Dom & Roland (drum & bass artist Dominic Angas)

Dominic Angas, better known by his stage name Dom & Roland, is a British drum and bass DJ and record producer. Active since the mid-1990s, Angas is recognised for his contributions to the techstep subgenre and his work with labels such as Moving Shadow, Metalheadz, and his own imprint, Dom & Roland Productions. His debut album, Industry (1998), is regarded as a significant release in the late 1990s drum and bass scene. In addition to his solo work, Angas has contributed to the development of the darker, experimental edge of drum and bass through numerous collaborations and remixes. Dominic Angas grew up in Shepherd's Bush, London. He spent five years in Germany during his childhood before returning to England, where he developed an interest in hip-hop during his teenage years. Angas transitioned to breakbeat music in his twenties and began exploring drum and bass production, following a friendship with Ed Rush. Angas' entry into the drum and bass scene began with No U-Turn's Nico Sykes, whom he persistently approached for studio time. After Sykes agreed, Angas collaborated with Brian Ferrier under the name Current Affairs, releasing their debut single, "East/Solstice" (1995), on Sykes' Saigon imprint. Their next release, "Cutting Edge/Turbulence" (1996), appeared on Moving Shadow and featured heavy drum breaks and basslines characteristic of the emerging techstep style. To further his skills, Angas took classes in studio engineering and production while working as a restaurant manager to support himself. Adopting the alias Dom & Roland, a reference to himself and his Roland sampler, Angas released "Dynamics/The Planets" in early 1996. That same year, he signed a non-exclusive contract with Moving Shadow and released tracks such as "The Storm/Sonic Shock" and "You're Something Else/Interstellar Jazz" (1996). By the end of the year, Angas had released four singles and contributed to compilation tracks and remixes, including Flytronix's work and the Art of Noise's drum and bass remix album. In 1997, Moving Shadow founder Rob Playford enlisted Angas for the label's 100th release, resulting in the track "Distorted Dreams", a collaboration with Playford. Other releases from this period include "Resistance/Hydrolics"(1997) and "The Drones" under the Current Affairs alias. Angas also collaborated with Ed Rush as Neotech on "Valves/Terminal" and with Optical on "Quadrant 6/Concrete Shoes". These tracks expanded his exploration of techstep, though some critics noted a reliance on familiar production techniques within the subgenre. Dom & Roland released his debut album, Industry, in 1998 on Moving Shadow. The album incorporated collaborations with Optical and reflected the darker, technical sound of the late 1990s drum and bass scene. Reviews were mixed, with some highlighting its innovative approach while others critiqued its alignment with established techstep elements. Angas' subsequent albums, Back for the Future (2002) and Chronology (2004), were also released on Moving Shadow. Chronology featured collaborations with artists such as Konflict, Skynet, and Hive and marked the end of his association with the label. After leaving Moving Shadow, Angas founded his own label, Dom & Roland Productions (DRP). His fourth album, Through the Looking Glass (2008), included both new material and previously released tracks from DRP. He followed this with No Strings Attached (2009), which featured collaborations with Noisia, Amon Tobin, and Rob Playford, and The Big Bang (2011). In the mid-2010s, Angas joined Metalheadz, a label founded by Goldie, and continues releasing music under the Metalheadz imprint. Charted as a single Charted as a single Shapiro, Peter (1999). Drum 'n' Bass: The Rough Guide. Rough Guides. pp. 48–50. ISBN 9781858284330. Archived from the original on 5 December 2024. Cooper, Sean. "AllMusic – Dom & Roland". AllMusic. Archived from the original on 7 October 2023. Retrieved 6 December 2024. "Official Charts – Dom & Roland". Official Charts Company. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 6 December 2024. Dom & Roland discography at Discogs Dom & Roland at Rolldabeats Dom & Roland on Bandcamp