Some folks call me Leroy, but my given name is Leon Virgil Bowers… and I have been repossessed.

The journey to here, to this document they call an ‘artist bio’ is a long story. I guess you could say that I’ve hit a couple back roads along the way, a few detours, and maybe even taken a couple short cuts; I’ll keep this account short and sweet. Maybe you can glean the details from the songs I’ve written as the founding member and songwriter in Hellbound Glory.

The last few years have been good to me. I’ve toured the country with Kid Rock, shared the stage with Leon Russell, got rowdy with The Supersuckers, surprised some folks with 10 Years and generally raised a ruckus wherever the tour van has taken me. Needless to say, it’s been a hard-working year too and I’ve spent the better part of 2014 traveling and recording. 

A lot of friends have asked if I’ll be releasing any new songs this year. Honestly, I had thought that I would have released more by now. The short answer is yes. Soon. The new songs are ‘in the can’ as they say and I’ve got plans to record a few more. The new material was recorded in Detroit, Michigan at Rust Belt Studios. 

Some folks have asked whether I’ve worked with Kid Rock. Well, I guess you could say that I’ve bounced a few ideas off of Bob in the studio. You’ll have to wait until the new album drops next year to hear what came of those ideas.

I’m a working musician and proud to say that I’ve earned everything that I call my own. But I was given my name. Maybe it’s the one thing in the world that is truly my own. It will be mine even after I leave this world. Maybe that’s why it’s time to branch off a little and share a bit of it with the stage… with the music. 

Like I said to start this off, I’ve been repossessed. But I never admitted to being a lost cause. That was just a song I wrote… and I think it’s a pretty good one. 

-	LVB. November 2, 2014

AFTERLIFE OUT NOW 

bitly.ws/CMZ9

Since launching the Datsik brand, Troy Beetles continues to evolve as a solo artist all the while pushing his beloved bass music world to new lengths, both on a personal artistry level and as a genre as a whole. From bedroom producer to chart-topping artist, internationally touring act, and owner and founder of the enterprising Firepower Records, Datsik is poised to make bass music the sound of the future with his recent Down 4 My Ninjas EP (Nov. 2014 / Firepower Records) and upcoming release Smoke Bomb ft. Snoop Dogg (Nov. 2015 / Ultra Records). 

Datsik took his initial steps into global dominance in 2009 with his first official release, the Nuke ‘Em EP, which set the new precedence of the future of dubstep and bass music. Immediately following that was the Boom EP featuring Excision and the legendary Flux Pavilion as collaborators. In that same year, Datsik claimed 10 Beatport #1 releases. Additionally, he has also released massive remixes for dance music icons Skrillex, Diplo, Kaskade, and Zedd, as well as two collaborations with Bassnectar and two more with Diplo on his Express Yourself EP. He has also remixed artists from the mainstream pop world and hip-hop spheres such as Coldplay, Lil Wayne, MGMT, Linkin Park, Wu-Tang Clan, one of the biggest influences on his sound, and, most recently, Lana Del Rey.

Nonetheless, Vitamin D, his debut artist album released on Dim Mak Records in 2012, remains his gleaming trophy of work. Rightfully so, as Vitamin D was the first project to illustrate the full spectrum of Datsik’s production cannon and to give glimpses of the artist’s potential as a producer and songwriter. Vitamin D was the first major milestone of many to come in the Datsik storyline. The next chapter came in 2013 in the form of a two-part release, the Cold Blooded EP and the corresponding Let It Burn full-length album, both released on Firepower. While shorter in length, Cold Blooded packs as much a punch as big brother Let It Burn. Hand in hand, Cold Blooded and Let It Burn comprise the knockout one-two punch in Datsik’s artillery.

Datsik stands at a point of transition with his recent EP Down 4 My Ninjas. It exemplifies a more mature Datsik, both in sound and in vision, as it sees the producer taking vast steps outside of dubstep and deeper into his ever-burning fondness for hip-hop. In essence, it is his love letter to the hip-hop and bass music genres and sees a full circle for Datsik as it combines the best of both worlds. Featuring collaborations with DJ Paul of renowned Southern rap group Three 6 Mafia and the legendary KRS-One, Down 4 My Ninjas sees Datsik keeping one foot in bass and one foot in hip-hop and, for the first time ever, sees the artist pairing his original productions with bona fide, universally celebrated members of the rap world. 

With Down 4 My Ninjas in tow and a hefty supporting tour scheduled for 2015, expectations are higher than they’ve ever been for Datsik. Beetles welcomes the challenge, though. It’s what’s kept him developing since those bedroom producer days, and it’s what verifies Datsik as one of the leading figures in the bass music scene of today and tomorrow.

thegloriousdead.com BETTEROFFDEAD. 9/15/23

@chancetherapper
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