The UK’s bassline scene goes from strength to strength in 2018 – and Birmingham’s Bassboy is both its biggest personality and one of its most respected veterans. You might not hear much about it in the media, but bassline – a raw offshoot of speed garage born in the clubs of northern England a decade ago – has dominated festival season in the UK this year. Its biggest acts are doing more streams, shifting more tickets and filling more clubs than almost anyone else in the country right now – and for perhaps the first time, with barely any reliance on traditional methods of distribution. Where once radio premieres or DJ support were key for breaking dance records, bassline anthems can be made overnight by a well-timed social media clip. There’s a genuine culture shift happening in UK dance music, and bassline is at the cutting edge. Bassboy has been driving this sound since the start. As skilled at making melodic, hook-driven garage as he is breathless peak-time club destroyers, he’s spent the last decade perfecting his skills as both a DJ and a producer, studying from the greats of UK dance music, working with the likes of Skepta and building a dedicated fanbase by touring relentlessly up and down the country. With millions of plays on his Spotify and Soundcloud, and support from across the globe (he counts AC Slater, Lost Frequencies and even Drake amongst his fans), he’s perfectly poised to take this thrilling movement international.<br>