#middlesex lounge

1. Two words: Night Slugs.

Headed by Bok Bok and L-Vis 1990, Night Slugs has earned a reputation for featuring a signature sound that blends grime, house, electro, R&B, techno, hip-hop, and dubstep into something unique but distinctly UK. They refuse to adhere to a particular label and constantly redefine themselves, yet the Night Slugs sound is unmistakable and any release is guaranteed to be gold. With several Night Slugs releases, Lil Silva fits right in alongside Egyptrixx, Kingdom, and Girl Unit in both sound and artistic philosophy.

2. He is a pioneer.

Lil Silva started out producing grime in his hometown of Bristol, which still heavily influences his sound today. His first release, Seasons/Funky Flex in 2008, became a dancefloor staple and quickly earned him notoriety in the UK underground. He gained recognition as a leader of the UK funky movement as he continued to release raw club tracks with thumping basslines and soulful rhythms.

Not one to stick to arbitrary classifications, however, Lil Silva is more concerned with making whatever music feels true to his vision as an artist, rather than maintaining the same sound. With his latest EP, Distance, which was released on August 5th on Good Years, Lil Silva has grown from producer-DJ to artist-producer-DJ. Following the natural progression of his sound, the new EP is more downtempo than his previous releases and even features his own soulful vocals, proving that he is capable of more than club bangers.

3. He is elusive.

Now, Lil Silva is visiting the US for the first time since he was a kid, and is stopping in only three other cities: New York, LA, and San Francisco. We are extremely lucky that he is including our fair city on this brief tour. Who knows when or where your next opportunity to catch him will be?

Check out his 30-minute Boiler Room set below for an idea of what you might expect this Thursday (hint: funky basslines, soca rhythms, and intoxicating club beats).