Fatman D & Biological Beats

Fatman D's Biological Beats agency and label is home to some of the hottest properties among DJs, and, maybe more significantly, MCs. The art of the drum and bass MC is a bit maligned, sometimes being written off as all crowd hype and no content. Since Stevie Hyper D turned it up a level, many up-and-comers have clung onto the same double-time patterns and syllable-rolls that were so energising to ravers in his delivery. However, many failed to spot that one of the key aspects to his skill was his versatility, combining ragga chats, hip hop flows, and even full-on singing, with the high-speed lyrical artillery.

Now, he might not have won all the awards that people like Skibadee or Eksman have, but Fatman D has done a lot to maintain the levels set by Hyper D. Not only does his style incorporate the ragga and hip hop influences, but his presence and energy on stage is indisputable. He's a true performer and entertainer, not just another guy with some bars. Maybe this is what Stevie saw in him when he first passed him the mic and started the journey which has led to Biological Beats.

So, I wanted to know how Bio Beats began.

“Me and Shortston wanted to do a label,” Fatman told me, “so we linked up with these two producers from Jersey called Terminal State. They started sending us tunes, so me, Terminal State and Shortston started Bio Beats. When Terminal State went off to do their own thing, and Shortston went off to do his own thing, I kept going with it. The first release was from Bassface Sascha, who's like the German version of Grooverider, really big in Germany.”

I asked him where the name came from.

“I put the name forward”, he said, “We're all biological entities, we're made up of biological components. The idea is that we're making beats that run through your body. These are the beats that we love, that flow through us, Biological Beats.”

Since those beginnings, Biological Beats has become more than just a label. Now, its impact on the scene is through the agency. So I asked Fatman how he put the crew together.

“I knew there was a whole lot of talent around. Rather than it just being a label, I wanted to make something new for the scene. When I'm looking for a new DJ or MC, they must be making some moves, some sort of waves themselves. They can't be a bedroom DJ who's never sent out a tape and never done anything for the scene. They've got to bring something to the table.”

Usually, the whole deal with signing to an agency is about getting more bookings, more fame, and more money. From speaking to the Bio Beats crew, however, it's clear that the bossman's team-building mentality is working.

Mekar summed up the vibe, telling me, “it's not about what Bio Beats can do for me, it's about what Bio Beats can do for D&B”. Double O added, “we have to put the work in and help each other. Fatman planted the seed and it's up to us to cultivate it.” Bassikz expanded on this, “The team is more like a family. Even though we're spread across the country somewhat, we all help each other out whether it be with bookings, on tracks, or just as friends. It's a really strong team and a privilege to be a part of.”

It's a dynamic that definitely seems to be working. You can see Bio Beats represented at raves all over the country, and a stream of accolades for the label's tracks. It seemed to me that, in a few years, the scene was going to be dominated by the crew, giving Fatman D a huge amount of power over the shape of D&B. I asked him if this was his intention.

“No, not at all, it's only you saying that now that's made me think of that! I wasn't thinking of that. I wanted to give something back to drum and bass, and then bow out. I'm not going to be here fifty, sixty years old still MCing. If I die tomorrow, I want to be remembered as someone who's helped in some way.”

The rest of the team have similar views. Consistently, they told me their ambition is to improve themselves and make a contribution. It was all about the music and the scene, not about individual success

D Raw put it like this, “I'm looking forward to working hard over the next couple years, releasing my music through Bio and honing my skills at the agency,” and Mekar summarised it as, “it's about a team of hard workers pulling together and making great music for the people.”

It can only be a positive thing that Fatman D has instilled this philosophy of giving to the scene rather than taking from it. They've got a new album coming soon which “has every kind of music on it”, they're consistently pushing new talent like Dominator and Flat T from my old home town of Norwich, and the MCs and DJs are raising the levels with each new mix.

If drum and bass's future is in the hands of the Biological Beats crew, I think we've got a lot to look forward to.

Biological Beats on Facebook.