Comprising Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie, Sigma were formed at the University of Leeds in 2006, where the pair were both students, and were both heavily involved in the underground drum and bass scene. Once they graduated, they moved to London, and initially became a three-piece with the introduction of Ben Mauerhoff - he’d later leave, though, due to logistical difficulties in 2008. That allowed the core pair to finally forge ahead with their plans for the group, beginning with the formation of their own label, Life Recordings.
After producing records for Hospital Records, they’d make their own entrance proper with two, two-part EPs; first, ‘Stand Tall’ in 2010, and then ‘Night & Day’ in 2011. The former year saw their commercial breakthrough - their collaboration with DJ Fresh, ‘Lassitude’, made number eleven on the UK dance chart. Since then, they’ve remixed tracks for artists as high-profile as Eric Prydz, Groove Armada, Skepta, Sway, and Ellie Goulding. Two singles with 3Beat in 2013 made an impression on the UK dance charts, but things stepped up to a whole other level a year later for the duo when they released their third collaboration with 3Beat, ‘Nobody to Love’ - it topped the UK singles charts.
They shot to fame earlier this year with a rework of Kanye West’s’ ode to his wife Kim Kardashian in ‘Bound 2’, chopping up the opening vocals, disregarding Kanye’s part, to produce the drum and bass smash hit of the summer.
Contrary to popular perception, Sigma is a duo, made up of Cameron Edwards and Joe Lenzie who met at Leeds University while attending drum and bass nights. Since ‘Bound 2’ hit the number one spot in the UK, the duo have been booked for DJ sets around the world, one of which I attended in Nottingham, just as ‘Bound 2’ was blowing up around the UK. They did not disappoint, dropping another of their own tracks, ‘Rudeboy’ before a sped-up rework of Keisza’s ‘Hideaway’. Sticking to some of the classic drum and bass tracks of the last few years, Andy C’s remix of Major Lazer’s’ Get Free’ is quickly followed up with Netsky’s ‘Love Has Gone’. After the set I could barely feel my legs and thought I had lost my voice from jumping and singing along throughout the night.
And with a new single, ‘Changing’, featuring vocals from none other than Paloma Faith, it’s sure to be another number one hit. Sigma are currently the kings of the drum and bass scene!
benjolley1
DJ and singer Sonique is a survivor – and I’m not talking about her victory over breast cancer a few years ago, though of course that is an incredible, moving story in itself. I’m talking about her turbulent career in the music industry; a career of staggering highs and down-in-the-dirt lows. But though she might not be a major player in terms of female singers these days, she remains a formidable DJ, and I felt super lucky to catch an all-too-rare set at Dalston Superstore last year (19th April 2013).
The North Londoner of Trinidadian descent was a staple part of the UK dance music scene at the turn of the millennium, thanks to her ubiquitous smash hit "It Feels So Good" from her Universal Music affiliated debut album, 'Hear My Cry,' which reached platinum status here in the UK. However, after the hoo-ha surrounding "It Feels So Good" died down, her pop career started to disintegrate, with her and Universal going separate ways. But what is pop’s loss is the clubber’s gain, and Sonqie has in recent years gone back to her DJ roots.
At Dalston Superstore, her mixing was not only on point, but featured flourishes of genuine creativity, the likes of which are usually non-existent in former chart botherers, who tend to go through the motions. Of course she dropped in snippets of her trance-laden break beat glory years, but she incorporated surprising meanders through disco house and melodic techno. A thoroughly enjoyable set, which proved – at least in my eyes – that Sonique is far from irrelevant; far from washed up. In fact, the underdog status always suited her best anyway – club-land is where she belongs.
cliverozario
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