Born in Slough, Berkshire, James was first introduced to dance music at the age of seven by his foster brother, and after moving to London as a teen, he became enamoured with the city's jungle scene. Originally a drum‘n'bass artist, he produced a critically acclaimed remix of Nasty Habits' "Here Come the Drums," released a series of EPs through the influential Reinforced label, and dropped his debut album, This Too Shall Pass, in 2006. A year later, he signed to inspiration Shy FX's Digital Soundboy imprint and changed his signature sound to the minimal rhythms and heavy basslines of the emerging dubstep genre. He appeared on Radio 1 DJ Zane Lowe's "Hottest Record in the World Today" slot five times in a row, while he became an in-demand remixer for the likes of Florence and the Machine, David Guetta, and Massive Attack. In 2010, he released his second LP, Foundation and his third in 2015, When the Night Comes.