JK Beats approaches liquid drum and bass from a more reflective angle on Jack of All Trades, leaning into warmth, atmosphere, and melodic pacing without losing movement underneath. Across the album, the drums stay active while the wider mood drifts closer to late-night drives and quieter listening spaces. In conversation with Drum and Bass UK, he discusses the gradual evolution of the project, trusting feedback, and balancing emotional writing with modern streaming culture.

When you were putting together Jack of All Trades, did you approach it as a full album from the start, or did the tracks gradually begin connecting into something bigger over time?

When I first started working on Jack of All Trades, it actually wasn’t planned as a full album at all. I originally just had one release in mind, but after that track ended up getting radio play, it really motivated and inspired me to keep creating in that same space. Over time, I realised I had a collection of songs that shared a similar sound and energy, so the project naturally evolved into a full album centred around that genre.

There’s a strong melodic thread running through the release, but the drums still keep enough movement underneath. How do you balance atmosphere with making sure tracks still carry energy properly?

A lot of that balance honestly comes down to trial and error. Over the past six years of producing, it’s basically been a process of trying different ideas, experimenting with arrangements and drum patterns, and then seeing how people react to them. I’ve learned that you can have really melodic, atmospheric elements in a track, but if the drums don’t keep that movement and momentum underneath, the energy can get lost. So over time, I’ve developed a better feel for how to let the atmosphere breathe while still keeping the track driving forward.

A lot of younger producers get trapped endlessly tweaking mixes. Have you developed any instincts yet for recognising when a tune is genuinely finished?

I think a lot of that comes down to reactions and feedback from other people. For me, it’s less about chasing absolute perfection and more about getting a sense of how the track connects with listeners and peers. Networking has honestly helped a lot with that, because getting honest feedback from other producers and DJs can really tell you when a tune is working and when you’re just overthinking small details. Over time, you start developing instincts for when a track feels complete rather than endlessly tweaking it. With the age part, I don’t really take it into account. As I know 50 year olds that still don’t have that skill.

There are clear liquid drum and bass reference points in the album without it feeling too polished or over-softened. What first pulled you towards that side of the sound?

A lot of it came from really studying the sound and the artists who already do that style so well. I spent a lot of time listening closely to tracks with those really polished, shiny liquid elements and trying to understand in depth how they were actually made — from the sound design to the arrangement and overall atmosphere. A big part of it was just doing the research, experimenting, and learning why certain sounds and textures work the way they do. At the same time, I still wanted the music to feel natural and have some edge, rather than sounding overly softened or too clean.

Some of the tracks feel built for quieter moments rather than peak-time dancefloor pressure. Do you think about setting and environment much when writing music?

Yeah, definitely. I use a lot of feeling and emotion when I’m writing tracks, so a lot of the music almost ends up telling a story — whether that’s based on things I’ve personally gone through or situations and emotions that are really relatable for other people. I think that’s why some tracks work better in quieter or more reflective moments rather than just being made purely for peak-time dancefloors. When listeners can connect to something emotionally, they’re more likely to stay engaged and sit through the whole track, and from a streaming perspective that’s exactly what you want as an artist.

How much of your workflow happens inside the box now, and are there any plugins, synths, or small production habits you keep returning to across multiple tracks?

My workflow changes a lot day by day, to be honest. I’m always finding new plugins, experimenting with different sounds, and looking into upgrades that can expand what I’m able to create. I don’t like staying too comfortable with one exact setup because I think constantly exploring new tools helps keep the music fresh. But no matter what I’m using, the main goal is always the same — creating an atmospheric feeling, combining that with heartfelt lyrics or emotional elements, and then making sure the track still has a noticeable drop and impact when it hits.

You’re coming through at a time where younger artists are expected to handle production, branding, social media, and promotion all at once. Has any part of that surprised you since releasing music publicly?

Not really, because I already understood the game before releasing music publicly. I’ve learned everything little by little, almost 1% at a time over the years, so I knew there would always be new things to adapt to — whether that’s branding, social media, promotion, or building a fanbase alongside the music itself. The industry is always evolving, and I think it really comes down to whether you’re willing to get used to those changes and grow with them.

The album has been doing well on Spotify. Has that changed your confidence at all, or are you trying not to look at numbers too heavily yet?

Numbers have always been part of the game for me. Earlier on in my music career, I was sitting at around 600k monthly listeners, so seeing numbers fluctuate isn’t really a surprise to me anymore. Things go up and down naturally over time, especially in music. Because of that, I try not to get too caught up in the numbers side of things, but at the same time it’s definitely encouraging to see the percentages and growth going up month by month. It shows that people are still connecting with the music and that the project is moving in the right direction.

If you could sit in on a studio session with any producer for a day, purely to watch how they work and make decisions, who would you choose and why?

If I had to choose within the drum and bass world, it would probably be either Hybrid Minds or Andy C, just because of how well they understand emotion, energy, and arrangement within their music. I’d love to see how they make decisions in a session and how they build tracks that connect so well with people. But overall, I’d probably choose Metro Boomin. Before getting deeper into drum and bass, I actually started out producing hip hop and rap music, and I still have a lot of tracks within that genre. Seeing how Metro works creatively, structures ideas, and builds atmosphere would be really inspiring for me because that background still influences the way I approach music today.

Away from music completely, what helps reset your head when you’ve spent too many hours staring at a DAW project?

To be honest, one of the best resets for me is just having a pint of Peroni down by the harbour, looking out at the sun and the boats. That’s probably my favourite place to spend time away from the keyboard and the DAW. It helps my mental state a lot, clears my head, and weirdly enough it’s usually where I end up coming up with new ideas or fresh inspiration for music.

You’re stranded on a desert island with one turntable, a generator and one record. What’s it going to be?

Paradise by Dentist. 100%!

There’s a groundedness to the way JK Beats talks about music that mirrors the album itself. No overcomplication, no mythology around the process, just a steady focus on atmosphere, pacing, and making tracks people genuinely connect with. Jack of All Trades feels strongest in those quieter spaces, the moments after the peak-time rush fades and the emotion underneath the drums has room to sit properly. Big thanks to JK Beats for taking the time to sit down and talk with Drum and Bass UK.