Photo by Mateusz
Fans of the original techstep and foundational dark style drum & bass sounds pay close attention: Casper Levy has just released the perfect album for you and your ears – Perpetual Echo.
Out now on heritage heavyweight imprint Renegade Hardware, Perpetual Echo is a chop-slapping eight track trip that digs deep into some of the label’s most inimitable industrial strength asethetics and dynamics.
“I’ve always been inspired by old-school labels and the artists who released music on them,” explains the emergent Polish artist who made his debut on Program in 2021 and has since released on the likes of Technique, Viper and Device. “That sound is something I’ve naturally gravitated towards for as long as I can remember. There’s something about the atmosphere, the energy and the rawness of that era that really resonates with me.”
You can hear that resonance throughout Perpetual Echo as Casper runs amok with big tearing Reese energy, dramatic twistery and beats so sharp you could chisel a stone goatie. It follows his first release on the label that landed last year – Restoration EP.
“To be honest, before making that EP, I decided to listen through the entire Renegade Hardware catalogue,” Casper explains. “I wanted to fully immerse myself in its history and understand the legacy I was becoming part of. That experience made me realise just how much the label had influenced me over the years. I started thinking that, rather than just making another EP, I wanted to create a full album as a tribute to that legacy. I spoke to Clayton [Hines – Renegade Hardware founder] about the idea, and he was up for it.”
With this depth of commitment to the roots and history of the genre, Perpetual Echo packs a timeless punch riddled with attention to detail and meaning in each cut. “I’m particularly drawn to the classic Renegade Hardware sound from the 1995-2009 era,” he adds. “Artists and groups like Konflict, Evol Intent, Future Cut and Future Forces were a big part of what inspired me. That’s where the title Perpetual Echocomes from. It’s a nod to the label’s legacy and the lasting impact it’s had on my sound. The influence of that music has never really faded away – it’s an echo that continues to resonate in what I do today.”
The echoes reverberate throughout the album. The Evol Intent flavoured hip-hop swagger of Mindlock, the snarling Konflict-esque Reese of Blue Sky and such epic drama on Thunder it could make Future Cut and Future Forces blush. But don’t go thinking this is a blinkered nostalgia mission…
“At the same time, I never wanted to simply recreate the past or copy a sound that already existed,” Casper notes. “My aim was to take the inspiration, atmosphere and energy of that era and reinterpret them through a modern production approach. I wanted Perpetual Echo to feel connected to the classic Hardware sound while still representing who I am as a producer today. For me, the album is both a tribute to one of the labels that shaped my musical taste and a way of expressing what that influence means to me now. It’s about keeping that spirit alive, taking it forward and adding my own voice to a legacy that continues to inspire a new generation of producers.”
Amen to that. Casper’s approach is a tradition and culture that remains dominent in jungle and drum & bass despite the rising use of AI and disheartening use of sample supermarkets across all genres. And so the echo continues…
Listen to Perpetual Echo on Spotify.
Buy Perpetual Echo on Beatport.
