The Liquidsoundzuk Podcast #36 ( SoulStructure )

Liquidsoundzuk dnb Podcast

Hailing from Bolton (UK), brothers John & Dominic Crossland formed SoulStructure in late 2012 and have quickly become synonymous with ambient, jazz and old skool infused drum & bass.
With a ten year age gap the brothers have had different journeys to get to this point….
At the age of 11, under the guidance of the duo’s older brother Iain and friend JB, John started to build his record and mixtape collection; developing an early passion for breakbeat and jungle techno. Influenced by the sounds of Omni Trio, Nookie & Peshay, this led to the logical progression of learning to DJ a couple of years later. As time went on and the music developed, John became more enraptured by the prospect of music production and emulating his idols…. PFM, DJ Pulse, Intense, Artemis et al. He saved up what money he could to buy an Akai sampler, Roland synthesizer and computer sequencer. John started to experiment with sounds and established a large sample library which would serve him well in later years.
As time went on he maintained his burning passion for the music but became preoccupied with playing football and progressing his professional career as a recruitment manager. The dreams of calving his own identity in the music production world went on hold. However, John remained influenced by jazz, hip hop & soul and continued to build a substantial vinyl collection and quietly hone his song writing skills.
Dom developed an eclectic taste in music from a young age. From indie rock to techno, he soaked up different influences; always keeping an open mind. Coupled with a passion for avant-garde and world cinema, Dom became a vessel for all things abstract and cult. He invested in a pair of Technics 1200s and, alongside close friend Will, began mixing hip hop and drum & bass for hours on end; back-to-back sessions that would go on to the early hours of the morning. After enrolling on a music technology degree, Dom's production skills developed very quickly. Under the name Release, he soon had music signed by a variety of labels. His solo project has become known for razor sharp drums, grinding bass lines and sic-fi samples. He continues to release music under this moniker and has established a reputation for his technical ability and engineering skills having released music through Horizons & DJ Trace’s DCI4 imprint.
n the midst of establishing his solo project, Dom sent a track to LTJ Bukem that received heavy support. Due to sample clearance issues it was not possible to release, so Danny asked what other music he had available. At this point the brothers decided to work together and revisit some of the projects John started over a decade earlier. The boys went on to sign a handful of tracks to Bukem’s Good Looking Records imprint and SoulStructure was born. Unfortunately the label folded before the tracks could be unleashed to the world. However, Paul SG was quick to swoop and sign the duo to his growing Jazzsticks Recordings label in 2014.
John & Dom’s first release was a remix of Paul’s underground classic ‘Rhodesomes’ followed by the critically acclaimed Origin EP featuring collaborations with Pulsaar, Jrumhand and the legendary saxophonist Molly Duncan in early 2015.
The boys have since released the single ‘Brooklyn Belles’ and the PFM inspired tribute ‘Progressive Future Music’ on Repertoire’s Full Repertoire Vol.1 compilation. Over the last year the duo have been collaborating with a variety of artists and working on the SoulStructure debut LP ‘Time & The Truth’, which should see a release in March/April 2018.
The SoulStucture sound will guide you through ambient soundscapes scattered with jazz samples and underpinned by solid steel classic drum breaks. Unashamedly influenced by mid-90s drum & bass, John & Dom’s DJ sets are no different. Let your mind drift and your body sway.
Tracklist
Universal Traveller - Midnite (Voyager Remix)
DJ Shadow - What Does Your Soul Look Like Pt.1
Intense - Only You
Dub Two - Bad Man (Tuffness Mix)
DJ Pulse & The Jazz Cartel - Street Player
Jaheim - Put That Woman First (Calibre Remix)
Keni Burke - Risin' To The Top
DJ Crystl - Meditation
Architex - Altitude
Warp 69 - Natural High
Common & Hi-Tek - 1-9-9-9
Shogun - Nautilus
808 State - Pacific State Origin
UFO - Loud Minority (Alex Reece Remix)
DJ Distroi & Boykz - Come With It Bad Boy
Furney - It Is Real