DJ Shaggy returns to Soultribe Music with a love letter to the middle school era of dnb: Realms is a brand new EP dedicated to that exciting 2000s melting pot where everything was peaking – golden era liquid, big hooky dancefloor wangers and all kinds of tech mutations.
“These tunes are homages to the mid 2000 DNB that have imprinted on me so heavily,” says Leicester-based Shaggy. “I just wanted to put together something that was more musical. I love making DNB which has an element of story telling and can still make you wanna move, it’s what resonates deeply with me.”
Shaggy and the label Soultribe seem to resonate deeply, too. They only linked up last year when Shaggy entered a remix competition (Stodius – Baby Give Me Something) But Realms will be his second EP on the label in just over a year.
“It’s been brilliant watching him grow,” says the label boss Anakinra. “Every release shows another step forward, and that hard work is now starting to pay off, with support and recognition from some of the biggest names in drum & bass. That’s exactly what Soultribe is about—finding genuine talent, giving artists a platform and a pathway , helping them develop without trying to change who they are.”
It’s an ethos after our own heart and one that’s powered Soultribe since the label launched in 2023. It’s in tune with Shaggy, too as he’s gone in on his EP homage with the same sense of originality.
“I am very old school when it comes to DNB, for me the emotional connection and attachment you make to tunes is everything,” says Shaggy. “As much as I appreciate the marketing and hype required in modern day DNB to be deemed successful – I feel success is when you create something that moves someone emotionally and that memory stays with them. I make tunes that I like first and then if these resonate with others then its an amazing added bonus – and as much I would love to be to able to emulate some of my heroes in DNB I am coming to realise I just need to stop chasing others and do my thing and be content in the creative process.”
Wise wise words. You can feel it in the release, too, as he covers spectrum in style. From the Total Science-like Imminent to the super funky Zinc-like title track Realms, Shaggy’s chowing down on a big bowl of 2004 and there’s plenty to go round.
The full EP lands August 13 and it’s not just a dedication to the era that switched him into a devout dnb head, there’s also a tribute to his wife with a track called Anniversary.
“That’s dedicated to my long suffering wife who has supported me continuously with my obsession with DNB since we first met,” Shaggy tells us. “Without her I wouldn’t be able to make my dream of releasing music a reality. She gives me the space, time and patience to do what I love to do which means everything. She also is forever my biggest fan which given she isn’t massively into DNB means the world!”
A love letter within a love letter. Shaggy’s full of heart this season and that extends to the label and how Anakinra runs it. “I am in awe as to how he can continue at the pace he sets and with the continual enthusiasm which is so infectious,” says Shags. “Also the community that Sam and team have built makes it truly feel like a second family.”
The love just keeps flowing. Grab Realms when it drops, August 13.
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