Generic Everything

Saul Milton and Will Kennard of <b>Chase & Status</b> were producing cutting-edge drum ’n’ bass before large language models learned their first word. Their eighth album <i>Generic Everything</i> is a rejection of the creatively restrictive content trap ushered in by the algorithm age, harnessing the power of human ability. “[The title] was like a challenge to us, to not get lazy, to not settle into old tropes, to keep pushing ourselves to work with people from different worlds, to try different sounds, different influences that might never have been done before on a drum ’n’ bass record,” Milton tells Apple Music. To that end, the record hosts an “Avengers…assemble!”-scale roster of guest stars lending their sonic imprints to this 30-minute burst of spring-loaded beats. Heavyweights lead the charge, from <b>J Hus</b> on the scuzzy, rock-infused opener <b>“Disgruntled”</b> to a fired-up <b>Little Simz</b> on <b>“Carnage”</b> and <b>Giggs</b> on <b>Timber</b>, cutting “Pinocchio youts” down to size over futuristic basslines punctuated by chainsaw revs. <b>Skrillex</b> also makes an appearance, co-producing and contributing vocals to the Brazilian funk-leaning <b>“Essa Ta Quente”</b>—a track that takes both parties outside of their comfort zone. “He’s known for his noisy, big production and we’ve made records like that too,” said Kennard. “To actually end up with a cooler, more subtle-sounding record with two very noisy, high-energy producers…I’m so happy it ended up like that.” And while the more established artists set a high bar, the next generation of talent featured here—including rap newcomer <b>Saam Sultan</b> and the soulful, Stormzy-approved singer-songwriter <b>Debbie</b>—proves capable of packing equally powerful punches.