Sub Zero

Sub Zero, has been an unstoppable force within drum & bass for almost a decade. After building massive respect and connections within the scene as one half of acclaimed Geordie jump up duo G-Dub, his solo output since 2009 has seen Sub Zero smash out some of drum & bass’s most destructive releases, from his tear-out debut ‘Spin Doc’ to ‘Ooh Baby’, ‘Dodge City’ and of course, ‘Poon’.

Sub Zero has risen to become a major weapon on the Real Playaz/Ganja Records label, and his release schedule for 2011-12 went stratospheric. As Jake’s production diversified, breathing new styles and life into jump up with strains of dark & minimal drum & bass, praise has been rolling in from heads such as Metalheadz don Goldie, Shogun boss Friction and S.P.Y. His debut Bipolar EP on Real Playaz has fully unleashed the split-personality production of this versatile artist, reflecting a scene that has become stronger for its diversification over the last few years.

It was 2011 that saw Sub Zero smash out his biggest track to date, ‘Poon’, nominated Best Track of the Year at the Drum&BassArena Awards. Its irresistibly dark but heavyweight style saw ‘Poon’ slammed into the set of pretty much every major DJ set of the season, as well as dominating the number 1 spots on Beatport, Drum&BassArena and Track It Down. Undeniably one of the weightiest dancefloor smashers to emerge from drum & bass in recent years, its B-side ‘Brighter Days’ smashed expectations with a soulful, deep take on the minimal roller.

Sub Zero’s talent as a remixer has seen his toxic refix of Sigma’s ‘The Jungle’ get rinsed by hard-hitters everywhere, leading on to a massive remix of ‘Run Riot’ for Camo & Krooked on Hospital Records, as well as dubstep goliaths Circus Records commissioning a fiendish rework of 140 anthem ‘50 Calibre’ by Funtcase. And to show just how much his talents are in demand, Viper Records has asked Sub Zero to take on DC Breaks’ ‘Babylon’, adding some landmark collaborations to an already outstanding back catalogue.

When he’s not smashing out titanium-hard DJ sets worldwide in South Africa, the US, Russia, Australia, Canada, China and all over Europe, Jake kicks back in Leicester and works on his next breath-taking release for the Playaz crew, and heads down to London monthly to smash out a residency set at Fabric’s colossal True Playaz events. Of all the achievements and accolades he has had in his career, a massive source of pride is his remix of DJ SS’s ‘We Came to Entertain’ rinsing out as the soundtrack to the infamous ‘Fred The Raver’ video on Youtube, boasting 2.5 million views to date.

With Sub Zero was voted DJ ravers most wanted to see at the world’s biggest drum & bass festival (Saint-Petersburg’s Pirate Station), and with every release he puts out going straight to the top of every download chart, Sub Zero’s massive popularity and fierce reputation as a producer isn’t slowing down anytime soon. And after the versatility and vision shown by his debut Bipolar EP, the scene had better watch out for Sub Zero’s next move.
words by Anna Herber