LV

Based in South London, England, L.V. is a garage/dubstep group known for thir swinging rhythms that meld influences such as dancehall reggae and South African kwaito. The group originally consisted of a trio of producers -- Gervase Gordon, Will Horrocks, and Si Williams -- who began to make music around 2000 while attending university. From 2007 through 2010, L.V. issued just under a dozen 12" releases on well-regarded labels like <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hyperdub%22">Hyperdub</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Keysound%22">Keysound</a>, <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%222nd+Drop%22">2nd Drop</a>, and <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hemlock%22">Hemlock</a>. They debuted with "Globetrotting," a dub reggae track featuring <a href="spotify:artist:5BpQ9IaJHyhmSaCxD1kGYd">Errol Bellot</a>, and they continued to collaborate with other vocalists while churning out material that drew from Jamaican and African sources. L.V.'s first album, Routes, was released in 2011 on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Keysound%22">Keysound</a> and featured vocalist/poet Josh Idehen throughout. For Sebenza, released in 2012 on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Hyperdub%22">Hyperdub</a>, they teamed with South African vocalists <a href="spotify:artist:0CaeXDVwH52TDLA0GLRo4f">Okmalumkoolkat</a> (also heard on 2010's "Boomslang") and <a href="spotify:artist:3qw0OXlLhqI78xEWw9Ys8O">Spoek Mathambo</a>, along with production/MC duo Ruffest. Following this album, Gordon left the group, leaving L.V. as the duo of Horrocks and Williams (who also started an experimental hip-hop side project called SwamiMillion). Islands, another full-length collaboration with Idehen, appeared on <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Keysound%22">Keysound</a> in 2014. L.V. signed to <a href="spotify:artist:4fH73bVIwM24QrBqjTrhAA">Gilles Peterson</a>'s <a href="spotify:search:label%3A%22Brownswood+Recordings%22">Brownswood Recordings</a> in 2015 and released their fourth album, Ancient Mechanisms, which featured contributions from Armenian pianist <a href="spotify:artist:0D3h8NZqNp7BN97JwtV6eW">Tigran Hamasyan</a>, whom the duo had previously collaborated with in 2012. ~ Andy Kellman, Rovi