Future Cut

Future Cut emerged from the mid-'90s Manchester drum'n'bass scene where Tunde Babalola and Darren Lewis first became active, launching their joint project in 1998. Their debut outing “The Chase” surfaced that year, after which the pair issued the Bloodline EP on Renegade Hardware in 2000 and followed it with Ghetto Style on the same imprint plus “The Specialist” on J Majik’s Infrared label in 2001. Metalheadz next hosted “Obsession,” their collaboration with vocalist Jenna G that reached the top of the U.K. dance chart and showcased an intricate, funky strain of darkside drum'n'bass.

During this period Babalola, Lewis and Jenna G also operated as the trio Un-Cut, delivering the single “Midnight” before signing with WEA; a reissued version climbed into the Top 30 and paved the way for the 2003 major-label album The Un-Calculated Some, whose soulful, jazz-inflected sound earned praise yet fell short of commercial targets, leading to the group’s release. After Un-Cut dissolved, the duo encountered then-unknown singer Lily Allen in 2004 and co-wrote several tracks, among them “Smile” and “LDN,” that became her breakthrough hits on the 2006 debut Alright, Still.

The album’s global impact shifted Future Cut toward mainstream production, generating credits for Tom Jones, Shakira, Rihanna, Olly Murs, Little Mix and additional artists. They nevertheless maintained drum'n'bass ties through joint releases with Ulterior Motive and René LaVice. In 2017 the pair inaugurated Future Cut Recordings to reissue earlier material alongside unreleased cuts and remixes. The GDNCE 003 EP with Ulterior Motive appeared in 2018, while 2020 brought the Nine Strings EP on Metalheadz alongside LaVice; DeVice subsequently put out “Make or Break,” their single featuring Camden Cox. Further 2021 remixes preceded the 2022 track “Exocet” with Submotive and the No Guidnce collaboration “Make Me Wanna,” a reworking of Usher’s 1997 hit. Babalola and Lewis have also extended their reach into theater by co-writing material for the musical The Ten together with Emily Phillips.