Jakes

Active on the British bass scene since the early 2000s, Jakes has moved between MCing, production and label management, with a career tied to Bristol and, more broadly, to the UK’s drum and bass and dubstep networks. Initially noticed as a vocalist and frontman among live-scene players and soundsystems, he appears alongside projects such as TC or Pendulum before developing his own production work. Jakes then founded Hench Recordings, a label linked to a dark, physical dubstep aesthetic, heavily marked by bass frequencies, which accompanied the emergence of a leaner, more percussion-driven branch of the genre, often associated with what would later be called riddim. His style sits between dubstep, grime, drum and bass and bass music, with productions focused on rhythmic impact, massive basslines and a direct vocal approach inherited from MCing. Over his career, Jakes has moved between clubs, festivals and underground electronic scenes, while also pursuing collaborations in various contexts, including for imagery and external commissions. Jakes’ trajectory remains tied to the evolution of English bass music, both as performer, producer and conduit between multiple scenes.