THE THREE GLEAMING UK SENSATIONS COMBINE THEIR STRENGTHS ON THEIR NEW VOCAL-DRIVEN DRUM & BASS OFFERING, A CROSSOVER CLUB RECORD OOZING PURE INTIMACY.
Born from three corners of the UK’s electronic underground, Denham Audio, piri, and Tommy Villiers collide on “Heavy Handed,” a spellbinding drum and bass single landing August 22 on HARD Recs.
“Heavy Handed” glows with intimacy, led by piri’s airy vocals, which drift over jungle-rooted breaks, pulsating basslines, and shimmering atmospherics. Tommy Villiers injects warmth with luminous guitar riffs and crisp instrumentation, while Denham Audio locks the track into motion with rave-tested precision. The result is a high-energy yet tender cut, made of equal parts dancefloor euphoria and emotional release.
Being candid about how the single serves as somewhat of a crash course for intimacy behind closed doors, piri explains the underlying meaning of “Heavy Handed,” saying: “There’s no way to be coy about this, the song is about partners being a little too rough in the bedroom! It’s a real problem I’ve picked up on from my own experiences and countless stories from friends, and it was really nice to vent feeling this onto a track. It’s almost educational! The beat moves from being soft and sweet in the verses to really hard in the chorus to match the theme of the song, which I think is really cool. It reflects the contrast in the sensation I’m desiring in the song versus the frustrating reality of things. I love how you can literally FEEL the difference. I know this topic is not easy to bring up face-to-face, so maybe people can use this track to drop a subtle hint to their sneaky link!”
Each artist carries a weight of influence into this collaboration. Denham Audio first shook the global stage with “Make Me,” a breakout single boasting more than 45 million streams and championed across BBC Radio 1, Capital Dance, Rinse FM, Triple J, and beyond. His upcoming sets at Club Glow at Hootananny Brixton and The Warehouse Project’s Halloween blowout reinforce his standing as one of the UK’s sharpest tastemakers.
Originally based out of Manchester, piri & tommy had a meteoric rise nothing short of explosive, with their viral track “Soft Spot” hitting No. 20 on the UK Independent ‘Singles Breakers’ chart and a career total surpassing 225 million streams. Their recognition as a BBC and MTV “One To Watch”, as a TikTok No. 1, and a BBC Radio 1 “Hottest Record in the World” underscores their instinct for hooks that resonate well beyond the club.
Tommy has been tapped for remixes by Disclosure and LF System, collaborated with legends like MJ Cole and General Levy, whilst piri has collaborated with icons such as salute and the up and coming Omar+. Their sound consistently bridges UK garage, drum and bass, and indie pop with their own unique sound working across almost any genre.
Together, the trio craft “Heavy Handed” as both a tribute to drum and bass tradition and a forward-facing vision for where the genre is headed. With its balance of raw emotion, magnetic groove, and razor-sharp production, the single stands as a commanding statement from three of the UK’s brightest innovators.
16v hatchback breakbeat NRG kickin’ it out of your Kenwood system. Part of the Club Glow collective In a blizzard of breakbeats, b-lines and acid hooks, Denham Audio have brought new urgency and vitality to the modern rave scene. The sound they’re pushing is rooted in the legacy of UK hardcore, but those foundational sounds and styles are given a thorough spruce up, feeding into the buoyant areas of exploration happening between 140 and 160 BPM. Releases have been coming thick and fast, from early outings on Nineteen Ninety Four and Artifice through to a blistering run on WNCL, Frendzone! (alongside Violet), Lobster Theremin, Sneaker Social Club and more. Across these 12”s you can hear every shred of influence spilling out – from the upfront hardcore and jungle through to hip hop and reggae, and beyond the confines of music into sci-fi and anime. As well as a relentless charge of rave-ready EPs and DJ sets spanning the UK and as far as Seoul, Tokyo, Berlin, New York and elsewhere, the Denham Audio pressure also piles into the Club Glow collective. Alongside Borai, LMajor and Mani Festo, Denham are presenting a communal front which first manifested as a tape series and now spans 12” drops, a monthly session on Balamii Radio and coordinated blitzes on appropriately sized dancehalls. It’s a natural extension of Denham’s production endeavours, succinctly captured on the SNKRX05 12” as “16v hatchback breakbeat NRG kickin’ it out of your Kenwood system.” We couldn’t have put it better ourselves.
piri & tommy are a dance-inspired alt-pop band formed out of a manchester student house. The duo’s extensive catalogue is entirelty self written, recorded and produced. Already covering many genres from disco to dnb, they’re finding a new sound for 2025, in the worlds of pharrell, prince & britney.
