Inside Louder Than Words, Dirtbox’s new home for music, art and streetwear

Lee UHF nearly started a fifth record label.

“For me, this was massively an idea to start another new label,” he admits. “Haha. But even I’m not that psychopathic, having already got four running.”

Instead, Louder Than Words has found a home within Dirtbox Recordings, beginning with Lee’s own track, The Hidden. The release arrives on Friday 2 October 2026 as a Beatport, Spotify and Bandcamp exclusive, before going worldwide across all digital platforms on Friday 16 October.

Dirtbox has never been short of distinct projects. The label is currently running DNB Essentials Vol. 1, while its Cities EPs, Rock N Rollerz EPs and Tape Pack Project have each given artists a framework to work within. Louder Than Words goes further by asking every contributor to create an original track specifically for the project, with a personal meaning, story or statement behind it.

“Louder Than Words needed its own identity because it is more than just a run of Dirtbox releases,” Lee explains. “The music, artwork and message are all connected.”

Keeping the project within Dirtbox preserves its connection to the label, but the separate identity gives Lee room to build something recognisable around it. Each release will have its own visual and personal story while still belonging to the same wider collection.

Jungle on top, acid underneath

For the opening release, Lee has drawn on two sounds that helped shape him: jungle and the late-1990s acid techno scene.

Jungle became the foundation of the music he makes today. Acid techno remained another important part of his record collection, even when he had few people around him who shared the same interest.

“It was a sound I actively bought and invested in early on, but I really didn’t know anyone else who liked it or who I could share it with,” he says. “I have the sickest acid techno vinyl collection on the planet.”

That connection sits beneath the surface of The Hidden. The track remains a rolling drum and bass production rather than switching into a conventional techno pattern, but acid-shaped sounds are worked into its construction.

“The acid influence is hidden inside a rolling drum and bass production of mine,” Lee says. “It fills me with joy and gives me that nostalgic feeling. The track doesn’t have a techno-style pattern, but some of the sounds are definitely there.”

The title also reaches beyond the music. Its artwork uses Lee’s face but leaves it partially obscured, taking the idea of something hidden into a world where identity is increasingly shaped through screens.

For Lee, that connects with the different versions of themselves that people present online, as well as the sounds and cultures that continue to exist away from mainstream attention. Acid techno may be less visible in conventional clubs, but it remains alive at free parties, underground events and, as Lee puts it, “in muddy fields”.

“So much of our lives now happens behind screens, where people can hide their true identity or present a carefully constructed version of themselves,” he explains. “For me, The Hidden is about the sounds, cultures and identities that may not always be visible but are still very much there.”

Not just another logo on a shirt

The visual side of Louder Than Words is central to the idea. Lee wanted a project that could pull together his interests in music, art, photography and fashion, with original clothing planned alongside the releases.

“I wanted something that would bring in a huge non-AI project that incorporated all of my interests,” he says. “Hence why there are T-shirt designs coming along with it too.”

The intention is not simply to print the Dirtbox logo on another garment. Each design will carry ideas from the corresponding music and artwork, allowing the clothing to stand on its own while remaining part of the same project. The Louder Than Words merchandise extends that approach beyond the music.

Lee also wants the series to extend well beyond his own release. Artists from different countries and backgrounds will contribute one original track apiece, representing their sound, identity and personal connection to drum and bass.

Once the catalogue has grown, selected tracks are planned for limited vinyl and CD compilations. That physical element is important to Lee, giving the music a life beyond streaming and creating something listeners can collect and keep.

“Ultimately, I want Louder Than Words to grow beyond a release series into a complete creative project built around music, art and clothing.”