Ill Truth are the Bristol drum and bass partnership of Haden and Jay. They began working together under the name Despicable Youth before developing the Ill Truth project, with a shared interest in making the sort of records they wanted to play. Their influences included hip-hop, soul, funk, and garage as well as drum and bass.
Early connections in Bristol helped their music reach Break and Total Science, leading to releases through Symmetry Recordings and C.I.A.. In Your Soul, made with Satl and Charli Brix, shows how collaboration was part of the catalogue from an early stage.
The Anchored EP on Flexout Audio explored a more minimal side of their production. Discussing it with UKF in 2019, the duo described building music from a shared sample library and allowing the project time to develop. Charli Brix’s involvement also grew through the sessions, with the EP taking shape over roughly two years.
They have been open about writing across liquid, heavier drum and bass, and halftime. In the same interview, Haden and Jay described enjoying the freedom to follow those different directions rather than settling into one expected sound. Their musical backgrounds gave them plenty to work with, while collaborations offered another way to bring new ideas into the studio.
