Let’s be frank: the word diverse gets overused in the music sphere. If we grab a dictionary and look up the word ‘diverse’, it’s likely that the Scotland-via-London brother/sister DJ twosome Beatnik [Statis and Nikki Beatnik] will be cited as an example, no hyperbole.
After years of contributing to London’s rich club culture via their Beatnik-themed parties, beloved YouTube channel, and having spun across many eras — from the Y2K pirate radio movement down to world tour arenas — the duo’s travelled background is reflected in their sonic output. Now, the pair is back with their latest full-length tape ‘Vol. 2’, a collection of six tracks that wanders through the worlds of drum & bass, R&B, dancehall, rap and electropop.
‘Vol. 2’ isn’t a solo affair — there are plenty of noteworthy guest cameos. D&B belter ‘Never So Much’ features vocals from UK songwriting legend and performer Royston, who worked closely with Estelle on her debut LP ‘The 18th Day’. Electro-tinged pop banger ‘I See Ya’ sees the DJ duo tap Asian Hawk. On the other hand, EP centre-piece ‘Daisy’ features earworm-like vocals from rising London vocalist KX. For the six-track ensemble, you’d confuse your listening experience for a rollercoaster as Beatnik interweave a myriad of eclectic sounds.
“We have been in a creative bubble, writing & producing new tracks aiming at what we want to spin in our DJ sets. The EP is a mix of the genres we love, dancehall, hip hop, D&B and just good vibes,” said Nikki Beatnik regarding the EP.
Statis added: “We collaborated with friends and artists from the UK & US, we had some great studio days where we were all just as creative as possible with the music, adding some catchy hooks — it’s very Beatnik.”