We catch up with Nathan Hanley, head honcho and general legend of Bloc2Bloc Entertainment Radio, the hugely popular drum & bass and underground music platform, which has been going from strength to strength. Nathan (fan of his favourite catchphrase ‘cheeky’) talks to us about the history of Bloc2Bloc and his ever-expanding empire, in particular, the launch of their new Youtube channel which focuses on bringing the best in new underground, signed and unsigned drum & bass.
“Bloc2Bloc Entertainment was founded back in 2012 as a music and nightlife Youtube channel, a means to capture the heart of Manchester music, escape the stresses of life and a way to give back to the youth in the community,” says Nathan.
Fast forward to 2020 and the Bloc2Bloc team have undisputedly made their mark in the Manchester underground bass scene and beyond. As a double award nominated internet radio station, a combined social media following of over 120,000 and events featuring star-studded regular line-ups, it’s not hard to see why Bloc2Bloc are the go-to platform for many up-and-coming DJ/producers.
In the last few years, Bloc2Bloc has seen the likes of Bou, Indika, Kaz and Jazzy-lioness all make a serious impact on the drum & bass scene through the Bloc2Bloc platform and, consequently, they’ve all gone on to do massive things and continue to rise through the ranks. Simply put, Bloc2Bloc is quickly making a name for itself as the home of new talent.
“We’ve now decided to venture out into uncharted waters with BLOC2BLOC MUSIC, a new music-based YouTube channel,” adds Nathan. “The idea behind this is to simply give back to all the producers who are constantly supporting the Bloc2Bloc team and all the DJs by creating a hub to share brand new music with the world. Unfortunately, it’s very clear that without the right support, social media & promotion, some amazing producers aren’t getting noticed or being given the credit they truly deserve. So here we are, BLOC2BLOC MUSIC on YouTube is committed to bringing the best new undiscovered, up-and-coming sounds from around the world.”
In the future, they’re looking forward to adding guest mixes to the channel from some of the biggest names in the game including the likes of Chimpo, Bou, Indika, Kaz, Dub Phizix, AC13 and many more.
In other news from the Bloc2Bloc camp, they’ve recently sealed a deal with Unity Radio to host their very own fortnightly show. In turn, giving them a whole new audience and an even bigger reach to push new producers and music into the spotlight. They also have their own merchandise range. Bridging the gap from pirate radio to official channels, it seems Bloc2Bloc is everywhere you look, be it in Manchester or on social media.