DRDR – Struggling
Hailing from Brighton, DRDR are comprised of producers Chris Campbell and Joe Woods, plus female vocalist Donna Cursons. Buoyed by their hometown’s vibrant music scene, the trio combine elements of Deep House, Garage and soulful R&B style vocals to create their sound, which they describe as Deep Garage and Future Bass. Their influences stem from post-UKG tracks and artists like SBTRKT, Maribou State and Jamie XX.
Title track ‘Struggling’ is a juxtaposition between Cursons’ soulful, emotional vocals and Campbell and Woods’ staccato melody. Featuring hypnotic vocal cuts and loops that build up to the anthemic, bass-driven chorus, their genre-bending style is perfectly displayed by the stripped back dubstep breakdown at the end.
Second track ‘Warning Signs’ continues their genre-defying tactics as it oscillates between sparse and industrial-sounding bass to their trademark tropical sound, perfectly complemented by the powerful vocal. Meanwhile, final track ‘Fine Line’ displays Curson’s talent of manipulating her vocals to lead the melody masterfully over the atmospheric instrumental.
Their debut release with Glyph Recordings, which boasts releases from Essáy, Falcon Lake and Squarehead, the title track gets the remix treatment here from fellow label mate, producer Curtis Gabriel. Immediately making an impression with its classic House-style kick and snare beat, building up to a euphoric drop and dancefloor-ready hook, it will be available as an Instant Gratification Download from 15th September.
DRDR’s first foray into the limelight came out of their impressive and popular remixes of Major Lazer, Usher, The xx and most notably, Justin Timberlake – their dark re-work of ‘Cry Me a River’ has had close to a million YouTube plays. Two acclaimed EPs later, released via Champion Records and San City High Records, DRDR have proved themselves innovative and exciting newcomers.
The trio have shared the stage internationally with the likes of Hannah Wants, Skream, Moon Boots and Dark Sky, and they are set to announce future tour dates soon. With their innovative mash-up of genres and their incredible live performance style, ‘Struggling’ is sure to appeal to a plethora of musical tastes.
