Since his early work for Dublin label Quadrophonic in 1998, Dominick Martin aka Calibre has developed a sound that delves deep below the all too often unsatisfying drum & bass surface. Bringing a warm, natural feel to the digital landscape of drum & bass, his early tracks stood far apart from the rest and soon caught the ears of none other than BBC Radio 1’s DJ Fabio. The scene veteran and Creative Source label boss promptly gave Calibre’s music his fullest attention and brought it to a wider audience, playing the freshest Calibre dubplates both on his show and at his legendary London club night Swerve. The critically acclaimed double album, 'Musique Concrete,' was released in 2001 and introduced a sound that paved the way for others to follow. Opening the door to a new breed of dancefloor capable, musically orientated drum & bass, Calibre’s music certainly showed that less could be more.
Since joining forces with Marcus Intalex, another of drum & bass’ forward-thinkers, Calibre has taken his music to new levels. Through early releases on the Soul:r label, producing both alone and together with Marcus and ST Files under the name Misti:cal, Calibre developed his sound and honed a style all of his own. It wasn’t long before Calibre established his own imprint, Signature Recordings in 2003, and set about releasing a series of singles that really showcased his sound. Tracks including ‘Peso,’ ‘Mr Maverick’ and the massive ‘Drop it Down’ received almost universal support and raised Calibre’s status in the scene, marking him as one of the leading lights in drum & bass. Often focusing on a simple groove based around just a few choice samples, his stripped-down sound is instantly recognisable and strikes the perfect balance between music, beats and bass.
Calibre has released music on a diverse range of labels including CIA, 31 Records, Commercial Suicide, Liquid V, Bassbin, Ganja, Exit, Critical, Integral, Quarantine, Deep Medi and Digital Soundboy. Bringing samples to life with a masterful touch has also made him a highly in-demand remixer and some of his most popular tracks to date have included remixes of Uncut, Solid State, Badmarsh & Shri and US R&B singer Jaheim. What makes his music most exciting, however, is that Calibre continues to evolve both as a producer and artist and has consistently stayed one step ahead of the rest.
His sophomore LP ‘Second Sun’ was released to critical acclaim in 2005 and introduced Calibre as an artist capable of much more than just straight dancefloor rollers. Taking in elements of dub reggae, electro, broken beat and deep house, the album moves through more familiar club-friendly territory to sublime panoramic soundscapes and broadens the scope of his music beyond drum & bass. Since then, Calibre has not only co-produced the first Mist:ical LP, ‘Eleventh Hour,’ but also released two retrospective compilations, ‘Shelf Life’ Volumes 1 & 2, and released his third full-length solo album, ‘Overflow.’ The album is surely his best yet and features several tracks with his own vocals, alongside the talents of guests MC DRS, Lariman and Spacek.
With a shy and self-effacing exterior, Calibre is far from a prolific DJ and prefers not to sacrifice valuable studio time in favour of extensive gigs abroad. He’s a highly capable selector behind the decks, however, and the rarity of his appearances seems to make them all the more special. Whether representing his own label, the Soul:ution crew or the A Bunch of Cuts collective, Calibre’s known for dropping his own exclusive productions in the mix and frequently turns heads with a selection more rugged than some would expect.
Often imitated but never bettered, Calibre’s sound remains his own after ten years of producing and releasing drum & bass. A creative force and inspiration to others, he refuses to be pinned down to making music in a single style. His recent single for the Deep Medi label, run by Digital Mystikz don Mala, received a warm reception in the dubstep scene and has demonstrated once again his diversity as a producer.
2009 saw Calibre crossing styles once again with singles on V Recordings, CIA Deep Kut, 31 Records and DJ Presha’s Red Seal label. He's also recently released his first album as Dominick Martin, bringing together a personal collection of downtempo music featuring his own instrumentation and vocals. Prolific in the studio, yet always creative and exploring new techniques: that's why he’s the man Marcus Intalex calls the ‘magical music machine.’
