How many artists / producers can count Jay Z, Snoop Dogg and Pharrell as fans, as well as drum and bass' finest Andy C, Hype and Pendulum; enjoy heavy rotation in the hands of dub-step royalty such as N-Type and Skream; and have each release enthusiastically supported by Annie Mac and Zane Lowe?
This is what Saul Milton and Will Kennard, producing under the name Chase & Status, have achieved in 5 years, and the highlight of their young career so far has been their debut LP 'More Than Alot' which has helped turn them into a unique urban phenomenon, and become the biggest crossover act to come out of the underground since Pendulum.
They met at Manchester University through their mutual love of drum and bass in the mid nineties and have DJ'd ever since, waiting until 2004 for their first production, a remix for Future Cut (better known these days for their production work with Lily Allen). It was followed by a series of drum and bass anthems for the biggest underground labels including Duppy Man for Breakbeat Kaos (home of Pendulum's platinum selling debut album) in 2005 and 'The Druids' EP for DJ Zinc's trendsetting Bingo label a year later.
Their production work for Jenna G's 'In Love' the same year earned them their first award, 'Best Single', as voted by over 40,000 listeners for the BBC 1Xtra Drum & Bass Awards. Despite a high volume of releases on Ram Records and constant DJing, Chase & Status managed to mastermind and release their debut album in 2008. Packed with the kind of drum and bass anthems that have helped build their reputation, it also features tracks which show the diversity of their work: such as Pieces featuring Plan B and the Radio 1 A-List single Against All Odds featuring Kano. The album is a thrilling journey through the UK urban scene and deserves its great title: More Than Alot. One track from the album, Eastern Jam was even spotted by Snoop Dogg who newly released it in April 2009 as Snoop Dogg Millionaire.
