Chook

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There was once a time in drum & bass where to try your hand at other genres was practically an insult to the staunch elitism of the genre. Drum & bass knew best, and what it knew most preciously of all was to soak up outside influences like a sponge, then regurgitate them in its own 170-ish-bpm breakbeat style – with an added middle finger to anyone who dared question the future-thinking outlook of the protagonists involved.



Now, more than a decade since artists like Ed Rush & Optical, Source Direct and Matrix were hailed as the sonic beat scientists of the millennium, it’s become trendy to mash together a whole bunch of genres and styles all under one artist alias roof.



Chase & Status made dubstep and drum & bass spiritual and literal dancefloor partners in just a few swift moves and Sub Focus turned his hand to bassline house alongside classic jungle and techno-electro infused D&B on his recent self-titled debut album. Meanwhile Annie Mac has practically made an institution amongst dance music fans by splicing together all styles with a common theme – incredible, filthy basslines and a cheeky attitude.



But amongst all the multi-genre mashing and the come-and-go tunes of the day, it can be hard to pick out something which has a shelf life longer than the next epileptic bassline to quake the local dancefloor or the latest remix from a moribund LFO maniac, slowly descending into blog house madness.



However, into that void steps a producer with a history for sticking to his aesthetic guns; a producer who’s not afraid to touch the other side of the genre explosion; a producer who arrives at the party armed with a suitcase full of subtlety and an outlook more akin to the artists of old.



Chook is that artist, and The Cocoon, Chook’s debut long-playing project, moves beautifully through drum & bass, minimal techno and stunning ambient soundscapes without pausing for breath.



The Cocoon is the culmination of half a decade’s worth of hard work. Starting out in 2004, Chook launched Full Force Recordings as an output for the fierce and disturbing side of European techno influenced drum & bass.



The label garnered support right from the off with DJs as diverse as Roni Size, J Majik and Calyx & Teebee all queuing up to work Full Force’s releases into their sets. Chook, alongside friends such as Germany’s Phace (Subtitles), New Zealand’s State of Mind (Shogun Audio) and USA’s Mayhem (Ram Records) put the label firmly on the map with tracks from some of the world’s finest breakbeat artists, keeping the music policy as credible, long-lasting D&B.



Now, five years since he started Full Force, Chook delves deeper into his influences, spreading his wings as a producer without resorting to cheap tricks and sheep-like trend following.



From the growling bass of Optimus Prime through to the inch-perfect elements of Time Running Backwards and the building, spacious progression of Toontown, The Cocoon is a lesson in staying true to your beliefs and sticking the middle finger to those who dare question your motives. Some might consider that a lost art in drum & bass these days.



Optimus Prime

Shades of Orange (ft. Aquatek)

Time Running Backwards

Cocoon

Demon (Remix)*

Grayskull (ft. Bassrk)

Toontown

Mountain Not A Molehill (Remix)**



Chook"Trainspot" Full Force 009



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