Society of Sound: Blue Lab Beats

Blue Lab Beats are NK-OK, aka 18-year-old electronic beats programmer Namali Kwaten, and Mr DM, aka multi-instrumentalist David Mrakpor, 23. A double act with a combined love of hip hop artists J. Dilla, Public Enemy and a Tribe Called Quest; jazz heroes Herbie Hancock and Roy Ayers; soul legends Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.

They pair fuse minds as well as genres. Their new Society of Sound release, Xover, captures their sultry mish-mash, with its American source and London attitude – the duo neatly side-step the clearance problems that beset so many of their hip hop heroes by cutting up live music made especially for them, effectively sampling themselves.

The album was recorded at Real World Studios.

Society of Sound: Blue Lab Beats

Further reading

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‘I’m really moved by people’s response to it’ – John Metcalfe discusses the album Tree

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