Introducing: Dr Meaker

Get ready to experience the electrifying energy of Dr Meaker, the world’s most exciting live soulful drum & bass band. This eight-piece powerhouse from Bristol combines raw talent, unmatched stage presence, and the city’s iconic sound to create unforgettable performances. From intimate nightclubs to global festival stages, Dr Meaker has captivated audiences worldwide, earning accolades like winning Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Artist Live Act Competition.

Fresh off the success of their chart-topping album Dirt & Soul, they’re back with their highly anticipated third studio album, Distorted Sun. Whether they’re tearing up the stage or delivering explosive DJ sets led by founder Clive Meaker, expect nothing less than a sonic journey through euphoric vocals, thundering basslines, and undeniable grooves.

Ready to join the movement? Dive into the unmistakable sound of Dr Meaker—where soulful vibes meet the pulse of drum & bass.

Dr Meaker is known for blending soulful melodies with drum & bass energy. How do you approach balancing these elements in both your live band performances and DJ sets

For the album tracks, We write the songs with a view to playing them with the live band and produce them in a way that hits heavy on the sound system, should DJs also wish to play them. But imo they are best suited for the live performance.  I also intend to Remix all of the tracks specifically for DJS so that they have heavy remixes. this way, I don’t compromise the original versions or the Remix (dancefloor) versions.

Your media assets include a range of promotional materials for event organizers. How important is collaboration with promoters in creating the right atmosphere for your shows?

it’s really important. I would like our vibe to be consistent across all venues that we play and we’ve all promoters that we play for. So there is always dialogue before a show to make sure we’re all on the same page, especially when it comes to the flyers, the sound system, the sound engineers and the vibe of the crowd. We really don’t want to play for anyone that doesn’t want to see us as that wouldn’t be the right vibe, so we try to be quite selective about who we play for to make sure we are all in sync.

Live soulful drum & bass is a unique niche in the music scene. What inspired you to create this fusion, and how do you think it connects with audiences differently than traditional drum & bass?

The main bands that inspired me are the Prodigy, and also bands including orbital, Jamiroquai, Portishead Air, Represent and loads of bands from the 60’s, 70’s 80’s and 90’s. I grew up near Glastonbury Festival and this was an amazing introduction to how life bands can operate and I knew this is how I wanted to do it rather than the traditional Dj route for drum and bass.

From studio recordings to high-energy live performances, how do you adapt your sound to maintain its impact across different formats and settings?

we have a heavy backing track which I have produced specifically for the live show to keep that hard edge to what we do and then we fill in all the gaps with the acoustic and live performances so you have that combination of produced and organic.

Laurent, one of our Vocalist also answered this question:

For the last question - from a vocal perspective for me, the studio recording is about getting that raw, emotional take that connects whereas bringing it to life live is about balancing an energetic delivery with that heartfelt soulful element to connect with the crowd and tell the story of the songs we’ve created.  performing the songs live is a two way exchange and we’re fuelled by the energy of the audience as much as the energy we have has a band.