Jakes is many things to many people, to some he is the voice of TC’s smash hits ‘Deep’, ‘Drink’ and ‘Mindkiller’, to others he is the Daddy of Bristolian Dubstep crew H.E.N.C.H and to musical historians he is one of the most interesting vocalists that underground British music can lay claim to. Never afraid to break from tradition and roll with his own flow, Jakes’ voice has become one of the most recognizable in the game and his energetic live performances see him traveling across the globe and smacking down raves from Bristol to Boston with his inimitable style.
Within a few years, Jakes has gone from being one of the big name MCs of the drum and bass world to now being one of the most talked about Producers in Dubstep. In a very short space of time, the progression towards his now trademark style has been applauded by many – and not limited to the Dubstep scene.
In 2009, the release of The Jakes Project, which included anthems such as Rock Tha Bells and Warface, demonstrated Jakes’ ability to straddle genres his aptness for innovation and style remaining intact. With his own productions receiving widespread support from as wide-ranging DJs from Skream to Crookers to Mary Anne Hobbs to Gaslamp Killer.
From 2010 thru 2011 Jakes has gone on to produce remixes that have topped download charts and score for films (The Black Swan – Directed by Darren Aronofski) and more recently British film (Offender – Directed by Ron Scalpello). 2012/13 showed Jakes’ diverse sound with releases on renowned labels such as Tectonic and Slit Jockey to name a few showing his name grow from strength to strength. Also gaining a spot on Ministry of Sounds internet station, a 1 monthly show packed with the lates releases and guest mixes. Jakes regularly receives extensive radio coverage.
Late 2013 saw Jakes’ return to mic duties and in doing so he quickly attained Zane Lowe’s (BBC RADIO 1) Hottest track in the world “Warrior” along side LOADSTAR (Ram) and Frictions Fire “The Illa” a track he featured on with CRITICAL IMPACT (Clear Skys).
With this in mind, it’s no wonder that his label has a host of talented artists releasing their productions through the HENCH imprint.