Wales, UK · UK bass · breaks

Overmono

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Welsh brothers making the decade's defining UK bass — tender vocals over hard breaks, 'So U Kno' still a shared euphoria.

Tom and Ed Russell grew up in Wales and briefly performed together as TR/ER in 2012 before pursuing separate careers. Tom worked as Truss, producing hard techno, while Ed released breakbeat and drum and bass tracks as Tessela, including 2013's "Hackney Parrot". The brothers reunited as Overmono in 2015, and their first EP, Arla, appeared on XL Recordings the following year.

Their music combines chopped and pitched vocal samples with UK garage and breakbeat rhythms, often built around a melodic, wistful quality rather than straightforward club functionality. The 2021 single "So U Kno" gave them a wider audience, and in the same year they won DJ Mag's Best of British award for UK's Best Live Act.

Ed founded the label Poly Kicks in 2013, which has released the duo's own material alongside records by Joy Orbison and Special Request. Overmono has collaborated repeatedly with Joy Orbison under the name Joy Overmono, issuing "Bromley" / "Still Moving" in 2019 and "Blind Date", built around a vocal sample from ABRA, in 2022.

Good Lies, their debut album, followed in 2023 on XL Recordings. It reached number 11 on the UK Albums Chart and drew widespread critical approval, averaging 83 out of 100 on Metacritic across nine reviews. They also perform live as a duo rather than playing DJ sets.

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