Levela is a Brighton drum and bass producer who built his early catalogue around jump-up and his own Multi Function imprint. He spent years releasing much of his music himself before one experiment changed the direction of his studio work.
Exhale, released through Get Hype, came together in a single session. Levela sent it to a few DJs, and Noisia played it on their radio show within days. The track reached people who had not previously followed his music, opening the door to a deeper and more technical sound.
His 2017 album, Genesis, had already suggested an appetite for different styles. Looking back in his UKF interview, he saw it as the end of one period and the beginning of another. Releases then took him to Program, Critical Music, and Souped Up, while Error appeared through Technique Recordings.
The change also reached Multi Function. Levela used the label’s relaunch to make room for jazz-led material from Freek and Kit, alongside newer producers he had helped with techniques and mixdowns. He still spoke warmly about jump-up and kept it in his sets; exploring a different sound had widened his options rather than erased his earlier work.
