White Neckle

Jon Phonics (Jonathan Phoenix) has been steadily making a name for himself as a producer with releases on the likes of Giles Peterson's Brownswood Bubblers and a limited edition Cassette Tape through Bleep.com in 2013 (that sold out in under an hour). His signature brand of deep textured, soulful productions is hard to pin point; drawing as much from early 90's hip-hop as it does early 00's grime & 80s funk. Over the past 12 months his own label/club night, Astral Black, has been building a reputation as a platform for forward thinking producers in the burgeoning experimental hip hop and new wave grime scenes. The likes of Jaisu, Inkke and Opal Block have all contributed to the labels hand screen printed cassette series and there are some seriously heavy 12"s planned for the coming months. Packed out club residencies in both Glasgow & London are a testament to how this label has grown.

First Word is delighted to welcome Phonics to the fold for the release of his 'White Neckle' EP - 7 tracks that blend delicate melodies with tough beats and powerful top lines, with the addition of South-London rapper Rup and soul vocalist, Yasine lending their vocal talents to the mix. Having received early radio support from the likes of Alexander Nut, LuckyMe's The Blessings & Hyperdub's Scractha DVA - 'White Neckle' is another forward step for the talented producer. Available as a digi-EP and a limited edition 7" (featuring 4 of the tracks) it's the first of a run of projects for Phonics, with releases on Alexander Nut's 'Hotep' imprint and collaboration's with the likes of Pedestrian & Jam Baxter scheduled for release in the coming months.