Acoustic guitar and a crisp vocal could not foretell what is to come in ‘Space Between’, when only moments in we are gripped by its driving bass and gnarly beats and plunged into its almighty drop. An unmistakeable drum ‘n’ bass rhythm fused with a sing-a-long hook and chorus make this track borderline schizophrenic, yet provide its unique flavour.

This certified party giant is accompanied by ‘BLVD’. Coveting sophisticated strings, subtle vintage nods and a stunning vocal, it certainly does not disappoint. The diva voice, clean beats and suave composition of this B-side ooze old-school superiority and demonstrate perfectly why Xample and Lomax are widely recognised as one of the most talented production pairs on the circuit.

Loadstar have managed to combine an emotive, ballad-like vocal melody, drama fuelled instrumentation and an energetic punchy bass line - with fantastic results. Creating such a balance is no mean feat; however it is a task that the Bristol duo and label mates, Chase & Status, master like no other. There is no doubt this is an e.p fit for both the duvet and the discotheque.

The new e.p, which is set for release on March 28th 2011, demonstrates a slightly more commercialised sound from Loadstar compared to its predecessor ‘Link to the Past’, yet the alliance of Xample’s raw dance-floor style and Lomax’s musical edge create the unmistakeable Loadstar sound.
Having grown up in and around the scene in Bristol and played all over the country, both men were scouted out by Ram records. They have enjoyed individual triumphs with tracks such as ‘Artisan’ and 'Heaven and Hell' and have been working together under the moniker, Loadstar, since 2007.

Previous single ‘Link to the Past’ won ‘Best Single of the Year’ on Drum & Bass Arena, and the duo look set to continue their success this year, having been tipped for big things in the annual radio 1xtra poll.  With the powers that be in Radio 1 backing them, an album eagerly anticipated for late spring, and a string of stonking remixes getting air time, Loadstar look to be unstoppable in 2011.

Example: How do you go about working together in terms of studio time?

Loadstar: Each track seems to come together in a different way, but due to our work load its very rare for us to work on a track from start to finish together, so occasionally we have to divide our time and work. It works fine for us, we know how each other work and we can use this to our advantage, work on ideas separately and then bring it all together in our studio in Bristol.

 

Example: Do you feel that the upcoming e.p embodies both of your individual styles?

Loadstar: I think its a great example of how combining our sounds brings the best results. We wanted to approach ‘Space Between’ like a song structure, a musical vocal lead intro, followed by the chorus which acts as the main ‘drop’ and taking it in a different direction. It shows what we are all about, Nick has always had a strong musical edge to his solo tracks, and Gav has always proved he can smash the nuskool dancefloor sound, I think this track came together well as it embodies both of these elements. Blvd combines our sounds and ideas well, we have always loved using samples in an interesting way and this track just seems to 'flow' with its oldskool beats and raw feel. We both got into drum and bass at a similar time when the majority of our favourite tunes used old skool breaks and simple grooves so we also tried to capture that feel to it.

Example: What can we expect in terms of live performances from Loadstar?

Loadstar: We have a very hectic DJ schedule up to the album release and a few festivals over the summer so you will be able to catch us up and down the country and across Europe in the coming months. Once the album is done we are going to put together a live show, something we are really excited about and we are currently putting it all together... so keep a look out for that in the Autumn.

Example: You have both have experience producing individually and of course as as pair, do you
prefer working together or separately?

Loadstar: We definitely prefer working as a team as our best tracks come together with both our heads together. Its not always easy, even after working together for years! However as Loadstar we feel we are writing our most exciting music to date.

Example: Can we expect anything in the way of solo projects in the near future?

Loadstar: We are fully focussed on the Loadstar project and taking that as far as we can so any solo projects are on hold for now!