Photo by Ysanya Perez

Those of you who have been with us for a while are probably no strangers to Drop The Lime, Trouble & Bass and the Heavy Bass movement they’ve spearheaded right here in New York. Unofficially T&B has been bubbling in Brooklyn’s underground for the last 6 or 7 years but it’s only been in the last 4 years that they’ve really garnered some heavy global attention.

Unfortunately we don’t see our old friend, Drop the Lime as often as we’d like. Much like the sharp rise of Trouble & Bass, and the Heavy Bass sound, DTL’s own star has grown exponentially the past few years. While he may call Brooklyn his home, DTL is more often times nowadays found globe trotting and demolishing anyone and anything that comes in his path.

I first met Luca (Drop the Lime) back in 2003 when he came to a CUT NYC party that The Captain (now also of Trouble & Bass) and myself were throwing in the Lower East Side. I’m not sure what made him come that night, who was playing and who introduced us but we all clicked immediately through our mutual love of moving people through sound. Coincidentally, not too long before that we also met the Syrup Girls for the first time, who were comprised of the lady of bass Star Eyes and her partner Siren. Star Eyes would of course later join DTL alongside Math Head aka Passions and Zack Shadetek in bringing the first the first unofficial T&B party to light. That party also saw Plastician, Skepta and Jammer AKA the Murkleman make their NYC debuts.

Above is some video from the first official Trouble & Bass party at Boogaloo Lounge in the depths of South Williamsburg, (a few blocks from 350 Broadway and currently the new home of Duff’s). It was good times! DTL was the one who opened my mind and ears to the wild and varied sounds of Dubstep and Grime emanating from the UK. DTL’s “Bricks” is my all-time favorite track from the man, and it was one of the first chilled out Dubstep tracks I had heard from him. That and “Wake Up Call” will forever hold a place in most of my playlists.

Over the years Luca has unleashed one club banger after another along with a steady onslaught of amazing remixes. His 2009 single “Set Me Free” featuring the talented Carrie Wilds is already considered a modern classic and it’s gotten everyone salivating at the possibilities of a Drop the Lime album. Rumors has it that we may be very, very close to having our wishes fulfilled!

On the T&B front, the crew recently launched their Heavy Bass Champions of The World label series with Drop the Lime’s “Doomsday Device”, which is everything the title implies that it is.

I’ll leave you off with another classic grimy four to the floor DTL classic, “Like Thunder”. Myself, the NYC music scene, the world and the whole universe owe alot to DTL’s pioneering sound. And if this is your first time hearing his name, fear not, it won’t be the last. Luca will undoubtedly go down as one of the biggest names in dance music this decade, mark my words!

W.N.S.4.L.

- Shark