Concord Dawn

By Eric W. Saeger

published: May 01, 2008

New Zealand twosome Concord Dawn is the biggest drum 'n' bass thing in its native country. The band's deliriously danceable tunes have been played for years by international heavyweights such as Grooverider, Goldie, DJ Hype, Ed Rush, and Dieselboy. They — Matt Harvey, a.k.a. Matty C, and Evan Short, a.k.a. Kiljoy — met and began jamming together as 11-year-olds, playing Clapton and Stones cover tunes. You know the routine from there: A little exposure to rave culture inspired them to plumb its innards, and they soon began experimenting with their own jungle sounds.

They're still promoting their 2006 full-length, Chaos by Design, their second release on Uprising Records. Though the framework of Chaos is built around d'n'b rhythms, the songs cross over to deep house and trance, often with jaw-droppingly pretty results. "Say Your Words" features the silk-voiced Hollie Smith gently scatting over deep-echo piano noodling for a full 90 seconds, ensconcing the listener in what could easily pass for the intro to a King Britt record.

The record's wide appeal earned it the Best Electronic Album award at the 2006 New Zealand Music Awards. Several of its songs have appeared on compilation albums put out by go-to d'n'b labels such as Metalheadz, Ram Records, and Hospital Recordings.