Ahead of the vinyl release of FD’s sensational From The Ashes on The North Quarter, Kmag caught up with the man of the moment to discuss the journey that shaped his second album.
A lot can happen in six years. Since the release of his debut album Better Days in 2019, a global pandemic and a spell of creative uncertainty are just some of the realities FD has faced. Out of this period emerges his strongest body of work to date, an album steeped in soul, groove and low-end weight, and a last-minute contender for D&B album of 2025. The path to its creation, however, was far from straightforward.
“I’d really gone off writing drum & bass because I’d basically been trying to force stuff in a certain direction,” recalls FD from his Zurich studio. “I’d written ‘Double Drizzle’ and I was really happy with it, which doesn’t happen very often. So I would sit down and try to do that again and again, but it just felt weird. It didn’t feel right. Then one day I just thought, fuck this. Just write what you want to write, just write whatever you feel.”
This shift in approach culminated in ‘What I Needed’, a catalytic track that recalibrated FD’s creative bearings and defined the trajectory for the album that followed. Striking the perfect balance between uplifting and gritty, it sets the tone for an exhilarating ride. “I always say that the reason I fell in love with drum & bass is because it does so many different things, and it ticks so many boxes. I had Bukem on one side and then Loxy & Ink on the other, and for me, that was amazing. I’ve just never let go of that.”
From the very first listen, that full spectrum of influence is evident. The North Quarter soul shines through on tracks like ‘Sweet Self Destruction’, for which FD links up with D&B debutant Minx to deliver an emotional, lyrically powerful highlight, while ‘Trife Life’ with label stalwart Fox and ‘If I Never?’ with the legendary DRS continue to provide those liquid vibes. The moodiness begins to roll in with ‘Big 6’, ‘LBW (Lil Bass Wobbler)’, and collaboration with label boss Lenzman ‘Cold Neon’, before real low-end pressure starts to surface later down the road.
As if the kaleidoscope of D&B flavours wasn’t enough, From The Ashes sees FD venture onto more experimental ground once again. Just as with Better Days, ambient soundscapes echo other tracks from the album, while downtempo cuts are woven throughout, effortlessly slicing through the breaks to allow the full force of each moment to be felt. “I find it very freeing to write that [downtempo] kind of stuff. I’m really trying to write more spontaneously these days, and I think it leads itself to more honest expression. There isn’t all that history, all that baggage that comes with writing drum & bass, and so I’m just pretty loose with it.”
That freedom is clearly felt, with the downtempo moments acting as natural release points within the record’s flow. A standout is the gliding, garage-infused ‘Impulse Power’, which eases off the throttle before a sonic ambush in the form of the album’s most dancefloor-ready tracks, ‘Gorilla Glue’ and ‘Don’t Ramp’, veers the record back into darker 170 territory.
“For me, the journey is really important. I want to build a story when I’m DJing and when I’m producing as well. Then you can put it all together so that it’s hopefully greater than the sum of its parts.”
Safe to say that is certainly the case with this one. From The Ashes is a voyage through the outer reaches of soulful, rolling, weighty D&B and beyond, encapsulating the mercurial style that has become synonymous with FD over the years. TNQ’s maverick hotshot remains unclassifiable, untethered as ever – yet this album is unmistakably his own. “I’ve definitely felt like a bit of an outlier on the label in a way, which I’m fine with. If I only did one thing, people could pigeonhole me much more easily. Boring, I’m alright thanks! I’ll just keep at my weird way of doing things.”
Yet it’s precisely that unconventional style, that refusal to conform that makes The North Quarter the perfect home for FD. Since debuting on the label in 2017, he has become a mainstay, building a catalogue of stellar releases that have defined both his own sound and the label’s identity. Even across the screen, it’s clear to see just how much TNQ means to him. He points to his close personal relationships with the artists and the brutally honest but welcome feedback provided by Lenzman as key factors in creating an environment in which his music can thrive.
“I’m surrounded by people who I really respect, and who I feel respect me. We’re all really supportive of each other, and there’s a real friendship there. And so for me, being here just hits all the touch points of what I want from this. I finally felt like I had my team. I had my squad.”
Fresh off the back of smashing this most recent project out the park, one might excuse FD for wanting to take a fully merited break from the studio. But it seems that the recently reignited creative spark won’t be fading anytime soon. “There’s a lot of urge to carry on actually, which is cool. I think I’m just going to try and cash in on that- I’ve got a lot of music sat around and I feel in quite a good place at the moment.” Whatever’s up next will be eagerly awaited by all; but in the meantime, this album will be on repeat for the foreseeable.
From The Ashes can now be purchased on 12″ vinyl here. It can also be streamed and purchased via Bandcamp and Beatport here.