Neue Grafik - Dalston Tape Vol.1 (2024)

Releasing now for well over a decade - Neue Grafik: known to friends as Fred, has successfully transplanted from Parisian rookie to one- man London Institution. Beginning as a solo producer and DJ, Fred spread his wings upon relocating to South London - at first with his Neue Grafik Ensemble and later with his now iconic twice-weekly Orii Jam - the latter of which has given agency to an entire new generation of musicians; spawning an aesthetic, nurturing a unique sound and becoming a launchpad for countless artists.

Dalston Tape Volume 1 is Fred’s attempt to fall back in love with beatmaking - taking it back to the roots of where the project began. I say “attempt” because he’s simply learnt too much and made too many friends along the way to make a mere DIY beat tape. Since his early MPC-led productions on Parisian label, Beat X Changers, Fred has learnt to play the keys to a concert hall standard, he has become proficient in double bass and built up a dense network of collaborators who he has composed, recorded, engineered and produced for both at home in SE London and in the iconic Total Refreshment Centre Studios in Dalston.

This experience adds unavoidable dimensions to his toolbox - resulting in something more akin to a miniature-magnum-opus than a simple beat-tape. Yes, we hear the influences of Pete Rock, Mad Lib, J Dilla and Al Dobson Jr but we also hear the musicality of D’Aneglo, James Blake and live contributions from an ever growing army of young graduates of the Orii School.

Beats are finely crafted, virtuosically finished and at times - excruciatingly short! So short it’s almost a flex - but a humble one at that. If this is what Neue Grafik can do on his lunch break imagine what he could do with enough time and budget!?

The “ Volume 1” suffix reassures us more is to come, and the “tapes” suggests that whilst these may be brief sketches , there’s nothing throw away about them - on the contrary, we’re witnessing an artist in full flow, moving solo as nimbly as he does with an orchestra, a man with too many ideas and not enough time offering us a brief glimpse into his musical world and reminding us that despite all he has learnt he is, at his core - a beat maker.

The only question which remains is whether he is intentionally teasing us with these bite size nuggets or inadvertently elevating the art-form to new heights. That, is for you to decide...