Ploy, also known as Sam Smith, was recognized early on as a trailblazer in Bristol’s bass music scene. The producer and DJ rose to prominence with releases on respected labels such as Hessle Audio, Timedance and Hemlock. Surprisingly, however, Ploy has recently made a clear stylistic shift towards house and tech house.
Ploy first heralded this change with the EP They Don’t Love It Like We Do on his label Deaf Test. Inspired by the tribal-influenced tech house scene of the late 1990s and early 2000s, Ploy now deepens his new groove-oriented approach with his second album It’s Later Than You Think, released on the fitting label Dekmantel.
Collected rhythms
His musical journey began in the West Country near Bath, where he browsed his mother’s music collection and attended concerts by Stevie Wonder and John Legend at a young age. He bought his first turntable at the age of 14 and began building his record collection, inspired by UK hip-hop and grime.
The first releases followed a few years later. They are characterized by unconventional polyrhythms, stormy percussion and the typical Bristol sub-bass. In October 2020, Ploy will release their debut album Unlit Signals on L.I.E.S.
With his new album, Ploy does not dilute the unmistakable character of his sound, but rather emphasizes it with reduced and groove-oriented production. Slightly quirky samples add a humorous touch and perfectly balanced percussion hits the sweet spot of the dancefloor. It’s as if he’s consciously moving away from the ever faster and harder club music to play longer DJ sets with more subtle grooves, blending techno, grime, footwork, breaks and elements of baile funk as well as dembow and kuduro rhythms.
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