London-born, Bristol-based DJ and producer Bakey has unveiled his biggest undertaking to date, with the release of his highly anticipated debut album, ‘Tribute’, out now via Warehouse Project Records – marking the label’s first ever full-length release.
Two years in the making, ‘Tribute’ is a landmark body of work from one of UK club music’s most exciting young voices — a deep, honest and ambitious record that distills his reverence for the roots of the rave into a powerful vision of the future.
Featuring standout singles ‘Senses’ and ‘Fool Me Twice’, the album spans a wide stylistic spectrum, showcasing Bakey’s sonic palette across 2-step, breakbeat, broken beat, jungle, D&B, and dubstep. Inspired by genre-defining artists like Joy O and Calibre, ‘Tribute’ sees Bakey push his sound further than ever before, drawing from pirate radio archives, UK dance lineage, and personal memories to produce a project that is both emotionally resonant and undeniably club-ready.
Speaking on the inspiration behind the project, Bakey says:
“This album has been over two years in the making, so it feels surreal for it to finally be released. It’s a snapshot of where I was as an artist at the time, bringing together the styles that have shaped my production. The title Tribute reflects my connection to an era of UK dance music I never experienced first-hand, but that continues to inspire me — late ’90s to early ’00s pirate radio, raves, club nights and soundsystem scenes.”
The album’s title track, ‘Tribute’, samples the final broadcast of Kool FM, with a poignant monologue from Eastman and vocal drops from Shabba Dee and MC Plague — a heartfelt nod to the pirate radio stations that helped shape his identity. It’s a deeply personal moment on an album packed with club pressure, expressive breaks, and flashes of light amidst darker textures. This balance — between old and new, grit and melody, nostalgia and invention — defines the album’s power.
Opening with ‘Intro’, a low-lit ambient sketch that sets the reflective but celebratory tone of the project, Bakey establishes the emotional depth that underpins the album. ‘Come Close’ immediately sets the tone with growling low-end layered over a drop that sits in between garage and d&b, a nod to the sort of sweaty, unforgettable raves that inspired the LP.
‘Everything’ dips into broken beat territory — warm synth keys and sharp breaks undercut a deep and groovy bassline, evoking classic El-B textures with a modern edge. ‘Capo Interlude’ provides a brief pause in the album’s midsection, with field recordings and classic MC audio intro’ing the unmistakable bars of Capo Lee, offering a Jazzy, old school rap-inspired detour.
‘Ease Up’ brings Joy-O type energy back into the fold with bouncing, tribal percussion, fusing a driving low-end bassline with skippy garage influence and dreamy synth chords and warm vocal echoes. ‘Fool Me Twice’, the album’s acclaimed second single, is a melodic standout, layering shimmering synths with a honey-like vocal for a standout jungle cut and one of the album’s most emotionally direct moments.
‘Senses’, the first single, offers a snapshot of Bakey’s evolving production voice — a fusion of dark textures, hypnotic percussion and a piano house bridge that lifts the track into something euphoric and unexpected. Title track ‘Tribute’ is a slick, D&B inspired homage, sampling Shabba Dee and MC Plague during their final broadcast on the legendary Kool FM before its closure in 2002. ‘Get Free’ closes the album with a sense of release, channeling jungle breaks with warm, enchanting vocals declaring to “get free”, resulting in a finale that feels as much like a resolution as a mission statement — forward-facing, but rooted in the past.
With Warehouse Project Records behind him — the label that launched with Bakey’s ‘Wouldn’t Believe’ and is steadily becoming a vital platform for UK dance innovation — ‘Tribute’ confirms Bakey’s place as one of the most dynamic producers working today.
Having already made his mark with Boiler Room sets, Phonox and The Warehouse Project residencies, and leaving his mark on festival stages like Glastonbury, Park Life, Outlook, We Out Here and Waterworks, ‘Tribute’ is the defining next step for an artist who has quietly become a leader in the new wave of UK bass. With this debut album, Bakey bridges past and present, spinning a sonic love letter to the scene that shaped him — and boldly carving out his place in its future.
Tracklist – Tribute
ABOUT BAKEY:
Bakey’s rise as one of the most respected new names in bass music is built on a deep appreciation for soundsystem culture, pirate radio, and the rave movement. His sound weaves between the minimal drums and gritty low-end of dark garage and the glowing warmth of jazz-influenced percussive flows, creating a vision of bass music that pays its dues to the past while looking firmly to the future. Being crowned DJ Mag’s Breakthrough Artist of the Year in 2023, Bakery’s rise has been nothing short of meteoric, having commanded global stages at Boiler Room and Glastonbury to electrifying crowds at Outlook, Waterworks, Boomtown, Park Life and Warehouse Project (as a resident no less). As the first artist signed to Warehouse Project Records, the 23 year old donned its first release ‘Wouldn’t Believe’ and earned spins from Radio 1 tastemakers Sian Eleri and Sarah Story to name a few.
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