Since last year's tooled up Hague Basement release, NKC has been hard at work. At the beginning of 2016, he started Even the Strong, an off the grid warehouse party with the express aim of providing a regular home for young DJs and producers working at the percussive nexus of tribal house, UK funky, dutch house and kuduro. Defined by word of mouth hype, a dedicated dancing crew, and a series of unusual locations, ETS has hosted the London debuts of Superficie and DJ JM, drafted in Tash LC for regular sets, and featured Hagan, Akito, Lockhart, Mina and drum-thumping support from every member of Her Records.

 

Growing tired of clunky descriptions of the hybrid tracks he'd been pushing at Even the Strong and insets on RinseFM and Radar through 2015-16, NKC adopted the term ‘hard drum’ as a tongue in cheek shorthand for his and other producers’ polyrhythmic creations. Moving into 2017, those listening carefully will be aware of a groundswell of mostly UK based producers and DJs gravitating towards this sound, reminiscent of UK funky and tribal house, but largely shorn of melodic components. NKC continues to proffer the label ‘hard drum’ for this new development, gently prodding anyone struggling to interpret artists' influences forwards into something more than a continuation of older scenes.