Clipz

Name & Pronunciation: Clipz (born David Bingham) - pronounced “klips.”

Years Active & Status: 2000 to Present (active)

Origin & Heritage: Bristol, United Kingdom; rooted in Caribbean diaspora sound system culture fused with UK bass music environments

Hook: Clipz is a boundary-pushing producer whose work fuses the weight of reggae sound system culture with the energy of modern electronic music, blending heavy basslines, dubwise textures, and the dynamic arrangements of EDM to create a distinctive ReggaeEDM identity.

Motto/Tagline: “Bass is culture.”

BIOGRAPHY

Hugh Pescod cut his teeth in Bristol amid pirate radio, dubplates, and box-rattling rigs where jungle, ragga, and dancehall bled into each other. As CLIPZ he learned to write for the dance floor first, shaping drums that snapped on vinyl and basslines that carried the room. Early 12 inches established a simple code that never left his work - hooks that read in seconds, subs that hug the root, and space for an MC or a crowd to answer back.

In the 2010s he stepped into the spotlight as Redlight, exploring house, garage, and crossover club records while sharpening his ear for toplines. That chapter taught him arrangement discipline and radio instincts. When he revived CLIPZ he brought those songwriting muscles back to jungle and drum and bass, keeping the music’s ragga backbone intact but widening its audience.

The return landed with timing and clarity. “Down 4” set the tone with a sultry vocal flip nested inside rolling breaks, followed by collaborations that threaded UK rap, dancehall royalty, and new-school jungle voices. “No Time” folded Nia Archives and Beenie Man into a carnival-speed steppa. “I Like,” “Shorty,” and “The Touch” stretched his palette toward widescreen synth work and tactile percussion without losing the Bristol weight.

CLIPZ treats releases like sound system specials. Singles carry multiple versions for different rooms, and EPs arrive like dub boxes that balance vocal weapons with pure system pressure. In the booth he rides rapid blends and wheel-ups, keeping the feel closer to a deejay selection than a locked playlist. On record he favors concise intros, pressure drops that land on the kick, and second-act switch-ups that reanimate a crowd.

The reggae DNA stays audible. He centers low-mid warmth over thin highs, favors minor-key melodies that resolve on the one, and leaves headroom for chants, air horns, and rewinds. That approach keeps him equally at home on festival stages and Notting Hill Carnival trucks, where a tune’s worth is measured by forward signals and smiling faces.

REGGAEEDM ANALYSIS

Reggae Roots

  • Rhythm: Rolling 2-step and amen-derived break patterns with offbeat skanks implied by percussion. Frequent halftime teases that flip back to full-speed for the drop.

  • Bass: Root-centric subs with Reese movement, filtered LFO wobble kept in mono below the crossover. Dub-style mutes and tape-style feedback stabs accent turnarounds.

  • Vocals/Message: Call-and-response hooks, toasting cadences, and conscious flashes about community and celebration. Verses ride 8s and 16s with crowd-led ad-libs and reload cues.

Electronic/EDM Techniques

  • Break Slicing and Ghosting: Tight slice editing on amen and think breaks with ghost notes and shuffled hats to re-create live drummer feel at 170 plus.

  • Vocal Resampling and Formant Play: Short phrase chops pitched and formant-shifted for hook motifs, often answering the lead vocal like a second instrument.

  • Layered Reese Architecture: Parallel bass layers that combine a clean sub, a midrange Reese with gentle distortion, and a high band for transient click, glued with multiband saturation and sidechain to the kick.

Essential Works & What to Listen For

  • "Down 4" (2019): The comeback flag. Listen for the sensual R&B vocal flip set against rolling breaks and a patient, sub-led drop that lands squarely on the root.

  • "No Time" (2022): A carnival weapon linking jungle and dancehall. Hear the interplay of deejay verses with clipped percussion fills and a dubwise breakdown built for rewinds.

  • "I Like" (2023): Rap verses over airy breaks. Note the staccato bass phrasing and stop-start drum edits that spotlight each MC entrance.

  • "The Touch" (2024): Pop-sensible topline over classic CLIPZ pressure. Focus on the chorus lift, the layered Reese mid, and the second-drop switch.

  • Inner Untitled EP (2024): A compact statement of the modern CLIPZ palette. From vocal-led steppas to stripped club rollers, the sequencing mirrors a peak-hour set.

Influence on ReggaeEDM

  • Innovations: Re-introduced vocal-forward jungle at festival scale, pairing modern toplines with foundation break craftsmanship. Normalized version culture around singles so DJs get tools for different rooms without losing the tune’s identity.

  • Impact: Gave a new generation a clean gateway into jungle and drum and bass while keeping reggae values of weight, message, and community. His crossover instincts encouraged MCs, singers, and producers from rap and pop spheres to step into 170 plus tempos without diluting the form.

RECOMMENDED ALBUMS

  1. Inner Untitled EP (2024)
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3f6enOUoRVqTgPf0sc0rzc
    Key tracks: "I Like," "No One," "Ashley - Bonus"
    Notes: Seven-track EP that maps his 2020s sound from vocal anthems to dubwise rollers.

  2. The Touch (Single) (2024)
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/0F2TJ0S8qetSPw9yHUzNpZ
    Key tracks: "The Touch," "Say Less," "I Like"
    Notes: Three-track single that pairs a soaring vocal cut with club tools in the same key space.

  3. Saturday Specials: The CLIPZ Remixes (2021)
    Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/2LjDtKS0cFgBWbDQizL7Tl
    Key tracks: "I Don't Want This Feeling to Stop - CLIPZ Remix," "Lay Your Head - CLIPZ Remix," "Pretending Nothings Wrong - CLIPZ Remix"
    Notes: Full-album rework job that shows his remix grammar at album length and underlines his reggae-first low-end choices.

Clipz Links