About
Humble, diligent and dedicated to exploring the sound inside his mind: Mecca has crafted a signature sound, rooted in low swung beats and soulful melodies.
He first hit the scene in the mid-00’s, producing tracks on albums by the likes of Deborah Jordan and Replife on the London based Futuristica Music imprint. This association quickly turned into a friendship, with Mecca joining the roster soon after and releasing his first solo record – the Messages 7” release – via the label in mid 2009.
The Messages LP – Mecca’s debut album under the pseudonym “Rise” – was released on Futuristica Music in early 2011. An excursion into sample-based spiritual jazz, the album blended the influence of Pharoah Sanders and Alice Coltrane with a Madlib-like approach to beats. The project garnered acclaim from numerous DJs and tastemakers worldwide, as well as attracting support from Gilles Peterson on his BBC Radio 1 show.
Later in 2011, Mecca returned with the Life Sketches Vols 1&2 album. Sonically blending instrumental Hip Hip with live instrumentation, the release included collaborations with Emanative (Brownswood), Buscrates 16-bit Ensemble (RecordBreakin) and Kan Sano to name a few. Life Sketches was an immediate critical success – with support from the likes of Kutmah and Soulection Radio – and went on make a number of “best of year” lists in publications such as Bonafide Magazine and Potholes In My Blog.
2012 saw the formation of Alexis Davis, a four man Hip Hop ensemble consisting of emcee Replife and producers Mecca:83, Spinnerty and Simon S. Musically the group blend forward thinking aesthetics with classic Boom Bap influences, all tied to together by Replife’s narrative style. The EP “3” was released in Summer 2012 on the Expansions label, picking up support from the likes of Anthony Valadez and Daz-I-Kue in the process.
After a year-long hiatus following the birth of his son, Mecca returned with a new group project: Redefinition. The three man crew of Mecca:83, Buscrates and DistantStarr released their first EP Bahia Affair in Summer 2014 on the Expansions label. With a heady mix of horns, Rhodes and guitar as well as a remix from Netherlands wonder kid Moods, the record garnered support throughout the online world and on radio thanks to tastemakers such as Ennio Styles, Jay Scarlett and Paul Pre.