Emerging from the woodworks of London, rhythmic guru Ant Brooks is Tech House’s newest up and coming producer who has recently fit himself nicely among big powerhouses like Wally Lopez and Jay Lumen. He has showcased time and again that hard work and dedication is the name of the game and each of his productions show intricate, complex gears of musical expression. Influenced by Carl Cox and Ratpack of the 90’s, his career has been decorated with numerous support from labels such as Toolroom Records, Diffused Music, CR2 and 303Lovers. Ant Brooks‘s sound is an encompassing conglomeration of many different timbres of percussion and his chugging basslines are effortlessly cool. Often switching between sly Tech House and rumbling Techno, Brooks has been a multifaceted, essential artist and his productions are in high demand. He showcases that he isn’t afraid to mix up his style either, in his hard hitting remix to UMEK & Mike Vale‘s track, Kids With Money. While the Original was more about relaxed, chunky beats, Brooks pulls Kids With Money straight into fifth gear, producing an intimidating, roaring remix full of energy and power.
Brooks starts with a cotton-like bass, offbeat high bongos and reverbed cymbals while giving a subtle, yet essential vocal loop that gives the groove a whole new layer of dimension. However, things begin to really heat up when the rolling sub-bass kicks in, creating an insatiable, chunky groove that you can’t help to dance to. Brooks uses the lyrics to a cool effect as the vocals state: “Kids that are 15, 16 years old; they can multiply a hundred dollars into five thousand dollars in less than four hours; doing drugs, selling drugs; and they are very proud of that.” At this point, Ant takes the track to another planet as he starts incorporating techno elements with an effortless and sinister upwards synth, creating a contrasting, rough texture amidst a smooth backdrop. The breakdown is a huge part of the piece as it gathers tons of potential energy just waiting to spill out (or in this case, completely explode). The vocal is repeated as he continues: “I know kids that are 18 years old driving Mercedes Benz and here I am; three times 18 and I can’t afford a Benz.” Meanwhile, the synth is building more and more prevalence as white noise and reverb stack on top of each other into an echoed, non-coherent noisebed. However, everything pieces together during the drop as the energy gathered from it is immense. It has a complicated, working rhythmic section while allowing the Techno line to work its magic. This work has quality written all over it and is one of the most energetic pieces that has been released in a long time. 
http://soundcloud.com/antbrooksmusic/umek-mike-vale-kids-with-money-ant-brooks-remix-great-stuff
Ant Brooks masterfully grabs both tech House and Techno and melds them together like peanut butter and jelly. From the funky and fresh bass line and the cool percussion such as cabasas, bongos, and hi-hats to the ferocious qualities of techno in the ripping upwards synth and the thick, blocklike ride cymbals, Kids With Money is turned from a cool cut into a destructive secret weapon perfect for dance floors. Only supported by Mark Knight and Daniel Portman, it is a high quality piece that deserved much more airtime than it did. It has that twisted, evil energy that is maintained within a danceable groove and is one of the best representations of mixing two completely different styles into a one-of-a-kind track. We here at Your EDM absolutely respect producers who are willing to take risks and creating something new and this track has those qualities in spades. Released on Great Stuff Recordings in June of last year, it is a crazy, groovy track that should be picked up by Tech enthusiasts everywhere. You can buy it now on Beatport, so get over to the link and grab it now!
Beatport: http://www.beatport.com/track/kids-with-money-ant-brooks-remix/3559304
Sources
https://www.facebook.com/djantbrooks/info
http://www.1001tracklists.com/track/79838_umek-mike-vale-kids-with-money-ant-brooks-remix/index.html
Unsung Heroes is a weekly segment where we take a look back at an amazing production and bring it back into the light for older and newer fans alike. These tracks were often overlooked, overshadowed by a huge release or are just not that well known to the public here in America. Here, you can find all the hidden gems in many genres and find a new favorite track (or another tool/weapon for aspiring DJ’s).
