Flowdan

Easily recognized by his booming, austere voice and patois-heavy lyrics, Flowdan is an unmistakable presence throughout the U.K. bass music landscape. As a founder of the storied Roll Deep collective, he played a crucial role in the development of grime, then expanded his audience with the massive 2007 single “Skeng,” one of several tracks with frequent collaborator the Bug. He released his debut full-length, Original Dan, in 2009, with two more albums arriving during the 2010s, as he ventured further into production. A longtime stalwart of the underground, Flowdan made his mainstream breakthrough with two inescapable 2023 singles, the Grammy-winning “Rumble” (with Skrillex and Fred again..) and the U.K. Top Five hit “Baddadan” (with Chase & Status and Bou). He continued working with Skrillex on songs like “Pepper” (featuring Lil Baby). Born Marc Veira in Bow, East London, Flowdan came from a background in drum’n’bass. He was part of Pay as U Go Cartel, a U.K. garage crew briefly active during the early 2000s which featured Wiley, Geeneus, and DJ Slimzee, among others. The group disbanded as they evolved into Roll Deep, a name suggested by Flowdan. Seemingly every major name in the grime scene passed through Roll Deep, including Dizzee Rascal, Tinchy Stryder, Skepta, and Jammer, while Flowdan, Wiley, DJ Target, and others remained from the beginning until their 2013 hiatus. Flowdan appeared on all five Roll Deep albums but was not featured on any of their five singles which hit the U.K. Top 40. However, he was featured on Lethal Bizzle’s “Pow! (Forward),” which reached number 11 in 2005 and won a MOBO Award for Best Single. His next major feature was on “Skeng,” the Hyperdub-issued single by the Bug in 2007. The track became a dubstep anthem and was included on the Bug’s 2008 album London Zoo (Ninja Tune), along with two additional Flowdan collaborations, “Jah War” and “Warning.” Original Dan, the emcee’s debut album, was released by Wiley’s Eskibeat Recordings in 2009, featuring tracks produced by Scratcha DVA, Target, and the Bug, among others. Flowdan appeared on Jubei’s halftime single “Say Nothin’,” released by Metalheadz in 2012. His first solo EP, Serious Business, was issued by Hyperdub in 2014. He signed to Tru Thoughts, who released his second album, Disaster Piece, in 2016. Several songs featured singer Animai, and Roll Deep’s Tinchy Stryder and Manga lent guest verses, while Commodo, Dexplicit, and Cato were among the producers. Flowdan released “Original Raggamuffin,” a single with Wiley, in 2017, and continued his ongoing work with the Bug on the song “Bad.” Flowdan’s grime label SpentShell began releasing music in 2018, including tracks he produced for PK and GHSTLY XXVII. His EP One Shell Fits All included guest features by D Double E and Meridian Dan. The EP Tramplezone appeared in 2019, and Flowdan returned to Tru Thoughts for his third album, Full Metal Jacket, as well as the 2020 EP The Red Pill. No Celebrations, an EP with Abstrakt Sonance, was released by SpentShell. Flowdan’s final EP of 2020, Guilty as Charged, was issued by Bare Selection at the end of the year. Flowdan was featured on the Bug’s 2021 single “Pressure,” as well as “Trenches” by Duke & Jones and Millbrook’s “Power.” He released the EP Black Rain with Snowman Baby and Abstrakt Sonance. Flowdan continued releasing songs with Abstrakt Sonance in 2022, and his voice was introduced to mainstream EDM audiences when he was featured on the 2022 single “Gassed Up” by Zeds Dead and Subtronics, and especially when he appeared on the Skrillex and Fred again.. single “Rumble.” Initially premiered on Fred again..’s viral July 2022 Boiler Room set, the song was officially released during the first week of 2023 and became a major hit, peaking at number 19 on the U.K. singles chart; a year later, it won a Grammy for Best Dance/Electronic Recording. The single kicked off one of Flowdan’s most productive and successful years to date, as he was featured on at least a dozen other tracks, including Sammy Virji’s “Shella Verse,” Schlachthofbronx’s “Ready and Bad,” and the U.K. Top Five-charting “Baddadan” by Chase & Status and Bou (featuring IRAH, Trigga, and Takura). Flowdan also released additional Skrillex collaborations, including “Hydrate” (with BEAM and PEEKABOO), “Badders” (with PEEKABOO and G-Rex), and “Pepper” (featuring Lil Baby). ~ Paul Simpson