The Dead Beat Society was created to showcase the talents of established and emerging producers, where anyone with a passion for music and the beats to back it up is encouraged to apply.
The format is very simple; two producers share the stage at their own station with a CDJ, they play their ‘beats’ one after each other for 3 rounds. The audience then decides who goes through to the next round and who goes home!
Each heat winner not only wins a cash prize of £500, but also earns a spot in the Grand Final, competing for the chance to work with an A-list recording artist.
APPLY now!… If you’ve got what it takes?
HEAT 3 MAY 31ST: PREVIEW
Big respect to Dockmini the winner from the second Heat at Cargo on April 26th. We now have the line up booked and quaking in their boots for HEAT 3…
Here’s the low-low on the producers going head to head on May 31st for that £500 monies and a place in the grand final…
Tricky Strutt briefly studied at the British Academy of New Music run’s his own vinyl imprint, ‘Stun and Shock.’ He’s worked with numerous grime mc’s, singers, rappers for years and rates Wiley as his inspiration for beat making.
Producer Nwike Jisike has been making music since 2007. When he was 16 as an MC he got so sick of waiting for beats from producers so started making them himself!
Johnny North, a 23 year old producer working on an MPC, Ableton, Logic, Pro-Tools and Reason. Inspired mainly by Smooth and Soulful beats by the like’s of J Dilla.
Frames from Vauxhall who started producing in 2002 and to this day still use’s his favourite software Cubase. Frames took a long sabbatical but back and ready for the dead beat production battle!
From a young age Dyson has worked to create good music, first with indie/rock band ‘Every Other Sunday.’ And later in 2008 producing ‘The Personal Statement’ EP which features UK hip hop heavyweights Brotherman, Lowkey and Logic.
P.Pull a 22 year old producer from Bedfordshire making beats inspired by artists such as A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul and Slum Village but can also make those gritty west coast style beats. Having also worked with the likes of Super Dertie from Piff Gang.
Enjay is a multi-talented artist / songwriter and producer from South London who produced the Channel U hit “Unsigned Hype.” He marks Ryan Leslie as his favourite producer due to his fusion of 80’s style synths with live percussion.
Finally Ebu Blackitude a producer on the Big Dada label and cite’s the RZA’s production unequalled for the mood, emotion and layers he brings, “you hear a different thing on each listen.”
Come hear these guys thrash it out for the crowd to decide who’s got the FIRE!
Doors: 8 p.m.
Tickets: £7 on the door
*Cargo imposes a strict door policy with ID scanner, please have a photo ID with you to avoid difficulties upon entrance.
HEAT 2: APRIL 26TH PREVIEW
Following the launch on March 29th at Cargo we have the line up booked and quaking in their boots for HEAT 2 on April 26th…
DA is 18 years old and originally started producing hip-pop type beats full of synths but gradually gravitated towards a real hip-hop sound. He has now gathered a bit of a following, released 2 beat tapes and started a movement with 2 rappers called ‘Bruvahood.’
Ranx aka Diggla hailing from Birmingham City who was the producer of MSI and ASYLUM. He used to be an MC but has chosen to stop spitting and thankfully for us concentrate on the beats.
21 year old Dockmini is currently carving a name and sound for himself on the hip hop circuit. Since his placement on Lowkey’s debut album ‘Dear Listener’ a few years ago, Dock has been taken under the wings of FWMJ’s and Dart Adams’ notorious ProducersIKnow clique, and has begun to make moves over in the US. With his debut EP set for release in the first quarter of 2012, be sure Dock will bring heat be it hip-hop, grime or dub.
Noisses Started Djing Garage, 2-step, Drum & Bass and Hip-Hop at the age of 15 and at 16 he got his first set-up for making tunes although it wasn’t until a few years later that he really got busy with production. Raving, parties and friends heavily influenced him as a kid and now after many years of playing at parties in places across the map, it is his love of being able to make people get up and dance that keeps him buzzing. His sound has evolved using elements of Drum & Bass, Breaks, Garage and Hip-Hop aswell as his Jazz roots.
Afsoulbeats is a Leeds based Hip-hop, Soul, Deep House producer. Currently working on various mixtapes and albums for 2012 rating JDilla as a major influence.
Excalibah who’s been producing and writing music for about 15 years working with artists including Shameless, Genesis Elijah, T Bear, Loudmouth, Big Brovaz and rising star Sarah Sayeed. He’s previously had productions released on UK Hip-Hop Label Ottoman Elf Music (with vocals by Willo from the Colony) and worked with Nathan, Ghetts, Plan B, Asher D, The Colony and Out Da Ville.
$nowm@nn for who production started off as a hobby but with time became a passion, his style and sound is soulful, jazzy, pure and gritty!
*Cargo imposes a strict door policy with ID scanner, please have a photo ID with you to avoid difficulties upon entrance.
HEAT 1 WINNER: MYKE FORTE
Heat 1 went off with a bang, and after many twists and turns we crowned Myke Forte our winner with £500 and a spot in the grand final (Nov 29th). After knocking out grime producer Mr Mitch in the rounds he then pulled out the biggest beat of the evening to dash Wizard aside in the Semi’s, only to finally wipe out the biggest battle cat of them all, DJ Illout in the final!
Myke says he grew up listening to a lot of reggae and soul, and his early inspirations are people like Dennis Brown, Barrington Levi, Buju, The Jacksons, Lee Scratch Perry, Bob Marley, Mica Paris and Diana Ross. As he got older he started listening to more music like Roy Ayers, Thelonius Monk, Duke Ellington, Bob James, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, Soweto Kinch, J Dilla, Pete Rock, Premo, RZA, Eric Sermon.
His chosen production tools include a MPC2500 with a 003 Rack, Behringer Monitors, a Macbook Pro and Logic, a Roland SP404, and the MicroKorgXL.
Look out for his most recent projects, the Zodiak Series! Its a Set of 12 beat tapes starting with Aries, while Myke is also working on a venture called “Audiopixel” which is the fusion of art/design/film with music.
HEAT 1: MARCH 29TH PREVIEW
The UK music scene will never be the same from March 29th 2012, as this spells the launch of the Dead Beat Society at Cargo (Shoreditch)! For the next 8 months there will be hairs that stand on end, faces smothered with tears and hearts clogged with adrenaline for the chosen contenders and attendees alike!
The first to take the stage and battle will be; PETE CANNON, who’s produced for the like’s of Guilty Simpson, Kyza & Foreign Beggars. 19 year old EMPRA inspired by the works of Pete Rock and Madlib. Hastings very own WIZARD who’s worked with Sway and Farma G to name a few. RAILSTER having production credits for Tokyo Dawn & Error Broadcast albums. MYKE FORTE affiliate of the Midlands based Louisden Network and self proclaimed RZA fanatic! MR MITCH out of the Beatfighter camp reppin South East London. We also have a vet in the form of DJ ILLOUT who used to run with Kaliphz back in the day and produced Kemet Entertainments first single for Supanovar. Last but by no means least we have AGOR who’s currently working on projects with some big artists out of Detroit…. All battling it out for that £500 dirty cash prize and a place in the Grand Final!
Not only that but to top it all off we have the cream of the UKs up n coming MC talent in Buggsy! The fast spitting Rasta emcee from the district of St.Pauls in Bristol, UK. Trust, he’s not shy of entertaining crowds down to his poetic and African drumming based background.
