Rantoul - paper shuffler ( Unreleased )

Born in Bristol and brought up in Newcastle, Rantoul discovered his ambition to be a drum & bass DJ and producer, and hasn’t looked back since. 

Early on, Rantoul spent much of his time as a graffiti artist. It was this experience which led to the discovery of what he really wanted to do. He became interested in the rave scene through a friend, who at the time was receiving a constant stream of flyers through the post. “I used to promise myself my name would be on them,” he recalls. 

Rantoul’s determination to make his new-found ambition a reality led to him putting together a studio from scratch, with the help of his family. His musical policy was clear from the outset: “I’ve always been into drum and bass, especially the more atmospheric and musical stuff. I’ve always stood up for it, and that’s lost me a few friends, but at the end of the day I know what I like and I’ll stick to it.” 

Those all-important influences originated in the drum & bass scene of the mid-90s, with material from artists such as Photek, Source Direct, Peshay, Alex Reece, and a certain LTJ Bukem: “I’ve always been influenced by Bukem,” says Rantoul. “I first saw him at Dreamscape in 1993, and after that I used to travel to see him as much as I could.” Meanwhile, Rantoul was beginning his own DJ career, acquiring a residency at On It, Middlesborough, not long after the closure of the legendary Speed. Rantoul soon built up a reputation for his music, and his refusal to compromise the sound that he loved. “I used to get people coming up to me all the time and asking if I had anything harder,” he recalls. “But I’ve always done my own thing, regardless of what anyone else thinks.”

