4 Reasons Why Andy C is the King of Drum n’ Bass

Andrew Clark, known by fans as Andy C is a DJ from England based out of London. He’s an experienced DJ, producer and label owner who’s been a pioneer of the drum and bass genre, in fact, he’s the most awarded DJ within the genre. He currently holds a residency at XOYO in London. His influence and appeal is simply massive. His set at Radio 1’s Hackney weekend was watched online by more people than either Jay-Z or Rihanna. In 2013 he performed to 85,000 people at Glastonbury. Andy C performs mostly overseas so having him here for the first Arizona Bassrush Massive is a huge treat. Here are the reasons we call him the Drum n’ Bass King:

1. He Has 40+ Awards to Date

Andy C been receiving awards as long as he’s been producing music. At the beginning of his career, in 1993, he won Best Hardcore Tune at the Hardcore Dance Awards where he also collected the prize for Best Newcomer. In 1997 ‘Origin Unknown Presents…Speed Of Sound’ won Best Dance Album at the Kiss FM Dance Awards. He won the best D&B DJ award on Drum & Bass arena in 2001 & 2002 and again at Accelerated Culture’s ‘Peoples Choice Awards’ in December 2002. In 2011 Andy C won the Best DJ title in the 2011 Drum and Bass Arena Awards, and since the awards’ inception in 2009, he has won the people’s vote in the awards for Best DJ each year. In 2013 Andy C won Ambassador of Bass Music in the 2013 Bass Music Awards, and his label Ram Records was nominated for Best Label. These are just a few of the 40+ awards Andy C holds for his accomplishments in the music industry, making him the highest awarded drum n’ bass DJ in the genre.

2. Owner of Ram Records

Andy C is the founder and owner of the famous drum n’ bass label Ram Records, the world’s leading Drum n’ Bass label. It was established in 1992 and will celebrate it’s 25th anniversary this year. Moving Fusion’s “Turbulence” was instrumental in moving RAM forward in the early 2000s and was the number one voted for track in drum and bass at the Mercury Music Prize in 2000. Ram Records hosts Andy C of course, as well as Delta Heavy, Camo & Krooked, Sub Focus, Culture Shock and more. The label is also known for its club nights, the most famous of which started at the London nightclub ‘The End’, and lasted 11 years till the club’s closure in December 2008. Andy announced a 25 Years of RAM Records tour across Australia & New Zealand to take place in April.

3. His Signature Style

Andy C has his own signature style that sets him apart and helped catapult his success. He specialises in fast mixing, often employing three turntables. Andy is what he refers to as “The Double Drop” – lining up 2 tunes so the baselines heaviest basslines drop at the same time on both tracks. Although he’s become known for using three turntables, two years ago he introduced Native Instruments’ Traktor with Timecode MK2 Vinyl into his Technics set-up, which includes an Allen & Heath Xone:02 mixer. His switch to Traktor, he says, happened circumstantially. “I flew to Portugal the next day for another festival and my records did turn up and the set was horrible. The needles were skipping and it was an absolute nightmare.” When you’ve been in the industry for over 20 years it becomes necessary to adapt to new technology. Andy C said he hasn’t looked back since making the switch, but his signature sound is still present.

4. He’s the First Drum n’ Bass Artist with a Residency at XOYO

One of the first links you’ll find on the XOYO website is a link to Andy C’s residency page. Andy C announced his residency in November of last year, making him the first Drum n’ Bass artist to ever hold a residency at the famous club. Andy C has become a festival headliner so to see him returning the clubs is a nice surprise. It’s a return to the original club culture. UKF said, “Placing himself in a position where he can draw much deeper or more diverse dubs than he can in major headline slots, Andy plans to build each night up around particular vibes, ideas and people within D&B.” Andy C played every Friday at the club between January and March. XOYO has a 500-person capacity that he regularly sells out.

Andy C joins a huge bass-heavy lineup for Arizona’s first Bassrush Massive. You won’t want to miss it; grab tickets here.