Renegade Riddims: GIANT22

No stranger to the roots and techniques of Drum & Bass, GIANT22 is a veteran artist with deep knowledge and versatile skills. He started to play his first gigs as a DJ around 1996 and got more and more attention the years after when he showed more of his talent with multifaceted sets consisting not only of floor rattling tunes but also of well-selected musical gems showing a smart and diverse set of influences brought in from all sorts of hip hop, reggae and electronica.

He started producing his own music as well: not only had he gained a lot of knowledge by diving deep into the vast universe of synthesizing (and building an enormous eurorack), but also, he did this in a pretty short space of time because of a very high commitment and an incredible work ethos. The results are remarkable and so his tech-infused Jungle Drum & Bass which will surface in the near future on various labels including his own imprint, EPO22 Music Tales, which launched this year and promises fresh ground for breakbeat driven, tech-funking sonics, infused with cinematic and emotional elements, all with a significant dancefloor-friendly attitude.

As a DJ, Producer and label entrepreneur, GIANT22 is not shy of taking risks when it comes to creating a unique vibe and forging a flawlessly fresh take on Drum & Bass.

Today we welcome GIANT22 to our Renegade Riddims series with a wicked mix which features music from the likes of himself, EVOLVED, Creatures, Aaron Payne, Exile, Dub Phizix, Notequal & Sense Illusion, Billain & Kemal, Acid_Lab and loads more!

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

Q & A:

Sum up this mix in 10 words…

First of all, thanks for asking me to record this one. Well, I tried to take you with me on a sonic journey through space and time riding some extraordinary grooves.

What’s your personal favourite track on it?

I would say it is the Salute Bootleg by Phace. I am deffo hooked on this one!

What’s the special ingredient in this mix?

It is just the combo of unreleased and released tracks, some showcasing what to expect on my label EPO22 Music Tales and the tracks that touched my soul lately.

Tell us about your next EP?

I’m looking forward to my first release on another label. Might sound weird to you but I’m quite excited.

What have you got coming up?

Tons of solo projects, collabs of all sorts and all that jazz.

When was the last time you actually raved?

I was raving in a club in my old hood last month. Meeting a lot of my old mates was quite fun. Big up to the undertheground fammo.

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

21 is only half the truth!

TRACKLIST:

GIANT22 – Sequoia
Clu, Headroom – Wanna
Refracta – Smile
Subp Yao – You Can Do
DRS & T95 – Comme Ci
Aleyum – Soulful Sundays
Revan, Primitive Instinct – Back At It
Aagentah – Oxygen
Creatures – Gonzo Transmission (Molecular Remix)
GIANT22 – Seeker (EPO22 DUB)
Bare Up – Hatcher
Notequal & Sense Illusion – Indicate (Free DL)
AC13 – Got 2 Go
Humanon & Diffe – Design (DUB)
Mattirealism – Darkest Love
Billain & Kemal – Cosmic Gate
EVOLVED – Steam Engine (EPO22 DUB)
Aaron Payne – Was It Enough
GIANT22 – Now
KraK’N – Point of Interest
Asana – You Said You Love Me
GIANT22 – Infiltration (EPO22 DUB)
Dub Phizix – Roundeer
NickBee – Dark Matter (Moytra Remix)
Incorporate – Hidden Path
Evolved – Offset (Jon Tho Remix)
Acid_Lab – Madman
AL/SO & Impex – House Party
EVOLVED – Alright (EPO22 DUB)
Exile – I Want U
OZOH – Endless Grey
Archaea – The Shadow Passage
AIRGLO & Reid Speed & Metric Man – The Spark (WAVHART Remix)
EVOLVED – Suffocation (EPO22 DUB)
Salute – Jennifer (Phace Bootleg)