Dogger is Rob Smith, a Manchester-born producer and DJ whose soulful drum and bass grew from a much wider musical life. He played drums in bands, spent years skateboarding, and developed a friendship with DRS before his records with Mindstate began reaching listeners.
The pair’s Broken Home EP arrived on 1985 Music in 2019, featuring Liam Bailey. Their approach left room for the voice: stripped-back production, chords, and atmosphere supporting the songs rather than fighting them. Calibre had already been playing their unreleased music, helping it find an audience before the official debut.
Smith’s own label, Precinct, gave him another place to develop records and collaborations. He has compared the idea to the skate brands he grew up with, where a shared identity could bring people together around something they cared about. Work with Tyler Daley became part of that catalogue.
The Different Roads project with Mindstate, Verbz, and Sleazy F Baby took their partnership towards hip-hop and slower-feeling rhythms. That sits alongside the liquid originals and collaborations with singers such as Catching Cairo, rather than replacing them. Across those records, making space for a performer remains a large part of Dogger’s production.
