There’s something to be said for the aritsts and punters who adhere to the original sounds of jungle and drum and bass in 2026, especially the dub-and-ragga-coloured styles. The original merging of hardcore, jazz and rdub reggae is, after all, what birthed this beloved genre, and all its dancey, techy, digitised subgenres owe it a debt of gratitude. Nobler still are the artists who really care for these sounds and the funk and groove contained therein, treating them not just as links to the past but alive and well in the current and future eras. Updating dub D&B whilst also respecting is no mean feat, but artists like Mojay with his latest release, ‘Saxon’ on DeVice, make it sound easy.
Beginning his carerr as a multi-instrumentalist and DJ focusing on soul and funk, Mojay’s first production release was in late 2020 on YANA Music. His style was loud, deep and dark right from the jump, and also quite diverse. Fans just learning about Mojay shouldn’t relegate him to ragga jungle by any stretch; he’s incorporated several styles on his releases thus far, adding melodic elements, fast drums and dancfloor vibes where required. Since he started releasing with DeVice, he’s done everything from atmospheric tracks to horn-driven deep bass and faster, neuro-tinged drums.
Despite his diversity, Mojay already has a recognisable signature sount. With ‘Saxon’ paying homage to dub as it does, it still has a heavy dose of the London-based artist’s characteristic crunchy synths and minimal beats. Much darker and heavier than his previous offerings, this track is rooted in the intersection between vintage dub and darkstep but with a modern twist and extremely clean ambient work. Despite its nod to the sounds of the mid-90s, ‘Saxon’ fits right in in 2026 and will likely be one of the standout tracks of the summer.