DDay One
Los Angeles, USA
Beyond the Horizon
Behind the Music
DDay OneI want my music to stoke a sense of awareness and urgency, and underscore the importance of the stories told in The Outlaw Ocean. I find myself moved and enlightened by the tales of modern slavery featured in the chapter, “Jail Without Bars.” While I know slavery persists in our modern world, I was unaware of its prevalence at sea. Reading Ian’s comprehensive reporting opened my eyes, not only to this issue, but also its deep roots in the broader problems of globalization and human displacement.
The story of David George Mndolwa and Jocktan Francis Kobelo sneaking aboard the cargo ship, the Dona Liberta, painted a picture of the rampant and unreported lawlessness that happens on the high seas. More than that, it shows a human’s will to survive even the most inhumane of conditions. These themes inspire my music, and are also the driving force in what I hope listeners will take away from my tracks.
About DDay One
Dday One (born Udeze Ukwuoma) is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter, from Los Angeles, California. He is known for his instrumental sample-based productions which incorporate the extensive use of break-beats and organic sounds with emotional elements.
Over a profound body of work spanning LPs, EPs and mix-albums, Dday One has furthered the sample-based lineage of instrumental hip-hop with an invigorating organic feel, a transporting musical sensibility, and the ability to conjure the spirits of outside influences without referential appropriation.
Dday One came up surrounded by a vibrant mélange of cultures and genres. He has gone on to be able to integrate the soulful essentials of many perspectives into a signature aesthetic. He's of Nigerian and American backgrounds. He grew up in his father's nightclub that regularly hosted global musicians and DJs. There, he was exposed to international sounds and saw firsthand the art and craft of being a DJ.
Dday One's vision has also been drastically shaped by technological limitations. In his formative years, he would construct compositions from his crate digging explorations using a broken tape player. The deck's malfunction worked in his favor, enabling him to make loops that stood out to his artistic ear. Today, Dday uses the sampler as his sole instrument.
Dday has released projects on various labels but the bulk of his output has been through, The Content Label, a label which he founded and functions as artistic director, creating a majority of the cover art photography.