Kromestar

Rajpal Singh Kalsi (born 27 December 1982), known professionally as Kromestar, is a British producer and DJ from South London. He is most often associated with bass music and dubstep, and his output also touches dub, drumstep and related bass-centred strands. He has been active since the late 1990s and is best known for the album My Sound (2009).

Background: Kromestar started working in South London’s bass networks in the late 1990s. Public records list him as a dubstep and grime record producer and DJ; he emerged through small-run releases and label connections that led to the 2009 LP My Sound. He runs two imprint names, Bass ’N’ Love and Dub Steppers Recordings, and has released material on Deep Medi Musik, Cosmic Bridge and SYSTEM MUSIC.

Musical style: Kromestar’s productions emphasise deep sub-bass and space. His mixes and productions commonly feature prominent low-end sine/sub layers, roomy delay and reverb treatment borrowed from dub practice, and relatively sparse, precise percussion so the sub can dominate the system. He often uses drawn-out atmospherics or pads to create a wide stereo field while keeping rhythmic elements tightly placed in the midrange. The result leans toward meditative, dub-inflected dubstep and bass music rather than maximal, heavily chopped arrangements — a sound that relies on weight, negative space and analog-feeling delay chains. On records and in DJ sets he will deploy steppy, half-time drum patterns and occasional faster drumstep-leaning rhythms, but the core signature is low-frequency focus, dub delay/reverb processing, and warm, rounded bass tones.

Production techniques and signature elements: tracks on My Sound and subsequent releases demonstrate Kromestar’s use of sub-sine layering, sidechain compression to clear the kick/sub relationship, and heavy use of tape-style or analogue-modelled delay for rhythmic echo. He keeps percussion tight and often sparse, ensuring the listener feels the bass on large systems. The mix balances a clear midrange for occasional vocal or melodic motifs with a deliberately roomy low end; that approach shows through on releases across Deep Medi Musik, Cosmic Bridge and SYSTEM MUSIC.

Career and contributions: Kromestar’s discography includes the albums My Sound (2009), Colourful Vibrations (2011) and Tears of Joy (2013). He operates Bass ’N’ Love and Dub Steppers Recordings, labels through which he has issued music and curated other artists’ releases. Tears of Joy (2013) was reported to have been inspired by the death of his son; proceeds from that release went to charity. Outside his albums, his material on Deep Medi Musik, Cosmic Bridge and SYSTEM MUSIC placed him alongside other bass-focused producers and helped define a quieter, dub-centred strand within modern bass music.

Specific influences and connections: public records and release histories link Kromestar to dubstep and grime scenes in South London and to the Deep Medi/Cosmic Bridge/SYSTEM MUSIC network through his releases. The dub delay/reverb techniques and sub-centric mixing on his records point to direct engagement with dub aesthetics and bass-music production practices common to those labels and artists.

His catalogue is anchored by My Sound (2009), Colourful Vibrations (2011) and Tears of Joy (2013), and he continues to be referenced for his deep, dub-inflected approach to bass and dubstep production.