A top pick by 3DJ scoring a meaty 8/10.
Out 20th July on Tru Thoughts (with a radio impact date of 31st August), “Shell A Verse” is the latest single from the infamous Flowdan (Roll Deep). Produced by D.O.K, this fearless and adrenaline-filled offering was released with an animated video that was picked up for premiere by SBTV.
With radio props for the previous single “Bodybag feat. Irah” (out 27th April) from the likes of Sir Spyro (who premiered the track on BBC Radio 1Xtra) and Tom Ravenscroft (BBC 6Music), a video premiere from Complex, and online and print coverage from RWD Mag, DJ Mag and Mixmag, this heavy-hitting new single material finds Flowdan continuing the trajectory kicked off by his solo album, ‘Disaster Piece’ [Tru Thoughts], which gained heavy media support and top accolades.
In “Shell A Verse”, Flowdan blends the high-quality artistry of his old-school-route-one sound with D.O.K’s brazen production, skilfully combining influences of dancehall and reggae to create a charged and rallying grime offering. Written to be played in carnival and festival sets, Flowdan explains that the lyrics reference the feeling of movement: “It’s definitely about movement. Movement is something that I notice and try to accommodate”.
On the track, Flowdan switches effortlessly between steely verses, the hard edges of the chorus and melodic hook without a moment’s hesitation; the energy of D.O.K’s military-style drums is perfectly attuned with his fluidity, commanding the listener to fall into line with each blow. Lyrics like: “No compromising – Boy dem say they wanna stop man vibesin’” make it clear that nothing is getting in the way of the vibe and reveal the MC as a force to be reckoned with.
Named as Terror Danjah’s protégé, UK-based producer D.O.K has left his mark on imprints across Hyperdub, Fletbit and Mystika Records. His exciting productions have picked up radio play across BBC Radio 1Xtra from DJ Target and Sian Anderson, been featured in the BBC Asian Network Residency and led to a guest mix for Sir Spyro.
Flowdan (aka Marc Veira) has played an integral part within the grime scene as an MC since the beginning. As one of the original members of UK grime crew Roll Deep and the Pay As U Go Cartel prior to that, Flowdan has cemented his raw booming delivery on some of the biggest tracks of the past decade – The Bugs’“Skeng” and “Bad” (the latter track is featured in Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s shows in their ‘OTR II’ tour run) and Lethal Bizzle’s – “Pow! (Forward)” – and put out on respected labels from Eskibeats to Hyperdub. After the success of his “Serious Business EP”, he released his solo album ‘Disaster Piece’ on Tru Thoughts, which saw astonishing radio support from: Sir Spyro and Youngsta (Rinse FM), Dub Phizix & Strategy, Toddla T, Annie Nightingale (BBC R1), Wiley, Logan Sama, plus Julie Adenuga (Beats1), DJ Target and MistaJam (BBC 1Xtra). The album was featured as NME’s ‘Album of the Week’ and stacked up reviews from: DJ Mag, The Quietus, Mixmag, Clash Magazine, The Skinny, Blues & Soul; exclusive radio premieres from Target, Toddla T and The Quietus Hour; all adding to Rinse FM playlisting, a place for new single “Grime” in Spotify’s Grime Shutdown playlist, an SBTV video premiere for lead single “Horror Show Style” (200k+ views) and live set for Boiler Room.
Since signing to international booking agency LittleBig (The Bug, Aphex Twin, Actress), and releasing his acclaimed solo album ‘Disaster Piece’, Flowdan has continued to gig and rack up heavy radio rotations for his latest collaboration with Wiley – “Original Ragamuffin”. He is currently working on a new album of music for release on Tru Thoughts and recently announced the launch of his new label Spentshell.
Recent praise for Flowdan
Flowdan comes through with yet another stone-cold grime banger” – 8/10 – MIXMAG | “A high-energy anthem” – COMPLEX | “He’s showing no sign of slowing down” – DJ MAG | “One of the most distinctive voices in grime and beyond.” – THE QUIETUS | “Deep, dread tones and sense of ancient menace.” – FACT | “A man that’s gonna go down in history as having one of the best voices in the UK!” – JULIE ADENUGA (BEATS)
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