Rockwell is one of the most exciting drum & bass artists to emerge in the past few years, with tunes like Underpass, My War and Bone Structure ripping up some of the biggest clubs dance floors since his first release in October of 2009. Tom Rockwell began experimenting with music at an early age when he took violin lessons, his love for music developed and he learnt to play the clarinet, an instrument he played until he was 18. It was around this time that Rockwell was introduced to the drum and bass scene; attending the University of Bristol where he was introduced to the dance music scene where various clubs have a drum and bass vibe.

So why should you be excited about Rockwell? Rockwell’s first release, Underpass, immediately sent a warning shot to other drum and bass producers that he was here to stay and was going to make a name for himself. It mixed melodic spiralling beats with a distinctly hard hitting sub bass which subtly escorts you through the song. Underpass drifts into a melodic swirling rhythm that sucks the reality away from your surroundings and utterly immerses you in some of the finest beats I have heard.
But it’s not just his maiden release that stands out, the Full Circle/ My War release is something of pure musical genius. Full Circle has bass that seems like it will actually erupt from the song itself, swallowing you whole, this is accompanied by wisps of synth and a fantastically executed drum beat that works so perfectly. Full Circle plunges you into a dark and mysterious void for six and a half minutes, a void that you won’t want to leave. Luckily enough the flipside My War drags you deeper with the dark and moody intro creating an aurora that engulfs a listener. Delicate beats scatter around your ears before you’re hit by a pulsing and growling bass which drags you through the rest of the tune. Rockwell mixes the weighty bass and delicate beats around each other in a way which works so well it has to be heard to be truly appreciated. It’s the way that Rockwell crafts his songs to be moody yet hard hitting which gives his music such an original character.

The first time I heard DJ Friendly Unit Shifter was when Rockwell was captivating Ministry of Sound radio’s Shogun Audio show, he mixed it in perfectly, seemingly effortlessly and from then on I was slightly (very) obsessed with his upcoming release. On the 15th of November DJ Friendly Unit Shifter was released and it blew me away in all its glory. Rockwell builds another whirling synth beat which sucks you in, accompanied by a beautiful drum beat it soon unleashes organised chaos. The bass drops, pulsating, beating, mimicking a heart, as if the song is alive. A delicate array of synth shyly joins the bass which complements the sub bass, it seems to wriggle around beneath the scatty synth and less harsh than usual drum beat. Some of the sounds are reminiscent of a 70’s super computer with clanks, bleeps and whirring amplifying the beautiful synth rhythms that are at the very core of the song. Every element of DJ Friendly Unit Shifter seems to have had the utmost thought put into it, focused onto one thing; shattering your very idea of drum and bass before Rockwell came along and turned it upside down.

Rockwell creates dark and moody music that not only carries character, but carries a rhythm that makes it ideal to drop in the middle of s live set or mix to change things up a bit. Each song is beautifully crafted and injected with a different personality which is what makes Rockwell such a special producer. He is still establishing himself in the scene, but with a supply of steady releases in the 2010 and carrying that through to 2011 there’s no way that he can’t establish himself as one of the best. Rockwell’s next release is due on the 31st of January, entitled Aria – EP; it’s going to be special.