Delta Heavy
D E L T Δ H E Δ V Y — Delta Heavy — are a London-based drum and bass production duo made up of Ben Hall and Simon James. Formed in 2009, they work primarily as producers and perform DJ sets internationally. Within the drum and bass/jungle spectrum their work sits with high-energy rollers and festival-ready liquid and neuro-leaning DnB; they first signed to Viper Recordings and later moved to RAM Records. Their 2012 single "Get By" brought wider recognition, and they have released two studio albums: Paradise Lost (18 March 2016) and Only in Dreams (22 March 2019).
Background: Hall and James began Delta Heavy in 2009 in London. Their early career milestone was a signing to Viper Recordings, where "Get By" raised their profile in 2012. After that momentum they secured releases on RAM Records and consolidated their sound across singles and two LPs. Public interviews and profiles focus on their studio work and international DJing; detailed personal origin stories or a long list of outside collaborations are not widely documented in public sources.
Musical style — production. Delta Heavy’s productions are built around layered bass designs, tightly processed drum breaks and clear melodic hooks. Their tracks often combine a pronounced low end with bright mid/high synths: multiple bass layers (sub, mid-reese, distorted growl) are blended with saturation and multiband compression to keep weight without mud. Drum programming emphasizes punch and transient control — fast, edited break rolls and snappy snares with transient shaping and parallel compression for impact. They use chopped vocal pieces and sweeping pads to create lead lines and atmospherics that sit above the low end. On several releases they employ halftime or drumstep moments alongside straight rollers, which gives their sets and records a dynamic contrast between two-step and half-time hits.
Musical style — DJing and mixing. As DJs they translate their studio approach to the booth: sets prioritize tight mixing, clear low-end management, and drop-centric phrasing suitable for clubs and festival slots. Their DJ sets feature seamless blends between high-energy rollers and more melodic passages, and they program track selection to allow heavy bass hits to land cleanly on sound systems while maintaining harmonic flow.
Specific subgenre characteristics. Delta Heavy’s catalog pulls from liquid funk’s melodic motifs and neuro/tech influences’ aggression. You’ll hear liquid-style pads and vocal hooks paired with the distorted bass and precise drum edits associated with heavier, dancefloor-focused DnB. They also incorporate occasional drumstep/half-time textures within full-tempo tracks to shift energy mid-set.
Career and contributions. The 2012 single "Get By" marked a clear career turning point, increasing their international bookings and leading to their long-form releases. Paradise Lost (18 March 2016) and Only in Dreams (22 March 2019) document their move from single-led momentum into full-album statements, showing both club tracks and more expansive, melodic pieces. Beyond studio work, the duo are known for touring and DJing internationally, bringing their productions to club and festival audiences as part of their contribution to contemporary drum and bass performance.
Specific influences and connections. Public, verifiable statements pinpointing particular individual influences for Ben Hall and Simon James are limited in available sources. What is verifiable is their progression through known DnB labels (Viper Recordings, then RAM Records) and the way their releases and touring reflect the intersection of melodic and heavyweight drum and bass approaches.
Delta Heavy remain a producer-first duo that also DJs internationally, with a catalog anchored by the breakthrough 2012 single "Get By" and the albums Paradise Lost (18 March 2016) and Only in Dreams (22 March 2019), all grounded in the drum and bass idiom and delivered from their London base.
