Since being born in the dank gutters of Bow E3 over a quarter of a century ago, Simon has led a solitary existence of musical contemplation while attempting to catch mice for food in the cellar he called home. Starting with a pair of salvaged Goodman’s belt drives, an ancient Numark mixer and 3 second hand old school garage vinyls he taught himself the intricacies of mixing, blending, chopping and dropping which have served as a valuable skill set to amaze audiences worldwide ever since. Although the collection (and format) of tunes has grown and warped significantly, as well as complexity of setup, the pure joy of banging together a sick mix is something that seldom left him.

From old school garage, Simon graduated on to the (then) newly, locally emerging ‘Grime’ scene – although at that early stage there was no name attached to the stunningly dark cacophony of kick drums and bass reverberations. With an eclectic cast of DJ’s, crews and MC’s he worked on mixes both in the studio and on various radio stations around east London, although most are now sadly defunct and forgotten… While Bow was at the forefront of the scene Simon watched close friends and acquaintances rise and fall in an edgy and hostile musical environment while personally preferring to participate from the periphery. While Grime is now a more widespread and recognised brand, Simon feels the original principles and practices have been predominantly lost and in their absence imposters have been allowed to adopt the name and apparent attitude of a genre, movement and social conditioning they could never truly appreciate or understand. 

While Grime is his original love, Simon prides himself on the beauty of diversity across the musical spectrum and while his mixing is usually limited to ‘dance’ music such as the aforementioned genres and more recently dubstep and elements of house, his personal library extends further than the eye can see, or the finger can scroll. His aim is to create pieces of audio art that people can; skank out to, alleviate boredom with, reminisce to, feel elated by, debate over, bus’ gunfingers to, be challenged by, be inspired to… and many more. Hopefully by the time you have heard a selection, you will have your own answers and responses! 


West London lyricist, Life's first love was poetry, a form of expression which had been ignited by his adoptive mothers yearly trips to the legendary poet Maya Angelou's thanksgiving functions in the US. Here he would regularly speak with the likes of Quincy Jones and Oprah Winfrey, unaware of the influence the heavyweights of the entertainment industry held as they were part of an audience that gave this then young boys performance a standing ovation.

His poetry naturally progressed into the conscious, thought provoking lyrics he delivers over soulful beats today. After appearing in Channel 4's '7 Days', his trilogy of EP's - One Love, One Hope & One Faith followed and featured collaborations with the rising voices of the urban music scene; Angel, Etta Bond and Shakka.

Influenced by US heavyweights J Dilla, Common, Nas and Talib Kweli, Life's music is a soulful blend of old school Hip-Hop vibes and refreshing delivery that tackles concepts in a mind-expanding manner, encompassing memorable hooks that have helped his music reach further afield.

With support from MTV and MOBO already at this early stage in his career, Life's currently in the studio working on the music that will bring the old school back with a twist.

Management:
James@dittomusic.com

Tora Harlow has a unique folk sound with a dark, soulful edge. Her style is unique, melodic, and occasionally melancholic, but never without a signature infectious hook.

Her impressive tour schedule over the last year has already seen Tora play at the Stone Roses book launch at Gorilla alongside Manchester Hip Hop band ‘Drunken Munks, as well as the Etihad Stadium alongside rock band ‘The Struts’. Tora Harlow is now busy writing their first album, definitely a band to watch out for.

"Harlow’s serious game changers are her stunning voice, precise phrasing and generous way with a big pop hook." - David Sue, Manchester Evening News.

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