S.P.Y
The rolling breaks, deep basslines, and ominous synths of Brazilian drum'n'bass artist S.P.Y have become synonymous with the sound of Hospital Records, and from his tougher-sounding beginnings on Metalheadz in 2005 to his 2019 hardcore- and jungle-referencing album Dubplate Style, his innovative style has never waned.
Born in São Paulo, Brazil, Carlos Barbosa de Lima, Jr. (aka S.P.Y.) originally moved to the U.K. in 2003 to further his career as a graphic designer. While based in London, S.P.Y also put on club nights, DJ'ing drum'n'bass before realizing that he could also produce the music that he was playing. Originally using the name Spyder, he released a track via Goldie's Metalheadz label in 2005, but had to change his name to S.P.Y. after finding another DJ already using it. The following year, S.P.Y. appeared on Med School with the 12" single Black Flag, and over the next couple of years recorded for labels such as Samurai, Liquid V, and Spearhead. 2010 saw him deliver a slew of releases, including Dark Age for C.I.A., Favela for Metalheadz, and Fields of Joy for Critical Recordings. Combining his production work with DJ'ing, S.P.Y became much sought after, not only for remixes -- for Total Science, Andy C, and deadmau5 -- but also to DJ across the world at numerous club nights and major events. By 2012, S.P.Y signed an exclusive contract with Hospital Records, which issued his debut album, What the Future Holds, that same year. His combination of tough, tear-out breaks, rave-indebted anthems, and rolling liquid drum'n'bass was the perfect fit for the label, which had already helped kickstart the careers of High Contrast, Nu:Tone, and Logistics.
2014 saw him deliver his sophomore album for the label, the two-part Back to Basics. S.P.Y moved into darker territory, while working with the likes of Total Science, Bcee, and DRS, as well as vocalist Diane Charlemagne -- who had supplied the vocals to Goldie's 1994 chart hit Inner City Life. Over the next couple of years, S.P.Y's releases for the label slowed, with DJ'ing taking precedence, including a mix for Pete Tong's BBC Radio 1 Essential Mix. By 2017 he had once again amassed a large collection of new material, with Hospital putting out the expansive Alone in the Dark trilogy. Spread across three EPs the release cemented S.P.Y's position as a true innovator in the drum'n'bass scene, with the track "Hardcore Henry" becoming a staple for the likes of radio DJ Annie Mac. The following year saw him deliver the singles Frequency and Midnight Blue, precursors to his fourth LP, 2019's Hospital-issued Dubplate Style. His fourth album found him looking back to the roots of drum'n'bass, taking inspiration from the original hardcore, rave, and jungle anthems that had originally inspired him to follow his path.
© Rich Wilson /TiVo
Similar artists
-
Grey Days / Shadows Of The Mind
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Jul 13, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Black Flag (VIP)
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Apr 9, 2020
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Give Me Your Love EP
Drum & Bass - Released by Innerground Records on Jul 16, 2009
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Alone In The Dark 1 - EP
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Apr 28, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Yellow Shoes / Mystic Sunset
Drum & Bass - Released by Innerground Records on Jul 18, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Frostbyte EP
Drum & Bass - Released by Innerground Records on Jul 4, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
With You
Drum & Bass - Released by DARKMTTR Records on Jun 24, 2022
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hotspot / T1
Drum & Bass - Released by Innerground Records on Nov 14, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Black Flag
Miscellaneous - Released by Medschool on Sep 18, 2006
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Full Metal Jacket / Beyond the Threshold
Electronic - Released by Run DNB on Oct 1, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-
-
All Rise / Dub Safari
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Oct 5, 2018
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Runaway Dub
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Feb 15, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Love Unlimited
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Apr 7, 2017
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
After The Rain
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Mar 18, 2019
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Hospital Christmas Cracker 2014
Miscellaneous - Released by Hospital Records on Dec 24, 2014
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Favela / Xenomorph
Hip-Hop/Rap - Released by Metalheadz on Jul 5, 2010
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
Bulldozer / Scum
Drum & Bass - Released by Commercial Suicide on Nov 14, 2011
16-Bit CD Quality 44.1 kHz - Stereo -
-