1 More Thing Podcast #005: J:Kenzo

02/09/23 • 82 min

For the latest 1 More Thing podcast we join the dots between dubstep, garage and drum & bass with an original UK article... J:Kenzo.
The son of a DJ, brought up amid a rich culture of vinyl and digging, Kenzo's musical inspirations go back as far as he can possibly remember but truly took root when he first heard jungle in the mid 90s... And consequently blossomed when he first became a DJ in the late 90s.
On a mission to "play music for the people", J traversed the worlds of garage and drum & bass playing up and down the UK before being bitten by the then-burgeoning dubstep movement the mid 2000s and becoming part of the genre's earliest generations of pioneers, pushers and protagonists.
Gradually honing his minimal signature, Kenzo became one of the most consistent artists in dubstep from the late 2000s onwards. With his weekly radio show on Rinse and releases on key labels such as Tempa and Dub Police, J:Kenzo became a key player in dubstep's international explosion and found himself at the forefront of the US exodus as the genre rocketed to unparalleled EDM levels.
Dubstep's underground credibility was compromised during this point, but Kenzo maintained his own rep and stayed dedicated to minimal heavyweight dub-wise music.
One of the few first-wave artists who didn't leave the genre at the time, J:Kenzo was part of a movement of ardent dubstep craftsmen who helped to maintain the genre's deep roots and powerful cultural values. Staying true to the deeper side of the genre, he found space to encourage and champion like-minded leftfield dubstep artists on his label Artikal Music and bring in other elements and influences in his own productions... Including his original passion for jungle and drum & bass.
As dubstep has found its original foundation spirit once more, and started to develop a flourishing new generation of artists and fans, J:Kenzo remains on the forefront as relevant and inspired as he was back in the mid 2000s. Only now he has a whole other depth and duality to his output as he also runs a fine line in jungle records.
Chatting to 1 More Thing's Dave Columbo Jenkins on the eve of his release on Goldie's Metalheadz (a label he's coveted since his teens and never thought he'd release on) J:Kenzo takes the time to tell his story with more depth and detail than any other interview he's done before.
Enjoy!

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Previous Episode

1 More Thing Podcast #004: T.R.A.C.

The first 1 More Thing podcast episode of 2023 sees Dave Columbo Jenkins heading west to join the dots and explore the relationship between two of the most important cultural movements to happen in the US and UK in the last 50 years... Hip-hop and jungle drum & bass.
No other MC has traversed and fused these two worlds in the way T.R.A.C. has. Entrenched in both movements his entire adult life, his journey spans from his internship at the mighty Def Jam and his role at NYC institution Konkrete Jungle to his current position on the seminal V Recordings imprint as one a prominent voice both live and on recordings.
Along the way he's worked with an array of kindred spiris, pioneers and talents including Lewis Parker, Marc Mac and even a young 50 Cent.
As he celebrates five years of his album Life In Motion - an LP that features artists from across the globe and still sounds beautiful to this day - T.R.A.C. takes the time to look back over some of these moments, reflect on his dual role in both musical worlds and consider the parallels, crossroads and shared artistic disciplines between the two.
With drum & bass jungle enjoying a new exciting wave of energy and innovation in North America, T.R.A.C is now at the forefront of yet another new and exciting chapter. Not just for himself but the whole movement. Both nationally and internationally.
With plenty of plans for 2023 and beyond, 1 More Thing catches him at a perfect calm-before-the-storm moment in his career and the next chapter in drum & bass jungle.
Like all episodes of 1 More Thing, this session is a seriously inspiring, thoughtful and revealing conversation that will appeal to anyone who has a passion and interest in modern music history, soundsystem culture and breakbeats. This time with a serious dose of MC craft thrown in.
Huge respect to T.R.A.C. for giving us the time and insight. Four letters, four dots, let's join some dots...

Next Episode

1 More Thing Podcast #006: Halogenix

1 More Thing returns with this deep and explorative interview with Halogenix.
Join Dave Columbo Jenkins as he digs deep into Laurence Reading's career so far. From his earliest musical memories and his route into drum & bass to his time with Ivy Lab to his latest manoeuvres launching his new label Gemini Gemini.
Tune in and turn on as Halogenix takes time to share his thoughts on his sense of ambition, his never-ending pursuit of realness and authenticity and the heavy impact of life on the road as a touring DJ and how it can affects your mental health.
Recorded in Tottenham, London, February 13: this is a very personal and meaningful interview for Halogenix. We all know and love big anthems like Indepedent, Blej, Wordless, Her Moves and, most recently, Lost Friends. Now get to know Halogenix on a whole other level. Understand where he's come from AND where he's heading.
Thanks for checking!