level

Noisia, Skrillex & The Verve – Supersonic Symphony (Edit)