Klute is the drum and bass project of Tom Withers, whose background as a drummer and songwriter in punk band the Stupids helped shape his approach to electronic music. The connection runs deeper than a change of tempo: in interviews, he has traced his attraction to jungle to syncopated drums, bass, and the freedom to make and release music independently.
Early releases on Certificate 18 established Klute within the 1990s scene. After making two albums for the label, he founded Commercial Suicide in 2001. Explaining the decision to Drum and Basics, Withers recalled wanting somewhere to release his own work when other labels were not interested. The imprint gave him that outlet and room to develop its wider catalogue.
His albums also make space for interests outside drum and bass, particularly techno. By Read Between the Lines in 2017, he was reconsidering how those different strands could sit together on one record. Discussing the album with UKF, he described a more focused selection, while retaining the layered writing that makes his music rewarding beyond a DJ set.
That combination of a drummer’s ear and an independent label owner’s freedom is a useful way into Klute’s catalogue. His early jungle records, emotionally charged drum and bass, and slower electronic pieces belong to the same musical outlook, even when they serve different purposes.
