Everything just stopped for me... word just hit that Andy C signed with Atlantic Records! How insane is that; Andy went from being a teen when his Ram Records imprint kicked off in the early '90s, and now that imprint has not only birthed a number of the best drum & bass releases on the map, it's also been the place where the likes of Sub Focus, Chase & Status, and others honed their skills before embarking on their own stellar careers. As per usual, Zane Lowe got his mitts on this and made it his latest "Hottest Record in the World," but for heads who knew what Andy's been making as a producer (and signing as a label head), this is the kind of anthemic drum & bass that we've grown to appreciate. Fiora adds a great touch to this heater, which pairs some uplifting pianos with a driving beat—the kind of tune that has that crossover appeal for Radio 1 mornings.
It's interesting; Andy's been teasing remixes over the last year, including solid reworks for Chase & Status, Major Lazer, and Rudimental, and had a real banger towards the end of 2014 with "Workout," but I'm interested in seeing where this Atlantic situation goes. One has to imagine that a full-length artist album from Andy C is on the way, right? He's been producing for over two decades, and helped shape the look and feel of drum & bass (especially in a main room sense), so it'll be interesting to see what his statement as an artist will be.
"Heartbeat Loud" will be released on November 9, which is a little over a week after his first solo show at the O2 Academy in Brixton on October 31, which is sold out.
