Blue Lab Beats: Momentum
Representing London’s new and invigorated contemporary Jazz Scene, Blue Lab Beats producer NK-OK and multi instrumentalist Mr DM met 6 years ago at WAC Arts youth club at age 13 and 18 bonding over a love of Jazz, Hip-Hop, neo soul and funk.
The duo say their influences include Mad Lib, Herbie Hancock, KnXledge, J Dilla, Milt Jackson, Ahmad Jamal, Oscar Peterson and Tribe Called Quest but the interesting part comes from the fact that NK-OK’s production journey began with Grime. He learnt to programme at age 12 against a backdrop of UK Grime-Kano, Wiley, Ghetts, Wretch 32 all played a huge part in his musical upbringing. The Jazz came later. The Blue Lab Beats sound is a musical mish mash of Mr DM’s musical instrument wizardry (he plays 6 instruments!) and a whole lotta NK-OK bottom end and programming know how that gives Blue Lab Beats the edge and takes it out of straight Jazz format whilst paying full respect to the art form.